this post was submitted on 16 Sep 2023
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Missing winter sea-ice signals changes in Antarctica that could be "absolute disaster for the world", scientists say.

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[–] matchphoenix@feddit.uk 30 points 1 year ago

Dr Caroline Holmes at the British Antarctic Survey explains that the impacts of shrinking sea-ice may become evident as the season transitions to summer - when there's potential for an unstoppable feedback loop of ice melting.

Even modest increases in sea levels can result in dangerously high storm surges that could wipe out coastal communities. If significant amounts of land ice were to start melting, the impacts would be catastrophic for millions of people around the world.

Buckle up kids, this ride’s about to get bumpier.

[–] kippinitreal@lemm.ee 30 points 1 year ago (8 children)

You know what's most depressing? Statistically people reading this comment (people who have access to computers/phones + the internet) will have little to mild effects of climate change, compared to the BILLIONS that will perish. Humans will survive all this, but at the cost of unimaginable suffering from the silent/silenced poor.

[–] mranachi@aussie.zone 17 points 1 year ago (2 children)

"Humans will survive this" - I am unconvinced, I think there are very real reasons to consider the coming climate variations as an existential threat.

[–] jasondj@ttrpg.network 11 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

My new nightmare is that we manage to kill off oceanic algae and the rainforests and most us oxygen-breathers just all slowly collectively suffocate to death. Probably at a rate that we know it’s coming for humans at a certain point. Scientists would probably be able to predict it down to the week. So us humans all see our fate and are just patiently waiting for our death as we watch all the smaller mammals perish before our eyes.

[–] doctorcherry@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 year ago

In this scenario I think the largest mammals will go first? Like if you consider there was a higher concentration of oxygen during the dinosaur era and some dinosaurs were really big. So it seems larger mammals might need a higher concentration of oxygen.

[–] kippinitreal@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago

Difficult to predict the future, anything is likely. But my point was if humans do survive, it'll only be the priveleged few. Even in the last days of humanity, those who have the means will survive longer

[–] beteljuice@lemmy.ml 14 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

If it gets bad enough that millions die, let alone billions, the effects will hit everyone, hard. Sorry to burst your bubble, but the economy is very interconnected and fragile, and wars are started over a lot less.

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[–] kalahlora@lemmy.dbzer0.com 25 points 1 year ago (2 children)

It's happening so fast now... I always thought we would have more time

[–] livus@kbin.social 20 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I actually did think it would speed up like this.

...but not for science reasons, it's just, I know from defrosting the freezer that it does not melt at a steady rate but gets faster and faster.

[–] altasshet@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 year ago

I mean, that's pretty scientific training right there

[–] Kbin_space_program@kbin.social 12 points 1 year ago

So did the scientists. Stuff is happening now that wasn't supposed to happen until the 2070s.

[–] experbia@kbin.social 25 points 1 year ago (1 children)

it never ceases to amaze me how stupid we all are as a civilization.

we're opting out of it, but nature will continue. this will be a very curious and fairly hospitable world full of interesting xenoarcheological mysteries... in the distant future, to a visiting spacefaring civilization.

[–] Chetzemoka@kbin.social 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You have to wonder if we aren't just confirming what the Great Filter is. There may not be any space faring civilizations.

[–] stopthatgirl7@kbin.social 12 points 1 year ago

Seriously, that’s what I’ve been thinking recently - that we’re hitting the self-destruction theory of the Great Filter.

[–] DmMacniel@feddit.de 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Well.. it was nice knowing you all...

It was n(ice) while it lasted

[–] autotldr@lemmings.world 6 points 1 year ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:


The sea-ice surrounding Antarctica is well below any previous recorded winter level, satellite data shows, a worrying new benchmark for a region that once seemed resistant to global warming.

Antarctica's huge ice expanse regulates the planet's temperature, as the white surface reflects the Sun's energy back into the atmosphere and also cools the water beneath and near it.

Dr Caroline Holmes at the British Antarctic Survey explains that the impacts of shrinking sea-ice may become evident as the season transitions to summer - when there's potential for an unstoppable feedback loop of ice melting.

As more sea-ice disappears, it exposes dark areas of ocean, which absorb sunlight instead of reflecting it, meaning that the heat energy is added into the water, which in turn melts more ice.

There are signs that what is already happening to Antarctica's ice sheets is in the worst-case scenario range of what was predicted, says Prof Anna Hogg, an Earth scientist at the University of Leeds.

At the scientific base Rothera, Dr Mallet is using radar instruments to study sea-ice thickness for an international research project called Defiant.


The original article contains 905 words, the summary contains 183 words. Saved 80%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

[–] OurTragicUniverse@kbin.social 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] KingJalopy@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] OurTragicUniverse@kbin.social 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This is a good explanation.

Look this up yourself with other sources though too. You'll want to fnd out how much ice coverage is left at the poles, how much we've lost this year so far, and the loss projection for if the next 5 years are as hot as 2023. Then look up what will happen to the earth with all the unreflected solar radiation we'll be absorbing without the ice caps.

[–] KingJalopy@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] OurTragicUniverse@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

Yup. And with all the wildfires releasing a shit ton of carbon into the atmosphere alongside all the shit released from industrial pollution, the next few years are very likely gonna be hot as fuck.

[–] Napain@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 year ago

OH GOD OH SHIT OH FUCK