The melting of one of the world’s largest ice-sheet would alter earth’s gravity changing the rotation in space and thereby forcing a rise in sea level along the coasts. A big loss of mass from the Southern Hemisphere would effectively make a pull of gravity stronger in the Northern Hemisphere, leading to a change in the pattern of rotation of the Earth.

This redistribution of mass would also affect the Earth’s rotation, which in turn would cause water to build up along the North American continent and in the Indian Ocean, said Professor Jonathan Bamber of Bristol University.

Vesleskarvet - a small nunatak in Antarctica

Scientists feel that North America would experience an average sea level increase of 25-percent. That is expected to cause catastrophic floods where cities such as New York and San Francisco could get hit by some sort of tsunamis.

However, the same scientists believe that the rise in sea levels would not be affected by the melting of ice into the oceans. And that’s something that Bill addressed a while ago …

[via Carbon-Based]

If you're new here and you like our articles, how about subscribing free for our updates via RSS feed.

I was confused before. I am even more confused now.

Researchers are saying that Antarctic sea ice is growing rather than melting thanks to the hole in the ozone layer. And here we thought the hole was going to let too much heat in.

Ozone Effect: Antarctic Ice is Increasing

The frozen seas surrounding the South Pole have increased at the rate of 100,000 square kilometer a decade over the last 40 years. Scientists think there are stronger surface winds over Antarctica and more frequent storms in the Southern Ocean because of the whole in the ozone hole but resulting in more ice.

Ozone effect: Antarctic sea ice is increasing. Ozone hole— delayed the impact of greenhouse gases there.

Antarctic sea ice is increasing. The Ozone hole delayed the impact of greenhouse gases

just so as we don’t get our hopes up, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and NASA is warning the ozone hole is only delaying the impact of greenhouse gases on the climate of the continent. Give me a break!

If ozone levels recover over the next 100 year, weather patterns will return to normal and Antarctic sea ice will shrink rapidly. Then we’ll cry global warming again! Can’t win for trying here.

Professor John Turner of BAS, said: ‘Its quite ironic that the continent directly beneath the ozone hole is the one seemingly least affected.

‘While there is increasing evidence that the loss of sea ice in the Arctic has occurred due to human activity, in the Antarctic human influence through the ozone hole has had the reverse effect and resulted in more ice.

‘Although the ozone hole is in many ways holding back the effects of greenhouse gas on the Antarctic, this will not last, and we expect ozone levels to recover by the end of the 21st Century.

‘By then there is likely to be around one third less Antarctic sea ice.’

In other words, the scientists don’t know what is going on. Or, can’t realize that this amazing home we call Earth is able to make tremendous adaptations to the many burdens we place upon it.

Professor Turner said, ‘We have finally solved the mystery of why we are not seeing the same degree of warming that we have seen around the rest of the world.

‘Understanding how polar sea ice responds to global change, whether human induced or as part of a natural process, is really important if we are to make accurate predictions about the Earth’s future climate.’

Dr Ted Maksym, who is also involved in the research said it would be wrong to conclude that growing sea ice meant global warming was under control. Yeah! Do NOT, I repeat do NOT do anything to subdue global warming hype!

He said: ‘You have to be quite ambivalent about whether these findings are good news or bad news.

Huh!? (me)

‘What we are trying to do is explain why there has been the pattern of ice growing when everyone was expecting it to have started shrinking by now.

‘Our research answers part of the puzzle as to why the ice has not changed much. It’s worth bearing in mind it’s a relatively small amount of growth.’

Their research does nothing but confuse those who will insist on man-caused global warming and the dire predictions of the end of the world. As for me, I can see a clear balance in how the Earth compensates. After all, that’s how the Earth was designed.

The very fact that 46,000 cruise ship passengers have been able to make their way to Antarctica – places which would have been inaccessible 20 years ago, are good examples of the effects of global warming at the South Pole.

While the world still argues about how real or unreal the threat of global warming is, the effects though are giving definitive proofs. With shrinking icebergs, cracked ice caps and collapsing sheets of ice, it’s a fact that Antarctica is becoming a warmer place. And while that might be a great thing for tourists come every summer, it could mean disaster for the planet in the long run.

Kayaker Jon Bowermaster led his team of 12 men across 500 miles around the northern Antarctic Peninsula for five weeks and found the dangerous effects of global warming loom large. The region has gotten 5 degrees hotter than it was in 1945 with average temperatures always on the rise each year.

However, the greatest threat in the region is that during summers it rains more frequently now. The rain melts the snow at a rapid pace and leaves creatures like the Penguins and Seals wet and shivering in the Antarctic cold. They believe that the excessive and unseasonal rain in Antarctica is causing both its topography and its creatures more harm than the rising temperatures.

If the trend continues, then very soon we could find the rate of melting ice caps increase to a point where every coastal city on the planet is under serious and immediate threat. Yet, much of the world still ironically debates global warming in its well furnished boardrooms. Doesn’t sound fun anymore, is it?

Image copyright to 1, 2, 3, 4

Though GreenPacks may not have gotten everything right with the Faroe Whale Cull tradition, it’s not a stretch to say that the Japanese are headed out on their annual slaughter of whales. This morning, a Japanese whaling ship left for the Antarctic Ocean to do its ‘research.’

The vessel, Nissin Maru, sailed under the protection of the Japanese Coast Guard … protected from the environmental group Greenpeace. Japan is permitted to catch 935 minke whales and 50 fin whales.

Different than usual, this year there was not a departure ceremony. Japan kills about 1,200 whales annually under a scientific program that studies the feeding habits and distribution of mammals in the seas of Antarctica.

Greenpeace’s Sea Shepherd says it plans to follow up on its attack of a Japanese ship last year when it dumped a foul-smelling acid on the whaling boat and collided twice with another boat.

That’ll show them, Greenpeace. The more obnoxious you can be the more headway you will make…NOT!