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[Piecake]

In 1984, a team of Ohio State University researchers reported a surprising fossil find: More than a mile above sea level, in Antarctica’s freezing Transantarctic mountain range, fossilized deposits of tiny marine organisms called diatoms were found in rock layers dated to the Pliocene era, some 2 to 5 million years ago. But how did they get all the way up there? Diatoms, ubiquitous marine microorganisms whose tiny shells coat the ocean floor when they die, wouldn’t show up in high, inland mountain rocks unless something rather dramatic happened, long ago, to transport them.

But the decades have given way to new research tools and new perspectives. And Scherer has now paired up with two researchers behind what is arguably the hottest (and most troubling) new computer simulation of how Antarctica’s ice behaves, using their model to revisit the tale of those pesky diatoms. Their solution, published Tuesday in Nature Communications, isn’t good news — for it suggests that large parts of East Antarctica can indeed collapse, and moreover, can do so in conditions not too dissimilar from those we’re creating today with all of our greenhouse gas emissions.

If we steer the Earth back to those Pliocene-type conditions — when sea levels are believed to have been radically higher around the globe — oddly located diatoms will be the least of our problems.

The new study suggests otherwise. In the Pliocene — and especially the mid-Pliocene warm period, when atmospheric carbon dioxide was at about the level where it is now, 400 parts per million, but global temperatures were 1 or 2 degrees Celsius warmer than at present — the model not only collapses the entirety of West Antarctica (driving some 10 feet of global sea-level rise) but also shows the oceans eating substantially into key parts of East Antarctica. In particular, the multi-kilometer thick ice that currently fills the extremely deep Aurora and Wilkes basins of the eastern ice sheet retreats inland for hundreds of miles — which would have driven global seas to a much higher level than a West Antarctic collapse alone.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...ng-to-like-the-answer/?utm_term=.c58162635f6b

That is fucking terrifying.

Article has a video that sums it up nicely

 

[Hoo-doo]

At this point people will have to be up to their ankles in water before they start to take this stuff seriously. No matter what research tells us.

 

[Clydefrog]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GibiNy4d4gc

 

[Zekes!]

My dad was watching CNN earlier and there was this Trump supporter who was complaining that Obama talked about climate change at that UN gathering instead of talking about the bombing in NYC the other day

Another guest pointed out the possibility of Manhattan being underwater in the future due to climate change and the Trump supporter started yelling that he was more concerned about being blown up by bombs than having to live underwater

 

[BeardyChan]

So we need to start geohacking asap this can't wait any longer. Science can make fake meat, but can't make a giant whiskey ice sphere to shock the ocean into an ice age for a few years?

In other news Fresno CA is gonna have some beautiful beach front property.

 

[WaterAstro]

So we need to start geohacking asap this can't wait any longer. Science can make fake meat, but can't make a giant whiskey ice sphere to shock the ocean into an ice age for a few years?

In other news Fresno CA is gonna have some beautiful beach front property.

We're a fair bit off from terraforming technology as opposed to making meat-tofu substitute.

 

[sazzy]

I am 100% confident that they are still underestimating how much sea levels will rise.

 

[John Kowalski]

If i don't go to the beach, the beach will come to me.

 

[Plywood]

If i don't go to the beach, the beach will come to me.

The water will, but not the sand.

 

[Turin Turambar]

So we need to start geohacking asap this can't wait any longer. Science can make fake meat, but can't make a giant whiskey ice sphere to shock the ocean into an ice age for a few years?

In other news Fresno CA is gonna have some beautiful beach front property.

The 'giant whiskey ice sphere' is much bigger than the fake meat...

 

[MisterFalcon]

So we need to start geohacking asap this can't wait any longer. Science can make fake meat, but can't make a giant whiskey ice sphere to shock the ocean into an ice age for a few years?

There was a scientist who made the claim 'give me half a freighter of iron filings and I'll give you an ice age' which was a bit too Bond villain to be taken seriously but the idea is sound.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_fertilization

 

[hateradio]

The water will, but not the sand.

