There is a glacier in Antarctica that is melting away and could completely collapse in as soon as three years, but more probably within 150 years. Thwaites Glacier in Western Antarctica is around 74,000 square miles, roughly the size of Florida, and from 2600 to 3900 feet deep. This glacier has already lost a trillion tons of ice since 2000, with an annual ice loss that has doubled in 30 years. It is also called the Doomsday Glacier for if it escapes into the ocean, after quick melting, the sea level could rise by over two feet, according to Ted Scambos. That would doom places like Waikiki, and also New York City and Sydney, among a whole coastal range of cities around the world.
Worse, if this begins to occur, then the entire West Antarctic Ice Sheet could go, doubling the sea level rise to 6 feet. There is 8 times as much ice in the Antarctic than Greenland, and 50 times as much as in the mountain glaciers of the world.
Most of the water on Earth is saline (97%), while glaciers hold 2.7%.
- Only 26,500 years ago when snow and glaciers covered 10 million square miles, the global sea level was more than 400 feet lower than today.
- Then over the past 20,000 years, the sea level rose more than 400 feet.
- Today the global sea level is 5-8 inches higher than in 1900, increasing by 0.134 inches/year.
- This increase is a combination of more water and higher temperature.
- Around 450 million years ago, the sea level was more than 1300 feet higher.
- The temperature of the planet was 68 degrees higher at 104F.
- 85% of marine species died from severe oxygen loss, said to be caused by volcanic eruptions.
- This was the Late Ordovician mass extinction event that took place over a period of 3 million years.
- There have been four more since then, and some believe we are now in the 6th.
- The current sea level is 427 feet higher than the historical minimum, which occurred around 20,000 years ago (glacial period).
- If all the glaciers and ice caps melt, the sea level would rise about 230 feet.
- This how our Earth would look if all the ice melted. Fascinating.
- I can't imagine how sea level can rise much more than 230 feet, so why was the sea level more than 1000 feet higher around 450 million years ago? I think it has to do with something called subduction and formation of continents, and not related to volume of water on Planet Earth.
With all those mass extinctions and that doomsday glacier, here is something that seems productive, involving UAE businessman Abdulla Alshehi. His plan is to bring freshwater to his country by capturing and towing an iceberg from the Antarctic.
- In the early 19th century, there were proposals to tow icebergs into the Southern Ocean to balance the temperature of the planet.
- In 1863 a U.S. entrepreneur proposed towing icebergs to India to sell for six cents/pound, where the iceberg itself would become the ship.
- The current effort will start with a $100 million trial run this year, which means next year, later, or never. 70% of the water should survive the 9 month to one year trip.
- Then, if feasible, up to $150 million to bring a larger iceberg to the UAE.
- Water costs more than gasoline in parts of the Middle East.
- The typical Emirati uses 500 liters of water/day, 80% more than the global average.
- Said Alshehi, currently 1.2 billion people around the world do not have access to clean water. We are pleased this has attracted positive coverage around the world.
- But how would the local ecology be affected?
- Might be cheaper to send tankers to the Antarctic and bring back liquid water.
- Clearly, this UAE project has not yet found the needed financial support
- Interesting that the Pacific International Ocean Station is seeking a similar amount of money to initiate the Blue Revolution.
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