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Beautiful page, but I still don't get why it's a big deal? Iceberg gets stuck next to an island - surely it won't completely envelop it. The map shows the islan

by yread 6y ago

Beautiful page, but I still don't get why it's a big deal? Iceberg gets stuck next to an island - surely it won't completely envelop it. The map shows the island is dotted with penguins breeding grounds so not all are going to be blocked, probably way less than half even. In the area where it will drag on the seabed some of the life will be probably destroyed, but this area can't be very large compared to the size of the island. I mean it would be better if it doesn't happen but compared to the other climate catastrophes we're facing this doesn't seem very serious. Surely, penguins can deal with some floating ice?

salicideblock 6y ago
The article explains several other effects to wildlife that you are skipping over. Namely, disruption to coastal food chain by melting freshwater, and the longer round trip for penguins feeding their chicks. > Surely, penguins can deal with some floating ice? some floating ice ?? The "beautiful page" has plenty of diagrams explaining the extent of this ice. It is the size of Jamaica. The largest floating ice object in recorded history.
- davio 6y ago
  More like an ice country than an iceberg
- s1artibartfast 6y ago
  >The largest floating ice object in recorded history. from the article: there have been only five larger than A68a in the last 34 years. The biggest, B-15, measured 11,000 square kilometers when it broke from Antarctica’s Ross ice shelf in March 2000.
  - IanDrake 6y ago
    And 34 years is a blink of an eye in geological time.
jimworm 6y ago
The iceberg is very large, so even if it doesn't envelop the island it could create a detour of up to 140km between a penguin and its feeding waters, a 280km addition to every trip - and that's only if it has access to satellite images to plan its route. On the surface, that penguin would only see a huge wall of ice with no indication which way would be shorter.

by yread 6y ago

salicideblock 6y ago

The article explains several other effects to wildlife that you are skipping over. Namely, disruption to coastal food chain by melting freshwater, and the longer round trip for penguins feeding their chicks. > Surely, penguins can deal with some floating ice? some floating ice ?? The "beautiful page" has plenty of diagrams explaining the extent of this ice. It is the size of Jamaica. The largest floating ice object in recorded history.

davio 6y ago
More like an ice country than an iceberg
s1artibartfast 6y ago
>The largest floating ice object in recorded history. from the article: there have been only five larger than A68a in the last 34 years. The biggest, B-15, measured 11,000 square kilometers when it broke from Antarctica’s Ross ice shelf in March 2000.
- IanDrake 6y ago
  And 34 years is a blink of an eye in geological time.

jimworm 6y ago

The iceberg is very large, so even if it doesn't envelop the island it could create a detour of up to 140km between a penguin and its feeding waters, a 280km addition to every trip - and that's only if it has access to satellite images to plan its route. On the surface, that penguin would only see a huge wall of ice with no indication which way would be shorter.