Antarctica – A supersized iceberg has been split from a glacier in Antarctica, threatening the ocean circulation patterns according to scientists.
Clash of the Titans
When a giant iceberg smashed into a glacier in Antarctica earlier in February (2009), the titanic collision forced another giant chunk of ice to break free from the icy Continent.
The new iceberg has been described as being the size of Luxembourg in Europe, or the state of Connecticut in the US. This could spell trouble for the oceans scientist told media on Friday, as it could affect global ocean circulation with the melt from the ice.
Giant Southern Ocean Ice-Cube
The giant 965 square miles of ice-cube is now making slow progress in the Southern Ocean, it broke of the Mertz Glacier that protrudes out of Antarctica like a tongue of ice.
That tongue of ice has now been halved in size after the smash according to recent satellite imagery.
This however is not the largest iceberg floating around Antarctic waters, as in 1987 a 5000 square kilometers chunk broke off the Continent.
Ocean Salinity Threat
Worryingly is the wording that is being used by scientists, who say that the recent break off into the Southern Ocean could mean that salinity is affected.
It is well known that if there is a shift in water salinity in the oceans, it could spell disaster for the global climate.
Well just wondering that this could be the start of 2012 world disater?
2012 is coming!
No it isn’t sweetie. No it isn’t.
Big Al, this is not a 2012 disaster it’s called the first 2010 climate change of the year
I don’t think 2012 is coming, it’s just climate change and it’s just effecting us. Like this iceberg that messes up the ocean currents, well this is a disaster but, The chile earthquake yesterday sented tsunamis, but never did any damage, so likely the world is not coming to a END, but just be careful of what happens between now and the future, ALso if you live in california I would move inland cause in 2040 a asteroid will hit the ocean outside of you sending a wave of water a quarter of a mile inland, and then going back out.
Well apperently this Iceberg is heading toward Australia, and I don’t think anymore the currents in the ocean will be affteted. 2012 is not true. Nothing will happen. THe Mayan calendar ends in 2012 not the entire planet we all call home.
I Have Been Reading All These Opinions, And Just Because Someone Believes Something To Be True, That Doesn’t Really Make It True. I Respect Opnions Of All, Even If I Don’t Agree, But Where Can We Find Real Truth That We Can Count On, And Not Someones Slanted Agenda, We Are Bombarded Daily With Half Truths, And Really Can’t Count On Anything But Our Own Intellect And Expirence Attempting To Seperate Fact From Propaganda. What I Have Been Reading Is Purely Slanted Opnions Loaded With Little Facts And A Lot Of Belief. I Found It Interesting, But Not a Place To Find Truth.
Nothing happens in 2012. The planets go in a straight line. This Iceberg is a accident, one iceberg was in the way of one sending it out to Australia, enjoy Australia. Plus 2025, climate change will be a big deal, and so 2060, that’s Issac Newton thinking the world would End. I would be 63 at that time. The would is not edning in 2 years. We will live all a good life and stay here in this planet we all enjoy and calling it our home!
Yes 2012 is coming! So is 2013,14,15,16….. Although, we may have major complex weather change from a “natural event”! However, world wide corporate greed ( Hello China & the good old U.S.A)and the mass polution of the air, water, and terra firma, will significantly add to the “natural process”, which will make 2012, 13, 14 …. MIGHTY unconfortable!
Well Said!
Is that all you got left….Oceans might be less salty!!!!??? Just stop it… It’s Over… Man made Climate change, Global Warming, is Al Gore’s Get rich Scheme!!!! Why didn;t you mantion how many Polar Beras must have died from this Ice Quake, and the following Tsunami it created….STOP !!!!
Al Gore was already rich, why do people still deny climate change despite seemingly overwhelming scientific evidence? Also, polar bears dont live in Antarctica. Pick up a book before you spread your ignorance.
Well If any one were to think about it the climate changes all the time. Not just daily (as we say in Texas “if you don’t like the weather just wait a minute it will change.”) But it has been changing one decade to another since man got put on this planet.
Al is now richer and most of the science has been found to be fales and made up. Also they had to change it from global warming to climate change since the oceans started to cool.
Go Joshua!
To R U Serious: — you’re an idiot. Climate change is happening, it’s not Al Gore’s fault, and he’s only one of several hundred thousand who have brought this awareness to the forefront of humans. Severe weather patterns have existed on planet Earth throughout recorded and unrecorded history. Overpopulation has added significant loss of life in major weather upheavals — human, animal, marine and plants. Plus, you need to learn how to formulate a sentence and spell, which is another topic that needs to be addressed. Has anybody seen the movie ‘Idiocracy’?
It is more likely that the change in salinity will cause ocean currents to deviate from their present flow. This effect could eventually (or quickly) initiate the onset of an ice age.
We have at least a 1000 years left if you believe in the Bible and Jesus is coming back. It says he`s coming back to lead us in the war to end all wars against evil and after that we will have a 1000 years of peace and prosparity.But it dosen`t say what the climate will be so go green and make this a better place to live.
i dont think 2012 is cumming either
I have talk to some scientist, the earth so through it cycles. global warming is Al Gore get rich scheme. There is alot of brain dead people out there that believe in this, thank god there is no more Jones cult.