Eventually.

 

[sprsk]

The water will, but not the sand.

.

 

[CoolOff]

Bye bye Benelux. I will miss you.

 

[Xun]

At this point people will have to be up to their ankles in water before they start to take this stuff seriously. No matter what research tells us.

Jesus will save us.

Unless you sin of course.

 

[Atolm]

At this point cities like mine are goners in 100 years or less.

 

[Linkstrikesback]

At this point people will have to be up to their ankles in water before they start to take this stuff seriously. No matter what research tells us.

If it gets to the point where it's at our ankles, people will just start asking why it isn't over our heads like scientists said.

 

[Moosichu]

If it gets to the point where it's at our ankles, people will just start asking why it isn't over our heads like scientists said.

And then blame gay marriage.

 

[Monocle]

Jesus will save us.

Unless you sin of course.

Remember kids: When the seas inevitably rise and wipe out San Francisco, it'll be god's judgment against gay people and not any sort of consequence of man-made global warming or whatever.

 

[Linkstrikesback]

So we need to start geohacking asap this can't wait any longer. Science can make fake meat, but can't make a giant whiskey ice sphere to shock the ocean into an ice age for a few years?.

 

[whytemyke]

I think the problem is that people don't visualize sea level change properly. They say sea level rise ten feet and people think, "Oh, I guess the ocean will just move ten feet closer to me! Yay!"

They're not realizing that it really means, "Oh, if I stand on my beach I will be standing ten feet under water."

But I mean I just think people will continue to call global warming scientists Chicken Littles until Manhattan in under water.

 

[speedpop]

It's anecdotal at best, but it's always a little alarming as I drive back to the island I grew up on and seeing the ocean at low tide and it looks nothing like what it used to as a teenager riding their bicycle to school every day along the waterfront.

I understand erosion has a part to play, but when you drive up on the beach and see the old WW2 forts slowly being splashed by water whereas 20 years ago they were at least 50m away from the ocean on a dune... that's when you go, "well fuck me."

I have nothing but remorse for the people that live on the isolated islands dotted around the world's oceans.

 

[Creaking]

My dad was watching CNN earlier and there was this Trump supporter who was complaining that Obama talked about climate change at that UN gathering instead of talking about the bombing in NYC the other day

Another guest pointed out the possibility of Manhattan being underwater in the future due to climate change and the Trump supporter started yelling that he was more concerned about being blown up by bombs than having to live underwater

Ahaha, what a card.

 

[PatjuhR]

Well, time to build bigger dams.

It's not like we aren't under water already.

 

[Alienfan]

If it gets to the point where it's at our ankles, people will just start asking why it isn't over our heads like scientists said.

"Science advances one funeral at a time"

 

[noshten]

That's the whole issue with climate change. I've outlined it in prior threads but generally speaking until recently I though the majority of outlooks were actually extremely positive. I for one don't think it's going to take 50 years for us to see substantial change in the water level. Personally I think the process will be far quicker than envisioned and we are no where near ready for the outcomes.

 

[Redders]

Not sure how accurate this actually is http://geology.com/sea-level-rise/ but according to this sea levels will need to rise 40m to start impacting my town. Can rise 60m and my house will still be above the water so I'm good.

Spoiler

I do understand how serious a 10ft rise would be

 

[DiipuSurotu]

Waterworld was correct all along!

 

[GasProblem]

I live in the Netherlands and most of it is already under sea level.

We need bigger dykes.

 

[Piecake]

I think the problem is that people don't visualize sea level change properly. They say sea level rise ten feet and people think, "Oh, I guess the ocean will just move ten feet closer to me! Yay!"

They're not realizing that it really means, "Oh, if I stand on my beach I will be standing ten feet under water."

But I mean I just think people will continue to call global warming scientists Chicken Littles until Manhattan in under water.

I think the main problem is that a lot of people simply don't believe it, just like they don't believe in evolution. They don't see it or feel it to be real so they think these stupid scientists are making it all up. It also doesn't help that its parroted by their politicians and news organizations, which gives them some sort of 'legiitimacy' for spouting their bullshit.

