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"Global sea level rise of 11 feet" I would really like to see a more clear explanation as to how they extrapolated that estimation from the data.
by keithwarren 12y ago
"Global sea level rise of 11 feet"
I would really like to see a more clear explanation as to how they extrapolated that estimation from the data.
- astrodust 12y agoThe Antarctic ice sheet is not only gigantic, larger than the continental United States, but it is kilometers thick. Take the fraction of the volume that's anticipated to melt and spread that over the ocean, and you get that 11 foot number. The Wikipedia page, for what it's worth, estimates that the sea level would rise 70 meters if the whole thing melted. Plus, if Antarctica melted, then all ice would've melted, including Greenland, so we'd be even more screwed. You're right that there's not enough data here, though. I'm sure the calculation is far from simple since the ice-sheet varies dramatically in terms of topology both on the surface and underwater.
- PhearTheCeal 12y agoRight from the abstract: "We estimate that at least 3.5 m of eustatic sea level potential drains through Totten Glacier, so coastal processes in this area could have global consequences." With calculations done here: http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/vaop/ncurrent/extref/ngeo2388-s1.pdf http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/vaop/ncurrent/extref/ngeo...