Listening to news-and-traffic-on-the-eights, I heard about the big collapse of the Western Antarctic Ice Sheet. Twoo teams of scientists say the long-feared collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has begun, kicking off what they say will be a centuries-long, “unstoppable” process that could raise sea levels by as much as 15 feet.

When I heard that, I had to swerve the Bluesmobile to the curb, feeling the palpitations coming on. The process is irreversible, according to the scientists- and I marveled at how this could be, considering that on the very same day, NASA’s Snow and Ice Data Center announced that the extent of Antarctic ice sheet also just hit record levels- by a significant degree.

I am a curious fellow, and while I still had power poked around a bit with the information. People are talking about the early break-up of ice in the Arctic, so there is clearly something going on, but we don’t know quite what it is- colder south and warmer north? Hard to say- since all the records date only to 1978, the beginning of the satellite era.

Before that we really don’t know with any precision.

I looked at the information of the catastrophe of the collapsing ice and was reminded that I need to do something right away. According to the scientists, the Thwaites Glacier could disappear entirely in somewhere between 200 and 1,000 years.

That loss would raise global sea levels by nearly 2 feet, and if that happens, it could remove the linchpin holding the rest of the West Antarctic Ice sheet in place. Ominously, there is sufficient frozen mass to cause another 10 to 13 feet of sea level rise, which is what gets us to the headline.

I am really alarmed. This could inundate lower Old Town Alexandria on the Potomac by almost a city block by 2214, or 3214 at the latest. Then there could be real trouble.

Thankfully, I think we have a few minutes to deal with the coming catastrophe, or maybe my children’s great great great grandchildren.

I am quite sure that the prediction is sincere, even if wildly broad in the estimate of time.

And time is something that I don’t have much of this morning. But taken in the sort of millennial increments the scientists are using, perhaps a look at the geologic global temperatures might be useful:

I think we have a minute to think about this, wouldn’t you agree?

Particularly if it is inevitable and irreversible as the men in the white coats tell us. I am a little concerned about how quickly things can get cold. That might forstal the ice loss, but of course, they want me to worry, so as a good citizen, I will.

But maybe next week.

Copyright 2014 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com
Twitter: @jayare303