 

[Kadayi]

Time to sell up my Monte Carlo Apartment and invest in some Swiss Real Estate

 

[Maintenance]

I live in the Netherlands and most of it is already under sea level.

We need bigger dykes.

Nah, you need this:

 

[Rabbi_Vole]

I live in the Netherlands and most of it is already under sea level.

We need bigger dykes.

How big are your existing dykes?

 

[smisk]

I hope I get a chance to move to Seattle before it's underwater.

 

[Peter Ian Staker]

So we need to start geohacking asap this can't wait any longer.

It will unfortunately come down to this eventually.
I pray to god the geohacking computer models they figure out are accurate otherwise we may end up with another ice age instead

 

[SlickShoesRUCrazy]

So, when florida and lousiana are under water, will republicans then stop being idiots?

Spoiler

probably not, will say it was god's will.

 

[FeenixRising]

Not sure how accurate this actually is http://geology.com/sea-level-rise/ but according to this sea levels will need to rise 40m to start impacting my town. Can rise 60m and my house will still be above the water so I'm good.

Spoiler

I do understand how serious a 10ft rise would be

Just 3m to feel the impact on my area

7+ to be completely underwater

 

[Sulik2]

Don't have kids people. Civilization as we know won't exist in a 100 years and there is nothing your average person can do to stop it.

 

[ahoyhoy]

There was a scientist who made the claim 'give me half a freighter of iron filings and I'll give you an ice age' which was a bit too Bond villain to be taken seriously but the idea is sound.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_fertilization

This is my first time hearing about it. Really interesting and hope it gets examined more seriously.

 

[rjinaz]

My dad was watching CNN earlier and there was this Trump supporter who was complaining that Obama talked about climate change at that UN gathering instead of talking about the bombing in NYC the other day

Another guest pointed out the possibility of Manhattan being underwater in the future due to climate change and the Trump supporter started yelling that he was more concerned about being blown up by bombs than having to live underwater

That Trump supporter was Corey Lewandwski. I can't stand that CNN decided to pick that man up.

As the CNN host said, had Obama used the time to politicize the event in their minds, he would have been criticized. Basically, the Right wouldn't have been happy no matter what Obama focused on.

 

[demosthenes]

Don't have kids people. Civilization as we know won't exist in a 100 years and there is nothing your average person can do to stop it.

This fear mongering is just as bad as people that say it isn't real.

 

[rjinaz]

This fear mongering is just as bad as people that say it isn't real.

No. I mean sure it's ridiculous, but just as bad? Really, are they somehow harming the environment by being hyperbolic?

 

[Rabbi_Vole]

This fear mongering is just as bad as people that say it isn't real.

A portion of public skepticism comes from the climate change doomsday predictions or the late 70s and 80s. I remember hearing in school (mid 80s) how the world wouldn't be habitable in 20 years.. Typically on Earth Day.

 

[Rabbi_Vole]

No. I mean sure it's ridiculous, but just as bad? Really, are they somehow harming the environment by being hyperbolic?

The environment, no. The conversation, yes.

 

[NYCmetsfan]

I think the main problem is that a lot of people simply don't believe it, just like they don't believe in evolution. They don't see it or feel it to be real so they think these stupid scientists are making it all up. It also doesn't help that its parroted by their politicians and news organizations, which gives them some sort of 'legiitimacy' for spouting their bullshit.

No the problem is the fact that its 100 years in the future, its unlikely to every be visible for them, while many of the changes will affect their everyday lives and make them more difficult in the short term.

 

[nillah]

Everyone and their mother will be on a base 😎

 

[BruinsMtB]

Not sure how accurate this actually is http://geology.com/sea-level-rise/ but according to this sea levels will need to rise 40m to start impacting my town. Can rise 60m and my house will still be above the water so I'm good.

Spoiler

I do understand how serious a 10ft rise would be

7m and I'm dead