Clearest indication yet that polar ice sheets are melting fast

[RollingThunder]

As CO2 levels in the Earth's atmosphere continue to climb at an accelerating rate to new record high levels and mankind as a whole continues to ignore the looming climate change crisis, the Arctic reached a new record low in sea ice extent once again this year and the total volume of the ice has declined enormously as well. The melting away of the Arctic ice cap is a major change in the Earth's long standing climate patterns and it will have profound and disruptive effects on northern hemisphere climate patterns. The rapid melting of the polar and Greenland and mountain glacier ice around the world (ice that has, in some cases, been there for tens of thousands of years at least) is a clear and unmistakeable sign of global warming. The physical changes that anthropogenic global warming are causing are happening even faster than the climate scientists were predicting they would just twenty years ago.

Here's the latest research results on the Arctic and Antarctic ice losses.....

Clearest indication yet that polar ice sheets are melting fast
Melting polar ice has added 11.1mm (0.43") to global sea levels in two decades
Arstechnica
by David Cornish, wired.co.uk
Dec 2, 2012
(excerpts)

A research paper has drawn on data from NASA and ESA satellites to produce the most comprehensive assessment of ice sheet losses in Antarctica and Greenland to date. The paper, published on 29 November in the journal Science, shows that melting Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets have added 11.1mm (0.43") to global sea levels since 1992. The paper, A reconciled estimate of ice sheet mass balance, was drawn together by an international team of 47 researchers, using data collected from ten satellite missions to produce the most consistent picture of polar ice sheets ever recorded. The resulting findings have been able to reconcile the differences that existed between previous ice sheet studies, by carefully matching observation periods and survey areas. ...[T]he use of data from NASA and ESA satellites have confirmed that both Antarctica and Greenland are losing ice.

The combined melting of both the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets accounted for one-fifth of all sea level rises over the 20-year survey period—the remainder caused by the thermal expansion of the warming ocean, melting of mountain glaciers and small Arctic ice caps, and groundwater mining. The rate at which the ice sheets are melting was also seen to rise over the study period, with both Antartica and Greenland shedding more than three times as much ice each year (the equivalent to a sea level rise of 0.95mm) as they were in the 1990s (0.27mm). Approximately two-thirds of the loss is coming from Greenland. "The rate of ice loss from Greenland has increased almost five-fold since the mid-1990s" said NASA's Erik Ivins, co-author on the study. "In contrast, while the regional changes in Antarctic ice over time are sometimes quite striking, the overall balance has remained fairly constant—at least within the certainty of the satellite measurements we have to hand." Andrew Shepherd of the University of Leeds led the study, which drew together teams from 26 laboratories from across the globe.

© 2012 Condé Nast. All rights reserved

(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.)

 

[IanC]

Even your own link says that Antarctica isn't melting.

 

[Oddball]

 

[Mr. H.]

U.S. CO2 emissions are at a 20 year low.

AP IMPACT: CO2 emissions in US drop to 20-year low - Yahoo! News

 

[RollingThunder]

Even your own link says that Antarctica isn't melting.

I think you may be misinterpreting what was said. Let's look at everything they said instead of trying to cherry-pick one quote that you imagine supports your denial of AGW.

"melting Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets have added 11.1mm (0.43") to global sea levels since 1992"

"The use of data from NASA and ESA satellites have confirmed that both Antarctica and Greenland are losing ice"

"The combined melting of both the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets accounted for one-fifth of all sea level rises over the 20-year survey period"

"The rate at which the ice sheets are melting was also seen to rise over the study period, with both Antarctica and Greenland shedding more than three times as much ice each year as they were in the 1990s"

""The rate of ice loss from Greenland has increased almost five-fold since the mid-1990s" said NASA's Erik Ivins, co-author on the study. "In contrast, ...in Antarctic ice..., the overall balance has remained fairly constant""

It seems to me that she's comparing the rate of ice loss from Greenland to the rate of ice loss in the Antarctic and saying, rather incompletely, that the balance between rate of gains in ice mass in the interior of Antarctica due to the increased snowfall resulting from global warming is staying in about the same ratio to the larger loss of ice mass around the coast of Antarctica and isn't yet showing quite the same acceleration of ice loss as the Greenland ice sheet. The scientists are quite clear that Antarctica is, in fact, losing ice mass.

Source: NASA - Is Antarctica Melting?

 

[Oddball]

11 mm in a fucking decade?!???

Clearly, we're all DOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!

 

[RollingThunder]

U.S. CO2 emissions are at a 20 year low.

