The Arctic is in a death spiral. How much longer will it exist? (excerpt): The Guardian

 "The region is unravelling faster than anyone could once have predicted. But there may still be time to act."

"At the end of July, 40% of the 4,000-year-old Milne Ice Shelf, located on the north-western edge of Ellesmere Island, calved into the sea. Canada’s last fully intact ice shelf was no more.

On the other side of the island, the most northerly in Canada, the St Patrick’s Bay ice caps completely disappeared.

Two weeks later, scientists concluded that the Greenland Ice Sheet may have already passed the point of no return. Annual snowfall is no longer enough to replenish the snow and ice loss during summer melting of the territory’s 234 glaciers. Last year, the ice sheet lost a record amount of ice, equivalent to 1 million metric tons every minute.

The Arctic is unravelling. And it’s happening faster than anyone could have imagined just a few decades ago. Northern Siberia and the Canadian Arctic are now warming three times faster than the rest of the world. In the past decade, Arctic temperatures have increased by nearly 1C. If greenhouse gas emissions stay on the same trajectory, we can expect the north to have warmed by 4C year-round by the middle of the century."

Go to Guardian article and photo essay

 

• The great thaw: global heating upends life on Arctic permafrost – photo essay

Gloria Dickie

Related:  Vigorous action needed, and soon, on climate change (excerpt): Yale Climate Connections

 

Arctic,Antarctica,Greenland ice melt,#icemelting,sea level rise,#climate crisis,

East Antarctic Melting Hotspot Identified by Japanese Expedition – Ice Melting at Surprisingly Fast Rate: SciTechDaily

"Ice is melting at a surprisingly fast rate underneath Shirase Glacier Tongue in East Antarctica due to the continuing influx of warm seawater into the Lützow-Holm Bay.

Hokkaido University scientists have identified an atypical hotspot of sub-glacier melting in East Antarctica. Their findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, could further understandings and predictions of sea level rise caused by mass loss of ice sheets from the southernmost continent.

The 58th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition had a very rare

opportunity to conduct ship-based observations near the tip of East Antarctic Shirase Glacier when large areas of heavy sea ice broke up, giving them access to the frozen Lützow-Holm Bay into which the glacier protrudes.

“Our data suggests that the ice directly beneath the Shirase Glacier Tongue is melting at a rate of 7–16 meters per year,” says Assistant Professor Daisuke Hirano of Hokkaido University’s Institute of Low Temperature Science. “This is equal to or perhaps even surpasses the melting rate underneath the Totten Ice Shelf, which was thought to be experiencing the highest melting rate in East Antarctica, at a rate of 10–11 meters per year.”'

"The Antarctic ice sheet, most of which is in East Antarctica, is Earth’s largest freshwater reservoir. If it all melts, it could lead to a 60-meter rise in global sea levels. Current predictions estimate global sea levels will rise one meter by 2100 and more than 15 meters by 2500. Thus, it is very important for scientists to have a clear understanding of how Antarctic continental ice is melting, and to more accurately predict sea level fluctuations.

Melting arctic ice fuels climate change and extreme weather events | DW News

Global climate change is perhaps most clearly visible at the cold top and bottom of the globe.


 


The arctic has been warming up for years - and now, the warnings of experts and scientists are clear for everyone to see - the poles are melting. As the differences in temperature between the poles and the equator reduce, the jetstream winds, which move weather around the globe - are slowing down. The result - extreme weather. High- and low pressure systems remain at the same spot for longer, creating floods and droughts.

Für Videos in deutscher Sprache besuchen Sie: https://www.youtube.com/channel/deuts... #ClimateChange #Arctic #GlobalWarming 

•Aug 7, 2020

Related: NZ rated 'insufficient' on climate action, again (excerpt): Stuff

 

Climate Explained: What the World Was Like the Last Time Carbon Dioxide Levels Were at 400ppm: EW

climate change

What was the climate and sea level like at times in Earth’s history when carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was at 400ppm? 

 

The last time global carbon dioxide levels were consistently at or above 400 parts per million (ppm) was around four million years ago during a geological period known as the Pliocene Era (between 5.3 million and 2.6 million years ago). The world was about 3℃ warmer and sea levels were higher than today.


We know how much carbon dioxide the atmosphere contained in the past by studying ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica. As compacted snow gradually changes to ice, it traps air in bubbles that contain samples of the atmosphere at the time. We can sample ice cores to reconstruct past concentrations of carbon dioxide, but this record only takes us back about a million years.


Beyond a million years, we don't have any direct measurements of the composition of ancient atmospheres, but we can use several methods to estimate past levels of carbon dioxide. One method uses the relationship between plant pores, known as stomata, that regulate gas exchange in and out of the plant. The density of these stomata is related to atmospheric carbon dioxide, and fossil plants are a good indicator of concentrations in the past.


