What is so important about Antarctica losing land ice? How does a continent at the very bottom of our planet affect the U.S.? You would be surprised how much the decrease in ice affects not only the U.S., but also the world. Antarctica has the largest store of fresh water on the planet. When it melts, it affects ocean height, temperature and circulation, which changes our weather and climate. This has debilitating residual effects on the people and animals that inhabit the planet.
The bad news?
CryoSat, a European Space Agency satellite found an increase in the rate Antarctic land ice melts. It loses about 159 billion tons of ice a year. Previous measurements (2005-2010) were lower, closer to 100 billion tons per year. The use of CryoSat has made a big improvement in the ability to measure Antarctic ice. BBC news results show that most of the ice loss is coming from west Antarctica. It has an area, called the Amundsen Sea Embayment, where six huge glaciers are currently undergoing a rapid retreat — all of them being eroded by the influx of warm ocean waters that scientists say are being drawn towards the continent by stronger winds whipped up by a changing climate.
A NASA conference announced that they had collected enough observations to conclude that the retreat of the Amundsen Sea sector in West Antarctica is unstoppable. This inevitable melting of huge glaciers — caused in part by climate change, and in part by warm water released from the deep sea (warm water gets underneath glaciers as they flow into the sea, thinning them and making them more susceptible to melting farther inland) — is expected to raise sea levels four feet in the next few centuries, and 10 feet by the end of the collapse. This sea level rise would have drastic implications on many states and cities.
And according to Climate Central, the U.S. would look very different if the ocean levels rose 10 feet. The U.S. would lose 28,000 square miles of land, which are home to 12.3 million. The flood rise would hurt states, such as Florida, California and Virginia, and cities like Stockton, Norfolk, New Orleans and Boston. Population-wise, New York City would be the largest city impacted by a 10-foot sea level increase.
Victoria Andro, Federal Way
