West Antarctic Ice Sheet and CO 2 greenhouse effect:a threat of disaster
Over 40 years ago, the glaciologist John Mercer warned that parts of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet were at risk of collapse due to the CO 2 greenhouse effect. Mercer recognised the unique vulnerability of ice sheets resting on beds far below sea level (marine-based ice sheets), where an initial warmi...
Published in: | Scottish Geographical Journal |
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Online Access: | https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/publications/74c5443d-bc1e-4adb-8270-61c639e8ff37 https://doi.org/10.1080/14702541.2020.1853870 https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/10023/21690/1/Benn_2021_SGJ_WestAntarctic_CC.pdf |
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ftunstandrewcris:oai:research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk:publications/74c5443d-bc1e-4adb-8270-61c639e8ff37 2024-09-30T14:26:28+00:00 West Antarctic Ice Sheet and CO 2 greenhouse effect:a threat of disaster Benn, Doug I Sugden, David E. 2021-02-14 application/pdf https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/publications/74c5443d-bc1e-4adb-8270-61c639e8ff37 https://doi.org/10.1080/14702541.2020.1853870 https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/10023/21690/1/Benn_2021_SGJ_WestAntarctic_CC.pdf eng eng https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/publications/74c5443d-bc1e-4adb-8270-61c639e8ff37 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Benn , D I & Sugden , D E 2021 , ' West Antarctic Ice Sheet and CO 2 greenhouse effect : a threat of disaster ' , Scottish Geographical Journal , vol. 136 , no. 1-4 , pp. 13-23 . https://doi.org/10.1080/14702541.2020.1853870 Ice sheet instability Antarctica Climate change article 2021 ftunstandrewcris https://doi.org/10.1080/14702541.2020.1853870 2024-09-04T23:45:35Z Over 40 years ago, the glaciologist John Mercer warned that parts of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet were at risk of collapse due to the CO 2 greenhouse effect. Mercer recognised the unique vulnerability of ice sheets resting on beds far below sea level (marine-based ice sheets), where an initial warming signal can initiate irreversible retreat. In this paper, we review recent work on evidence for ice sheet collapse in warmer periods of the recent geological past, the current behaviour of the ice sheet, and computer models used to predict future ice-sheet response to global warming. Much of this work points in the same direction: warming climates can indeed trigger collapse of marine-based portions of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, and retreat in response to recent warming has brought parts of the ice sheet to the threshold of instability. Further retreat appears to be inevitable, but the rate of collapse depends critically on future emissions. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Sheet University of St Andrews: Research Portal Antarctic Mercer ENVELOPE(65.647,65.647,-70.227,-70.227) West Antarctic Ice Sheet Scottish Geographical Journal 136 1-4 13 23 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of St Andrews: Research Portal |
op_collection_id |
ftunstandrewcris |
language |
English |
topic |
Ice sheet instability Antarctica Climate change |
spellingShingle |
Ice sheet instability Antarctica Climate change Benn, Doug I Sugden, David E. West Antarctic Ice Sheet and CO 2 greenhouse effect:a threat of disaster |
topic_facet |
Ice sheet instability Antarctica Climate change |
description |
Over 40 years ago, the glaciologist John Mercer warned that parts of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet were at risk of collapse due to the CO 2 greenhouse effect. Mercer recognised the unique vulnerability of ice sheets resting on beds far below sea level (marine-based ice sheets), where an initial warming signal can initiate irreversible retreat. In this paper, we review recent work on evidence for ice sheet collapse in warmer periods of the recent geological past, the current behaviour of the ice sheet, and computer models used to predict future ice-sheet response to global warming. Much of this work points in the same direction: warming climates can indeed trigger collapse of marine-based portions of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, and retreat in response to recent warming has brought parts of the ice sheet to the threshold of instability. Further retreat appears to be inevitable, but the rate of collapse depends critically on future emissions. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Benn, Doug I Sugden, David E. |
author_facet |
Benn, Doug I Sugden, David E. |
author_sort |
Benn, Doug I |
title |
West Antarctic Ice Sheet and CO 2 greenhouse effect:a threat of disaster |
title_short |
West Antarctic Ice Sheet and CO 2 greenhouse effect:a threat of disaster |
title_full |
West Antarctic Ice Sheet and CO 2 greenhouse effect:a threat of disaster |
title_fullStr |
West Antarctic Ice Sheet and CO 2 greenhouse effect:a threat of disaster |
title_full_unstemmed |
West Antarctic Ice Sheet and CO 2 greenhouse effect:a threat of disaster |
title_sort |
west antarctic ice sheet and co 2 greenhouse effect:a threat of disaster |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/publications/74c5443d-bc1e-4adb-8270-61c639e8ff37 https://doi.org/10.1080/14702541.2020.1853870 https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/10023/21690/1/Benn_2021_SGJ_WestAntarctic_CC.pdf |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(65.647,65.647,-70.227,-70.227) |
geographic |
Antarctic Mercer West Antarctic Ice Sheet |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Mercer West Antarctic Ice Sheet |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Sheet |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Sheet |
op_source |
Benn , D I & Sugden , D E 2021 , ' West Antarctic Ice Sheet and CO 2 greenhouse effect : a threat of disaster ' , Scottish Geographical Journal , vol. 136 , no. 1-4 , pp. 13-23 . https://doi.org/10.1080/14702541.2020.1853870 |
op_relation |
https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/publications/74c5443d-bc1e-4adb-8270-61c639e8ff37 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1080/14702541.2020.1853870 |
container_title |
Scottish Geographical Journal |
container_volume |
136 |
container_issue |
1-4 |
container_start_page |
13 |
op_container_end_page |
23 |
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1811646797609697280 |