Glaciers in Chile 'melt at fastest rate in 350 years'

international | environment | other press

Monday April 04, 2011 13:51

by Namor

More evidence of a rapid increase in ice melt: Studies showed glaciers have lost volume on average "10 to 100 times faster" in the last 30 years. Full text at url below.

Melting mountain glaciers are making sea levels rise faster now than at any time in the last 350 years, according to new research. Universities at Aberystwyth, Exeter and Stockholm looked at longer timescales than usual for their study. They mapped changes in 270 of the largest glaciers between Chile and Argentina since the "Little Ice Age". Studies showed glaciers have lost volume on average "10 to 100 times faster" in the last 30 years.

The rapid melt rate is linked to their contribution to global sea level.

San Rafael Glacier in Patagonia, one of the 270 glaciers included in this study, has retreated about 8km since the peak of the 'Little Ice Age'

The new research was published in the journal Nature Geoscience on Sunday. Their survey centred on remotely sensed images of outlet glaciers of the south and north Patagonian icefields, but used longer timescales than previous studies. The glaciers straddle the Andes, on the border between Chile and Argentina.

Satellite image of Upsala Glacier in Patagonia, which has retreated about 13km since 1750

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Climate Change: A Warning From The Past

Tue Apr 05, 2011 19:34

Full article at url below.

Climate Change: A Warning From The Past
By Dr Andrew Glikson

The current rate of greenhouse gas rise is unprecedented in Earth history, excepting global volcanic events and asteroid impacts. The rise of atmospheric energy levels since the 18th century by 3.2 Watt/m2, masked in part by aerosols, leads the climate to over 2 degrees C temperature rise and meters-scale sea level rise.
http://www.countercurrents.org/glikson050411.pdf

More Distortion of the Facts

by D. Nyer

Tue Apr 05, 2011 15:57

The link provided by the author is to the BBC News story and not to the original article in Nature Geoscience Magazine. The BBC, like this contributor, has left out one crucial point which does not suit their agenda.

http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/n....html

"However, it is unclear whether recent rates of glacier recession in Patagonia are unusual relative to the past few centuries."

i.e. past centuries when there was no manmade global-warming/ climate-change/ sky-is-falling ...

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Glaciers in Chile 'melt at fastest rate in 350 years'

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