So??????? What relevance does that have, in your imagination, to the increased melting of the polar ice sheets? Or are you just trying to demonstrate how clueless you are, again.

 

[Mr. H.]

U.S. CO2 emissions are at a 20 year low.

So??????? What relevance does that have, in your imagination, to the increased melting of the polar ice sheets? Or are you just trying to demonstrate how clueless you are, again.

So, CO2 is decreasing but we still have the big melt.

Seems like you got some splainin' to do.

 

[RollingThunder]

11 mm in a fucking decade?!???

Clearly, we're all DOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!

"The rate at which the ice sheets are melting was also seen to rise over the study period, with both Antarctica and Greenland shedding more than three times as much ice each year as they were in the 1990s. "The rate of ice loss from Greenland has increased almost five-fold since the mid-1990s""

Too bad, Screwball, that you're too retarded to comprehend what "accelerating" means. Climate scientists are predicting a three to six foot rise in sea level by the end of the century, perhaps more, and further increases in sea level after that. Trillions of dollars of coastal infrastructure, including many of the world's major cities, is at risk of being destroyed. A very large percentage of the world's population lives within a hundred miles of the shorelines of the world's oceans.

NOAA sees sea level rise of up to 6.6 feet by 2100


***

 

[Oddball]

 

[Oddball]

11 mm in a fucking decade?!???

Clearly, we're all DOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!

"The rate at which the ice sheets are melting was also seen to rise over the study period, with both Antarctica and Greenland shedding more than three times as much ice each year as they were in the 1990s. "The rate of ice loss from Greenland has increased almost five-fold since the mid-1990s""

Too bad, Screwball, that you're too retarded to comprehend what "accelerating" means. Climate scientists are predicting a three to six foot rise in sea level by the end of the century, perhaps more, and further increases in sea level after that. Trillions of dollars of coastal infrastructure, including many of the world's major cities, is at risk of being destroyed. A very large percentage of the world's population lives within a hundred miles of the shorelines of the world's oceans.

NOAA sees sea level rise of up to 6.6 feet by 2100


***

There's no acceleration...Now you're just making shit up.

 

[Mr. H.]

Best quit while you're behind, Trolling Blunder.

 

[RollingThunder]

U.S. CO2 emissions are at a 20 year low.

So??????? What relevance does that have, in your imagination, to the increased melting of the polar ice sheets? Or are you just trying to demonstrate how clueless you are, again.

So, CO2 is decreasing but we still have the big melt.

Seems like you got some splainin' to do.

"CO2 is decreasing"?????? LOLOLOLOL. Not on this planet, you poor retarded crackpot. Try learning to read. Ooops, that's right, you're retarded so you are incapable of comprehending what you read. Too bad for you. Here's a clue - CO2 emissions in one country decreasing slightly over previous years does not equal decreasing worldwide atmospheric CO2 levels.

Source: Trends in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide - US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

 

[RollingThunder]

11 mm in a fucking decade?!???

Clearly, we're all DOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!

"The rate at which the ice sheets are melting was also seen to rise over the study period, with both Antarctica and Greenland shedding more than three times as much ice each year as they were in the 1990s. "The rate of ice loss from Greenland has increased almost five-fold since the mid-1990s""

Too bad, Screwball, that you're too retarded to comprehend what "accelerating" means. Climate scientists are predicting a three to six foot rise in sea level by the end of the century, perhaps more, and further increases in sea level after that. Trillions of dollars of coastal infrastructure, including many of the world's major cities, is at risk of being destroyed. A very large percentage of the world's population lives within a hundred miles of the shorelines of the world's oceans.

NOAA sees sea level rise of up to 6.6 feet by 2100


***

There's no acceleration...Now you're just making shit up.

Thanks for proving my point that you're too retarded to comprehend what "accelerating" means.

 

[IanC]

