The worry has been that with further global warming such meltwater would increase and have a catastrophic effect on the ice sheet, lubricating its base and making it slide quickly into the ocean. But a new study suggests that the meltwater's effect is not as strong as feared. Full Story »
Posted by Kaizar Campwala
While this was interesting and it makes predicitons that we would all like to believe, the fact remains that as glaciers continue to melt, the act of moving and melting, along with greater temperatures due to the reflectivity of water vs. the reflectivity of ice will continue to encourage the glaciers toward the sea at an ever great rate. Specifically, the meltwater under the glaciers will increase accordingly, reducing the friction between ice and land. The position of such draining lakes in respect to their placement on the glacier surface will also make a great difference. Draining lakes near the sea are not as dangerous as draining lakes high on a glacier. There was no indication of the position of these water sources in question.
