I want to break free

DubMedic

An iceberg the size of Luxembourg which broke from the Antarctic ice sheet earlier this month could disrupt the ocean currents driving weather patterns around the globe.

While the impact would not be felt for decades or longer, a slowdown in the production of colder, dense water could result in less temperate winters in the north Atlantic, they said.

The 2,550sq.km block broke off on 12 or 13 February from the Mertz Glacier Tongue, a 160km spit of floating ice protruding into the Southern Ocean from East Antarctica due south of Melbourne.

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Some 400 metres thick, the iceberg could fill Sydney Harbour more than 100 times over.

It could also disturb the area's exceptionally rich biodiversity, including a major colony of emperor penguins near Dumont d'Urville, site of a French scientific station, according to the scientists.

'The ice tongue was almost broken already. It was hanging like a loose tooth,' said Benoit Legresy, a French glaciologist who has been monitoring the Metz Glacier via satellite images and on the ground for a decade in cooperation with Australian scientists.

The billion-tonne mass, 78km long and half-again as wide iceberg, was dislodged by another, older iceberg, known as B9B, which split off in 1987.

Jammed against the Antarctic continent for more than 20 years, B9B smashed into the Metz tongue like a slow-motion battering ram after it began to drift.

Both natural cycles and man-made climate change contribute to the collapse of ice shelves and glaciers.

Tide and ocean currents constantly beat against exposed areas, while longer summers and rising temperatures also take a toll.

'Obviously when there is warmer water, these ice tongues will become more fragile,' said Mr Legresy, who works at the Laboratory for Geophysics and Oceanographic Space Research in Toulouse, southern France.

The Metz Glacier Tongue, fitted with GPS beacons and other measurement instruments, could provide crucial insights into how these influences should be apportioned.

Quoted for those on mobile, source

Do you believe that man has caused this, or was it going to happen anyway??

.

petes

DubMedic wrote: »

Quoted for those on mobile, source

Do you believe that man has caused this, or was it going to happen anyway??

.

Yes a man was sighted with a pick axe nearby.

sbsquarepants

It was like that when i got here

My name is URL

DubMedic wrote: »

Quoted for those on mobile, source

Do you believe that man has caused this, or was it going to happen anyway??

.

Does it matter what caused it? Shit like this is going to affect us down the line

Its about time that people stopped bickering over the cause and started preparing for the outcome

Black Swan

DubMedic wrote: »

Do you believe that man has caused this...??

Why should men always get the credit? No, it's got to be a HOT (wo)man that caused the breakup!

ScumLord

We just need to build a giant rum and coke to intercept it, then send it towards Ireland and we'll sort out that problem.

oppenheimer1

I just think it would be great if it were possible to tow it to some part of the world where drinking water is required.

petes

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

I just think it would be great if it were possible to tow it to some part of the world where drinking water is required.

Galway?

sbsquarepants

ScumLord wrote: »

We just need to build a giant rum and coke to intercept it, then send it towards Ireland and we'll sort out that problem.

IDIOT!!
Only vodka and red bull could put manners on that beatch:D

oppenheimer1

Insurgent wrote: »

Galway?

I was thinking more along the lines of a developing country or large city. The amount of energy that goes into water treatment is massive, using ice would practically eliminate it.

ScumLord

sbsquarepants wrote: »

IDIOT!!
Only vodka and red bull could put manners on that beatch:D

Uugh, red bull... How about, Get rid of the coke and red bull and just use vodka and rum.

soups05

While the impact would not be felt for decades or longer


so who gives a f***?

gurramok

Hate to live near a beach when that melts

DubMedic

soups05 wrote: »

While the impact would not be felt for decades or longer


so who gives a f***?

Hi there.

Are you planning to have some children one day, possibly even grandchildren?.

Cop yourself on.. the land we live on is borrowed from our children.. not inherited from our ancestors to do with as we please.

.

sbsquarepants

ScumLord wrote: »

Uugh, red bull... How about, Get rid of the coke and red bull and just use vodka and rum.

Go on, i'll give you your rum, you'll be sorry when YOU have to clean up the puke though. You've been warned!

soups05

DubMedic wrote: »

Hi there.

Are you planning to have some children one day, possibly even grandchildren?.

Cop yourself on.. the land we live on is borrowed from our children.. not inherited from our ancestors to do with as we please.

.

lol i have 4 children, and a bellyfull of this rubbish about climate change, sea waters rising etc. there is always something to scare the mindless masses.

/leaves thread

sbsquarepants

There is actually a company somewhere who drills out ice cores and cuts them into ice cubes to be sold in ponsy nightclubs, so you can have a 5 thousand year old ice cube in your cocktail, i think they're in scandanavia. Well to quote tommy tiernan, it wasn't the f.ucking mexicans :D

Minstrel27

article wrote:

Both natural cycles and man-made climate change contribute to the collapse of ice shelves and glaciers.

So it was going to happen anyway. What a load of ****e.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

This thread is going to go something like this.

stovelid

It's heading down to Harlaand and Wolfe to kick some arse on account of a feud that started between his little brother and one of their crew years ago.

sbsquarepants

Here, Iamxavier, is that from your webcam or what?
Damn cats you need to give them a few valium first, they're a naturaly camera shy animal!!

Vorsprung

Was I the only person who thought this was a Queen/Freddie Mercury related thread?

kowloon

soups05 wrote: »

lol i have 4 children, and a bellyfull of this rubbish about climate change, sea waters rising etc. there is always something to scare the mindless masses.

/leaves thread

I thought your kids growing up as dribbling idiots if they don't take their Actimel was the parental worry this year. So many things to worry about, not enough time.

Elenxor

...... it was'nt ME.
My schean is still in the bog..where I left it...

karlog

It doesn't matter were all in deep sh*t by 2012.

gurramok

stovelid wrote: »

It's heading down to Harlaand and Wolfe to kick some arse on account of a feud that started between his little brother and one of their crew years ago.

I've found a perfect spot for you. A green patch by the river to fight your battle

And whoever wins can throw the loser onto the train tracks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12PUXhzBNXI

hidinginthebush

soups05 wrote: »

lol i have 4 children, and a bellyfull of this rubbish about climate change, sea waters rising etc. there is always something to scare the mindless masses.

/leaves thread

..wait for me!