Another technique is to examine sediment cores from the ocean floor. The sediments build up year after year as the bodies and shells of dead plankton and other organisms rain down on the seafloor. We can use isotopes (chemically identical atoms that differ only in atomic weight) of boron taken from the shells of the dead plankton to reconstruct changes in the acidity of seawater. From this we can work out the level of carbon dioxide in the ocean.
The data from four-million-year-old sediments suggest that carbon dioxide was at 400ppm back then.

Sea Levels and Changes in Antarctica 

 

During colder periods in Earth's history, ice caps and glaciers grow and sea levels drop. In the recent geological past, during the most recent ice age about 20,000 years ago, sea levels were at least 120 meters lower than they are today.


Sea-level changes are calculated from changes in isotopes of oxygen in the shells of marine organisms. For the Pliocene Era, research shows the sea-level change between cooler and warmer periods was around 30-40 meters and sea level was higher than today. Also during the Pliocene, we know the West Antarctic Ice Sheet was significantly smaller and global average temperatures were about 3℃ warmer than today. Summer temperatures in high northern latitudes were up to 14℃ warmer.


This may seem like a lot but modern observations show strong polar amplification of warming: a 1℃ increase at the equator may raise temperatures at the poles by 6-7℃. It is one of the reasons why Arctic sea ice is disappearing.

Impacts in New Zealand and Australia  

 

Read the complete EW article

Greenland shed ice at unprecedented rate in 2019; Antarctica continues to lose mass: EurekAlert

Greenland Ice Melt

Irvine, Calif., March 18, 2020 - During the exceptionally warm Arctic summer of 2019, Greenland lost 600 billion tons of ice, enough to raise global sea levels by 2.2 millimeters in two months. On the opposite pole, Antarctica continued to lose mass in the Amundsen Sea Embayment and Antarctic Peninsula but saw some relief in the form of increased snowfall in Queen Maud Land, in the eastern part of the continent.
 
These new findings and others by glaciologists at the University of California, Irvine and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory are the subject of a paper published today in the American Geophysical Union journal Geophysical Research Letters.

"We knew this past summer had been particularly warm in Greenland, melting every corner of the ice sheet, but the numbers are enormous," said lead author Isabella Velicogna, UCI professor of Earth system science and JPL senior scientist.

Between 2002 and 2019, Greenland lost 4,550 billion tons of ice, an average of 268 billion tons annually - less than half what was shed last summer. To put that in perspective, Los Angeles County residents consume 1 billion tons of water per year.

Read the EurekAlert story

Sea Level Rise: It’s Probably Worse Than You Think: Medium

As you know, this newsletter is usually fairly inspiring. But this one is not (overall). And that’s because we really need to talk about sea level rise again.

Sorry, but the stakes are insanely high and everyone needs to know about this stuff!

That being said, I do end with an action you can take to help if you so choose! …Or you can just tell your friends about this mind-bending sea level rise predicament. Talking about these things and finding new ways to help together is always good.

Key Takeaways:

• We’ve locked in about 7.5 ft (2.3 m) of sea level rise already.
• Sea levels will likely be at least 3.3 ft (1 m) higher by 2100.
• Last time Earth got this hot, sea levels were way, WAY higher.
• Ice loss in Greenland and Antarctica is decades ahead of schedule. There’s been significant acceleration.

The fact of the matter is that coastal cities around the world will eventually have to make sci-fi adaptations or retreat…but I’m getting ahead of myself.

Go to the factual and scary Medium article

Honest Government Ad | We're F**ked: YouTube

thejuicemedia

 The Government made an ad about climate change as we head into the third decade of the 21st century, and it’s surprisingly honest and informative. 

 - Global Climate Strike Sept 20-27: https://globalclimatestrike.net 

- Worldwide Rebellion Oct 7-18: https://rebellion.global 

- FridaysForFuture Sept 20/27: https://www.fridaysforfuture.org/even... 

Ways you can support us to keep making videos: 

 -- Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/TheJuiceMedia 

 -- Tip us on PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/thejuicemedia 

 -- Tip us in Bitcoin: https://www.thejuicemedia.com/support -*- 

CREDITS -- Produced by Patrons of The Juice Media -- Written by Giordano for The Juice Media -- Performed by Zoe x Voice by Lucy -- Animations by Brent Cataldo -- Thanks to Scott, Adso, Damian, Matt and Dbot for feedback on the script -- Footage courtesy of Extinction Rebellion: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYTh... -- Music by PMWA: https://audiojungle.net/item/timelaps...

See also:

Leaked IPCC report warns of the future of oceans in climate change: Global Landscapes Forum

Showing sea level 5m rise flooding in Melbourne city

Melbourne inundation with a 5m sea level rise

• We are looking more and more unlikely to prevent global heating.

• Scientists are predicting the melting of the ice covering Greenland with a subsequent sea level rise of 7m.