It’s actually comical to lsiten to all the “global warming” experts…get real! We’ve had global warming for thousands of years. Remember that the US was covered by glaciers long ago. Woolly mamouths used to roam these parts…the earth has been warming for a long, long time!
Logic would dictate that if warming were a factor, this iceberg would have broken off in a much smaller piece or many smaller pieces. The fact that it held together in such a large mass before breaking off from the glacier would mean that the ice was more dense thereby being colder than normal.
for bob- i kinda agree with your “theory” but even though it is still a big iceberg it can melt when it gets closer to australia dirupting ocean currents and raise the ocean level
Well of course 2012, is coming. And after that, 2013, 2014, 2015…
Who can say that 100 or 1000 years ago an ice berg did not break off from Antartica? Now that we have 24/7 “spy” capability we supposedly know everything happening on this planet. There will be changes to our world because changes happen. We have polute our environment but there is NO such thing as “Global Warming”. The weather will change as will the terra firma. We must make some changes to decrease further damage but why live in fear?
Not one single Polar Bear died as a direct result of the ice quake, RU Serious. They don’t live on that continent. The penguins, arctic birds, and seals, however, may have taken a hit.
I wouldn’t worry about global warming or ocean salinity. After 30% (or so) of the world’s population is raptured by God, you will have 3.5 years to prepare yourself for much bigger problems than what Al Gore talks about.
Does believing that God is saving you in the long run make it all better, less important. The Earth is our home, no matter what religion or faith, we should take care of it. Would you let your house fall to ruin or stop paying your electric bill, to say God will save me? hmm. No where in the Bible does it technically say God or Jesus, will return on any specific date or year. It actually is quite obvious and stated in “His” words no Man will no when Jesus will return!!!
Pay your bills and respect your “Home”, The Earth!!!!!!!!!
Love one another as you would want to be loved, love God with all your heart, soul and mind. All the commandments hang on these two simple comands, according to Jesus. If we lived by these truths the world would be a better place.
PATRICK-”I don’t think 2012 is coming, it’s just climate change and it’s just effecting us”
whatever helps you sheep at night..whoops did i say sheep..i meant/snicker/ sleep…..hahahahaahahahah..im surely not takin your word for this…
maybe it will cool some of these hot women down
What a bunch of idiots. Do any of you have spell check? Or are you all so stupid that it really doesn’t matter to you how speak or spell? This is 2010 and we will all be here in another 500 years.
i just love them women out there
Even if the chances of global warming are partially due to human activity why not err on the side of caution? It may be nice to not have to rely on Middle Eastern oil so much. It’s hard to argue with people who buy bottled tap water and are in debt up to their ears, they’ve got it all figured out.
You can’t buy bottle Tap Water without Oil.!!!!
Yin and Yang yo…. if 2012 happens nothing any of us can do anyways so stop worrying about it, a glacier fell off into the ocean, what are we supposed to do about it. the damage is done if there is any at all. We all are going to die sometime.
The Bible is God’s inspired word, and it’s idication is that we all live in the last days of this system of things. When Jesus was on earth, he was approached by his diciples asking him for a sign of his second presents and the conclusion of the system of things. His response was: Nation will rise against nation,and Kingdom against Kingdom, and there will be food shotages and earthquakes in one place after another. And this good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the natons; and then the END will come.
The Mayans had one fresh water source, a lake that was fed from underground and not from rain or streams. When things started to go bad for them they started to preform sacrifices to there Gods. they would cut the heart out of a person and offer it to there Gods and throw the rest of the body in the water. The bodies tainted the water, therefore killing the Mayans before they could go on with there calender.
Yaawwnn… Oh yeah, for Athina. See if you can find the word “rapture” in the Bible. Jesus would roll over in his grave.
Actually, some people predicted the world would end years ago and we are still alive. The world will end when it wants to. We still have a choice to save the world by improving our conditions like saving energy or we can follow our path of destruction and use up all fossil fuel. The rest lies within humanity…. Make your choice. Do you want to wait for the end or start creating another possible way? Don’t give up!
Shame on you!
In the same article you say that a 5000 kilometre chunk broke off in 1987………..without affecting ocean salinity so why should this smaller one affect anything?
Enough of “scientists say”
Let them be named
Let us know their area of speciality and it’s relevance to what is being said
Let them make their reasoning for whatever it is being pontificated upon
Enough of this lazy journalism please
LOL
The article is titled “Ocean Circulation threatened”. It ends with “It is well known that if there is a shift in water salinity in the oceans, it could spell disaster for the global climate”. I feel like the author is trying to throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks. Ocean Circulation is a problem, then it is Ocean salinity, then it is climate change. I noticed a lack of sources or facts quoted by the author backing up either claim. Without facts, this is opinion and sensationalist journalism in my opinion.
To add on what Chuck said about the “Ocean Circulation”.
There are many different gulf streams that may be affected due to temperature. This also effects the climates around the world because oceans regulate and disperse warm and cold water through gulf streams.
To Dave Martin, I’m in agreement. Scientific evidence shows a similar incident occurred 13000 years ago when the ice shelf receded in North America near the great lakes causing fresh water to flow to the Atlantic sea. The salinity change prevented circulation of ocean current to the equator thus lowering ocean temp and spurring a global climate change that lasted 1000 years and meant the extinction of several species. If enough of this ice makes it’s way far enough North, things will probably get real interesting