Climate change pushes massive Antarctic glacier past tipping point
Jeremy Hancemongabay.com
January 14, 2010
Based on computer modeling, the study found that Pine Island glacier probably passed the point of no return in 1996 due to warming in the Amundsen Sea caused by climate change. If Thwaite's Glacier, which sits adjacent to Pine Island glacier, also passes the tipping point sea levels could rise 52 centimeters (20.5 inches) in total.
Researchers admit that the computer modeling is a simplified version of the physics of glaciers, but if anything, they told New Scientist, their findings underestimated the rate at which the glacier will melt.
"Ours is a simple model of an ice sheet that neglects some important physics," lead author Richard Katz told New Scientist. "The take-home message is that we should be concerned about tipping points in West Antarctica and we should do a lot more work to investigate."
Satellite imagery in 2004 revealed that Pine Island glacier was already melting 25 percent faster than 30 years before.
Citation: Richard Katz, M. Grae Worster. Stability of ice-sheet grounding lines Proceedings of the Royal Society A. DOI: 10.1098/rspa.2009.0434.
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