SCAR ISMASS Workshop, July 14, 2012
Mass Gains of the Antarctic Ice Sheet Exceed LossesH. Jay Zwally'. Jun Li', John Robbins2, Jack 1. Saba2, Donghui Yi', Anita Brenner', and David
Bromwich4
Abstract
During 2003 to 2008, the mass gain of the Antarctic ice sheet from snow accumulation exceeded
the mass loss from ice discharge by 49 Gtlyr (2.5% of input), as derived from ICESat laser
measurements of elevation change. The net gain (86 Gtlyr) over the West Antarctic (WA) and
East Antarctic ice sheets (W A and EA) is essentially unchanged from revised results for 1992 to
2001 from ERS radar altimetry. Imbalances in individual drainage systems (DS) are large
(-68% to +103% of input), as are temporal changes (-39% to +44%). The recent 90 Gtlyr loss
from three DS (Pine Island, Thwaites-Smith, and Marie-Bryd Coast) of WA exceeds the earlier
61 Gtlyr loss, consistent with reports of accelerating ice flow and dynamic thinning. Similarly,
the recent 24 Gtlyr loss from three DS in the Antarctic Peninsula (AP) is consistent with glacier
accelerations following breakup of the Larsen B and other ice shelves. In contrast, net increases
in the five other DS ofWA and AP and three of the 16 DS in East Antarctica (EA) exceed the
increased losses. Alternate interpretations of the mass changes driven by accumulation variations
are given using results from atmospheric-model re-analysis and a parameterization based on 5%
change in accumulation per degree of observed surface temperature change. A slow increase in
snowfall with climate wanning, consistent with model predictions, may be offsetting increased
dynamic losses.

for years I have been saying that the data for Antarctica have been 'pushed' in the 'right' direction and that sooner or later the findings were going to be in for a big correction. that time is now. when a rabid warmer that presented many of the alarmist papers showing large ice loss from Antarctica now reverses his direction and says that Antarctica is actually gaining mass then I tend to believe something big is going on. perhaps I am wrong and you are right RT but I think ice loss derived by altimetry has been seriously exaggerated and we shall be seeing more and more defections like the one by Zwally.


it is interesting that Zwally's 2011 and 2012 presentations have received no publicity at all.

 

[Mr. H.]

So??????? What relevance does that have, in your imagination, to the increased melting of the polar ice sheets? Or are you just trying to demonstrate how clueless you are, again.

So, CO2 is decreasing but we still have the big melt.

Seems like you got some splainin' to do.

"CO2 is decreasing"?????? LOLOLOLOL. Not on this planet, you poor retarded crackpot.

That's MR poor retarded crackpot to you, bub.

 

[Oddball]

"The rate at which the ice sheets are melting was also seen to rise over the study period, with both Antarctica and Greenland shedding more than three times as much ice each year as they were in the 1990s. "The rate of ice loss from Greenland has increased almost five-fold since the mid-1990s""

Too bad, Screwball, that you're too retarded to comprehend what "accelerating" means. Climate scientists are predicting a three to six foot rise in sea level by the end of the century, perhaps more, and further increases in sea level after that. Trillions of dollars of coastal infrastructure, including many of the world's major cities, is at risk of being destroyed. A very large percentage of the world's population lives within a hundred miles of the shorelines of the world's oceans.

NOAA sees sea level rise of up to 6.6 feet by 2100


***

There's no acceleration...Now you're just making shit up.

Thanks for proving my point that you're too retarded to comprehend what "accelerating" means.

I know what accelerating means.....And I know when Chicken Little alarmist moonbats are making shit up.......Chicken Little alarmist moonbat.

 

[Samson]

There's no acceleration...Now you're just making shit up.

Thanks for proving my point that you're too retarded to comprehend what "accelerating" means.

I know what accelerating means.....And I know when Chicken Little alarmist moonbats are making shit up.......Chicken Little alarmist moonbat.

I understand The First Sign is they begin posting in RED FONT.

 

[RollingThunder]

SCAR ISMASS Workshop, July 14, 2012
Mass Gains of the Antarctic Ice Sheet Exceed LossesH. Jay Zwally'. Jun Li', John Robbins2, Jack 1. Saba2, Donghui Yi', Anita Brenner', and David
Bromwich4
Abstract
During 2003 to 2008, the mass gain of the Antarctic ice sheet from snow accumulation exceeded
the mass loss from ice discharge by 49 Gtlyr (2.5% of input), as derived from ICESat laser
measurements of elevation change. The net gain (86 Gtlyr) over the West Antarctic (WA) and
East Antarctic ice sheets (W A and EA) is essentially unchanged from revised results for 1992 to
2001 from ERS radar altimetry. Imbalances in individual drainage systems (DS) are large
(-68% to +103% of input), as are temporal changes (-39% to +44%). The recent 90 Gtlyr loss
from three DS (Pine Island, Thwaites-Smith, and Marie-Bryd Coast) of WA exceeds the earlier
61 Gtlyr loss, consistent with reports of accelerating ice flow and dynamic thinning. Similarly,
the recent 24 Gtlyr loss from three DS in the Antarctic Peninsula (AP) is consistent with glacier
accelerations following breakup of the Larsen B and other ice shelves. In contrast, net increases
in the five other DS ofWA and AP and three of the 16 DS in East Antarctica (EA) exceed the
increased losses. Alternate interpretations of the mass changes driven by accumulation variations
are given using results from atmospheric-model re-analysis and a parameterization based on 5%
change in accumulation per degree of observed surface temperature change. A slow increase in
snowfall with climate wanning, consistent with model predictions, may be offsetting increased
dynamic losses.

