World's Biggest Iceberg Breaks Up After 40 Years 27
The world's largest iceberg is now breaking apart rapidly in warmer waters after nearly 40 years adrift. "Earlier this year, the 'megaberg' known as A23a weighed a little under a trillion tons and was more than twice the size of Greater London," reports The Guardian. "It is now less than half its original size, but still a hefty 1,770 sq km (683 sq miles) and 60km (37 miles) at its widest point..." Scientists expect it to completely disintegrate within weeks. From the report: A23a calved from the Antarctic shelf in 1986 but quickly grounded in the Weddell Sea, remaining stuck on the ocean floor for over 30 years. It finally escaped in 2020 and, like other giants before it, was carried along "iceberg alley" into the South Atlantic Ocean by the powerful Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Around March, it ran aground in shallow waters off distant South Georgia island, raising fears it could disrupt large colonies of adult penguins and seals there from feeding their young. But it dislodged in late May, and moved on. [...] Iceberg calving is a natural process. But scientists say the rate at which they were being lost from Antarctica is increasing, probably because of human induced climate change.
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cry me a river
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Blaming this on just Trump or his administration is peak TDS.
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Trump has definitely done a lot to roll back environmental protections, withdrawn from the Paris accords, and generally spread as much FUD as possible about the ongoing global climate changes. So responding to a comment that didn't even mention Trump with "peak TDS" ju
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I couldn't help but notice the following formulation is TFS:
But scientists say the rate at which they were being lost from Antarctica is increasing, probably because of human induced climate change.
As I seem to recall it, it used to be something like: "Because of climate changes caused by humans".
The new formulation sounds much more scientific and credible IMHO so at least there is that.
I sense investment opportunities! (Score:4, Funny)
If this keeps up, I might be able to invest in some oceanfront property in Arizona!
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I struggle to see why people say this, at least due to icebergs. It shows a misunderstanding of water, and the volume it displaces when frozen, and how much of an iceberg is underwater. A melting glacier should lower sea level, not raise it.
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duh, it's because most of the ice on Antarctica, Greenland and in the Arctic is on land above sea level, clearly your denial is rooted in misunderstanding
A misunderstanding he says, while talking about land ice on Antarctica and Greenland in a discussion about an iceberg floating in the ocean...
We should rename Anonymous Cowards to Confidently Incorrect Cowards since that's about all you are these days.
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"A misunderstanding he says, while talking about land ice on Antarctica and Greenland in a discussion about an iceberg floating in the ocean."
The source of the ice in the iceberg under discussion is Antarctica. You didn't even have to RTFA, this was even mentioned in the summary.
We should rename Anonymous Cowards to Confidently Incorrect Cowards since that's about all you are these days.
That aged well.
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The iceberg has been floating since before there was any discussion of sea level rises. Try again buddy.
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What difference does the age of the iceberg have in relation to where the ice in it came from. The fact that we weren't talking about climate change when this iceberg broke is irrelevant.
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Oh, God, we have reached peak stupid.
Peak stupid is when America elected a potato to be president in 2020. (No, Taco isn't any better.)
So... (Score:3)
So... (Score:2)
Don't go blaming this breakup on (Score:1)
...Yoko Ono.
Nuke it!! (Score:2)
Why can't we just nuke it?