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Author Topic: Active destabilization of WAIS?  (Read 4876 times)

nukefix

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Active destabilization of WAIS?
« on: March 01, 2013, 10:38:07 AM »
I know this is a scenario from a Bond-film but I've been wondering about the following:

- Would it be possible to destabilize WAIS (at least partly) and cause an acceleration of SLR with a couple of well places nukes?

- Penetrator-missiles could place the nukes at the rock-ice interface at suitable locations upstream of the grounding lines of the Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers.

- Could the ice-stream recover balance after this insult or would this trigger dynamic instabilities and destabilization?

nukefix

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Re: Active destabilization of WAIS?
« Reply #1 on: March 03, 2013, 11:26:11 AM »
So let's say one explosion breaks one cubic kilometer of ice (probably an understatement due to the generated shockwaves). Would such a disturbance in an "optimal" location cause runaway grounding-line retreat, or is such an insult too small by an order of magnitude or two? I guess this is something only modellers can answer.

Vaughn

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Re: Active destabilization of WAIS?
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2013, 07:46:38 AM »
Couldn't an earthquake do something similar and possibly even more widespread than just a single glacier?
Vaughn

Laurent

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Re: Active destabilization of WAIS?
« Reply #3 on: June 02, 2013, 05:42:14 PM »
http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/byrdwarm.htm

Quote
the western part of the ice sheet is experiencing nearly twice as much warming as previously thought

May be I missed something that AbruptSLR wrote but that's new for me !

AbruptSLR

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Re: Active destabilization of WAIS?
« Reply #4 on: June 02, 2013, 11:18:37 PM »
Laurent,

In the "Potential Collapse Scenario for the WAIS" thread on Feb 21, 2013 at 9:57pm; I cited new information indicating that the Western Antarctic is currently warming at an average rate of about 0.8 C/decade (over three times faster than previously thought).  Also, in the "Discussion of the WAIS Collapse Main Period 2060 to 2100" on March 3, 2013 at 4:35am, I noted that in the austral spring the RIS surface temperature is currently heating at a rate of 1.1 C/decade, see:

https://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/index.php/topic,85.msg897.html#msg897
β€œIt is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.”
― Leon C. Megginson

Laurent

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Re: Active destabilization of WAIS?
« Reply #5 on: June 03, 2013, 10:00:38 AM »
Hello AbruptSLR,

Thanks, for the infos !
Do you have the last temperatures (February, March, April) of 2013, it does seem that january 2013 was below average ! Have you also published some nice graphs showing the trends per month ? (That would be cool)
http://polarmet.osu.edu/Byrd_recon/