for years I have been saying that the data for Antarctica have been 'pushed' in the 'right' direction and that sooner or later the findings were going to be in for a big correction. that time is now. when a rabid warmer that presented many of the alarmist papers showing large ice loss from Antarctica now reverses his direction and says that Antarctica is actually gaining mass then I tend to believe something big is going on. perhaps I am wrong and you are right RT but I think ice loss derived by altimetry has been seriously exaggerated and we shall be seeing more and more defections like the one by Zwally.


it is interesting that Zwally's 2011 and 2012 presentations have received no publicity at all.

Lots of studies but only the one that somewhat agrees with your ignorant opinions is valid, eh? LOL. Here's another study, different from the one cited in the OP.

Polar Ice Loss Is Accelerating, Scientists Say
The New York Times
By JOHN COLLINS RUDOLF
March 11, 2011
(excerpts)
On Wednesday, a research team led by a NASA scientist unveiled a new study that is sure to stir debate on the topic. The paper concludes that ice loss from both Greenland and Antarctica is accelerating, and that the ice sheets’ impact on the rise in sea levels in the first half of the 21st century will be substantially higher than previous studies had projected. The increasing ice loss means that, for the first time, Greenland and Antarctica appear to be adding more to sea-level rise than the world’s other reserves of ice — primarily mountain glaciers, which are also melting because of rising temperatures. In 2006 alone, the study estimated that the two ice sheets lost roughly 475 billion metric tons of ice. “The big deal is that we did not expect ice sheets to catch up with mountain glaciers so soon,” said Eric Rignot, a climate researcher with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the lead author of the study. If the rates of melting observed in the study were to continue, the ice sheets could add nearly six inches to the rise in global sea levels in the next forty years — a far larger contribution than the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the international scientific body, has projected.

The study’s findings that ice loss in Greenland has accelerated strikingly over the last two decades are largely in line with the conclusions of other researchers. But the estimate that Antarctica is also rapidly shedding ice was challenged by other scientists, who believe the continent’s ice sheet remains largely in balance. “We think that their estimate of the loss from Antarctica is much too large,” said Jay Zwally, a glaciologist with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Dr. Zwally agreed that rapid warming on the Antarctic peninsula has quickened the flow of that region’s glaciers into the sea, but said that other research showed increased snowfall in other areas had probably kept the ice sheet’s overall mass stable. Dr. Rignot said he stood by his conclusions about Antarctica, which were derived from data from two independent measurement techniques dating back 20 years.


***

 

[westwall]

Even your own link says that Antarctica isn't melting.

I think you may be misinterpreting what was said. Let's look at everything they said instead of trying to cherry-pick one quote that you imagine supports your denial of AGW.

"melting Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets have added 11.1mm (0.43") to global sea levels since 1992"

"The use of data from NASA and ESA satellites have confirmed that both Antarctica and Greenland are losing ice"

"The combined melting of both the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets accounted for one-fifth of all sea level rises over the 20-year survey period"

"The rate at which the ice sheets are melting was also seen to rise over the study period, with both Antarctica and Greenland shedding more than three times as much ice each year as they were in the 1990s"

""The rate of ice loss from Greenland has increased almost five-fold since the mid-1990s" said NASA's Erik Ivins, co-author on the study. "In contrast, ...in Antarctic ice..., the overall balance has remained fairly constant""

It seems to me that she's comparing the rate of ice loss from Greenland to the rate of ice loss in the Antarctic and saying, rather incompletely, that the balance between rate of gains in ice mass in the interior of Antarctica due to the increased snowfall resulting from global warming is staying in about the same ratio to the larger loss of ice mass around the coast of Antarctica and isn't yet showing quite the same acceleration of ice loss as the Greenland ice sheet. The scientists are quite clear that Antarctica is, in fact, losing ice mass.

Source: NASA - Is Antarctica Melting?

Interesting how there is a supposedly 11mm loss over the decade when the ice extent shows ABOVE the 1979-2000 average for the past year and a half.

They couldn't possibly be lying now could they....