
If Thwaites Glacier collapses, it would change global coastlines forever - Red_Tarsius
https://interactive.pri.org/2019/05/antarctica/thwaites-glacier-collapse.html
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est31
> Scientists fear the collapse of Thwaites Glacier could one day destabilize
> surrounding glaciers and eventually trigger up to 11 feet of global sea
> level rise.

11 feet == 3.35 meters.

This would be the impact of an unmitigated 10 ft rise in the bay area (the
tool maxes out at 10 ft):
[https://i.imgur.com/op80PZQ.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/op80PZQ.jpg)

Tool used: [https://coast.noaa.gov/slr](https://coast.noaa.gov/slr)

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cardamomo
This article and the others in the series are very well illustrated with a mix
of photos, videos, maps, and — perhaps of particular interest to HN readers —
simple yet attractive diagrams explaining some of the science important to
understanding this glacier and its impact.

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rasz
Are you telling me I can look up projected ~11 feet sea rise coastal line, buy
up cheap land, blow up the glacier and profit?

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NeedMoreTea
Perhaps briefly. Sea level rise is currently neatly tracking the IPCC's most
pessimistic models. I don't think any of them model catastrophic events like
glacier collapse.

If we lose Thwaites, the West Antarctic Ice Sheet's days are probably
numbered, and you better factor in the Greenland Ice Sheet too. East Antarctic
is losing mass now, at unprecedented rate. All seem to be accelerating, even
formerly too cold East Antarctic.

Place your bets please. 3m or 20m rise? No more ice? I don't think anyone
knows or is willing to guess when or where equilibrium lies. How soon? As the
article hints, 10 years, 1,000 years, no one knows that either. Yet.

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zaroth
10 years or 1,000 years. Just Thwaits or the entire West Antarctic Sheet?

I don’t see how this type of wild speculation is particularly useful, and can
think of many ways that it’s counter-productive.

It’s something that should be studied. When the error bars are a little
tighter than “nothing to see here for a millennia” to “most cities
uninhabitable” then perhaps this becomes slightly more concerning than an
extinction level asteroid strike?

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Arnt
You're commenting on an article about research into this very thing.

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wrong_variable
If you are a billionare, sea level rise is going to effect your wealth the
MOST.

Most of the wealthist cities in the world are along the coast.

Sea level rise is not going to have much negative effect in inner Mongolia or
Midwest.

So I am quite curious why rich people continue to ignore it.

Maybe they actually believe it to be a good thing somehow ?

~~~
bproven
Living for today and profit today is a common human trait. We (unfortunately)
think in human lifespan as a "long time" and many don't care what happens to
future generations after they are gone :(

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est31
Sooo... invent technology to make rich people live forever for them to start
to think on long term scales? Or they'll just build their mansions on the
hills while the poor valley dwellers drown and die of old age? Interesting
question.

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thunderrabbit
when*

will*

FTFY

