DeSmog

Facebook-f X-twitter
Subscribe
Donate
Donate

DeSmog

Donate
Search
Search

Massive piece of Ward Hunt Ice Shelf collapses

authordefault
By Todd Carmichael
on

Arctic scientists are reporting today that a four-square-kilometer chunk of the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf has brokenย off.

As reported in the Globe andย Mail:

Scientists say the break, the largest on record since 2005, is the latest indication that climate change is forcing the drastic reshaping of the Arctic coastline, where 9,000 square kilometres of ice have been whittled down to less than 1,000 over the past century, and are only showing signs of decreasing further.

Northern explorers have used the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf as a launching point for expeditions for years. But much like the changes that I have witnessed in my expeditions to the Antarctic, things just aren’t right at the other Poleย either.

Scientists have been studying the effects of global climate change on the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf for years. โ€œSea ice cover has been shrinking about 3 percent per decade over the past few decades. We saw a record minimum in September 2002, and the summer of 2003 almost set a new record,โ€ said Mark Serreze, a research scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder,ย Colorado.

According to NASA:

Loss of sea ice can have major implications for global climate. Because of its light appearance, sea ice reflects most of the Sunโ€™s energy back into space, whereas darker seawater absorbs most of the incoming radiation and could potentially warm Earthโ€™s climate. As sea ice continues to melt, more radiation will be absorbed by the ocean.

You can go here for more on the history of the breakup of the Ward Hunt Iceย Shelf.

On November 8, 2008 Todd Carmichael will attempt to become the first American in history to reach the South Pole, solo and unaided.

Sign up for Todd’s Expedition E-lerts and keep track of Todd’s Antarctic Expedition with live updates throughout the journey.

By Todd Carmichael

Related Posts

Europeโ€™s Waterways Under Threat from Mining Lobby
ByRachel Sherrington
on

Weakening the Water Framework Directive would send a โ€œdevastatingโ€ signal to the public, warns Greens MEP Jutta Paulus.

Weakening the Water Framework Directive would send a โ€œdevastatingโ€ signal to the public, warns Greens MEP Jutta Paulus.
us/Civil Rights Case Probes Racism Behind Cancer Alley Pollution
BySharon Kelly
on

Federal lawsuit claiming local officials illegally pushed polluting industries into Black communities reaches new stage.

Federal lawsuit claiming local officials illegally pushed polluting industries into Black communities reaches new stage.
Series: Louisianaโ€™s Cancer Alley Communities at Risk
Series: Louisiana's Cancer Alley
Mosaic Companyโ€™s Faustina Ammonia Plant and CF Industries' Donaldsonville Complex's port in the 5th District of St. James with smoke rising from burning sugarcane fields
As Russia Bombs Ukraineโ€™s Power Plants, Gulf Coast LNG Companies Win Big
ByDelaney Nolan
on

Record LNG exports to Europe pushing up prices for U.S. consumers even more than forecast.

Record LNG exports to Europe pushing up prices for U.S. consumers even more than forecast.
A utility worker in a hard hat, left, stands beside a transformer destroyed by a Russian drone near Odessa, Ukraine.
How the โ€˜Galapagos of West Africaโ€™ was Plundered by Floating Fishmeal Factoriesย 
ByDavide Mancini
on

Off-shore industrial boats illegally harvest thousands of tonnes of small fish vital to the marine food web in Guinea-Bissau, a DeSmog investigation with The Guardian reveals.

Off-shore industrial boats illegally harvest thousands of tonnes of small fish vital to the marine food web in Guinea-Bissau, a DeSmog investigation with The Guardian reveals.
Series: Spotlight on Industrial Aquaculture
Series: Spotlight on Industrial Aquaculture

Donate

Facebook-f