• This rise does not factor in sea rise from the melting of Antarctica and other ice.

• Already many properties are likely to flood when a high tide is combined with high local rainfall. What were a hundred year rainfall events are now ten year events.

• The frequency of high rainfall events will increase with global heating and more and more severe hurricanes are predicted because of warmer seas.

• Low coastal areas will be subjected to severe storm surges. 

• Once the ice on Greenland and Antarctica melts the sea level will rise. It is already melting.

• Would you buy a property likely to be inundated in twenty years, fifty years, a hundred years? Many wouldn't. Even the perception of possible inundation will greatly affect property values.

• When certain properties are in less demand their value falls.

• Would you buy a property with a value likely to fall?

•  The view of Melbourne above shows areas likely to be inundated by a 5m sea level rise.

• Property above a 10m rise will become highly sought after and will greatly rise in value.

Learn more about how sea rise inundation will affect Australian property.

Click here to go to Coastal Risk Australia site

'Retreat' Is Not An Option As A California Beach Town Plans For Rising Seas: NPR 


#inundation  #sea rise  #searise  #climatecrisis  #climatechange  #ice  #melting ice

Climate change: what to expect and are there really two sides? | Ask Bob: Video

Published on Nov 4, 2017

Many view climate change as the most pressing issue of our time. But how, specifically, is it going to affect us and our planet? Is there still time to make a difference? And what does it mean to believe "both sides" of climate change science? CBC's Bob McDonald weighs-in.

Related:

How high will sea levels rise- ABC Science

How high will sea levels rise- ABC Science

This video was made in 2014. We now have evidence the Greenland ice shelf and Antarctic ice shelf is melting more quickly than first thought.


ABC Science

Published on Jul 18, 2014

The rising sea is the sleeping giant of climate change. Although we now know it's happening, how high will it go? In an attempt to predict what impact the rising waters will have on our world, scientists are turning to the distant past.

 

Port Macquarie after a 7m sea level rise. Insurance risks affect property values now.

Port Macquarie with 7m sea level rise: Click to enlarge.

• We are looking more and more unlikely to prevent global heating.

• Scientists are predicting the melting of the ice covering Greenland  with a subsequent sea level rise of 7m.

• This rise does not factor in sea rise from the melting of Antarctica and other ice.

• Already many properties and infrastructures are likely to flood when a high tide is combined with high local rainfall. What were a hundred year rainfall events are now ten year events.

• The frequency of high rainfall events will increase with global heating and more and more severe hurricanes are predicted because of warmer seas.

• Low coastal areas will also be subjected to severe storm surges.

• Would you buy a property likely to be inundated in twenty years, fifty years, a hundred years? Many wouldn't. Even the perception of possible inundation will greatly affect property values. Insurers are already reluctant to insure many properties that were once only likely to flood every 100 years.

• When certain properties are in less demand their value falls.

• Would you buy a property with a value likely to fall?

•  The view of Port Macquarie above shows areas likely to be inundated by even a 7m sea level rise. Note the flooding of infrastructure and roads. Water supply will be affected. How could levees hold back such an onslaught?

• Property above a 10m rise will become highly sought after and will greatly rise in value. Property able to be accessed by road will increase in value but properties isolated by sea rise will lose value. New, costly road routes above the Hastings River floodplain will be required. Will NSW be able to afford to update all its infrastructure? Of course local government will be raising rates in an attempt to maintain infrastructure.

Isaac Cordal sculpture depicting politicians discussing global warming

Learn more about how sea rise inundation will affect Australian property.

Click here to go to Coastal Risk Australia site

Related: 'Retreat' Is Not An Option As A California Beach Town Plans For Rising Seas: NPR 

• 

  NASA: Earth’s vital signs: Sea level

  An indicator of current global sea level as measured by satellites; updated monthly.

#inundation  #sea rise  #searise  #climatecrisis  #climatechange  #ice  #melting ice  #insurancerisk  #floods  #climate catastrophe  #Port Macquarie

Rolling Stone: Journey to Antarctica: What Scientists Think of Trump’s Latest Climate Tweet “You like carbon dioxide so much?” one researcher mused. “Try putting a plastic bag over your head and see how that works out.”

Pic from NY Post

"To scientists in Antarctica, President Trump is weirder than a sea pig. On Tuesday, Trump tweeted a quote from Patrick Moore, a well-known climate denier who claims to have been a co-founder of Greenpeace. (He wasn’t, and Greenpeace has disavowed him as a “paid lobbyist.”) “The whole climate crisis is not only Fake News, it’s Fake Science,” Trump quoted Moore as saying on an episode of Fox & Friends."
 
"I showed Trump’s tweet to Larter on my iPhone. As he read it, he smiled slightly and shook his head. “It’s crazy talk,” said Larter, who is British. “Do any Americans really believe that stuff?”"

Read the Rolling Stone Article