the future (click on)
Past assessments of ice-shelf stability have been based primarily on mean annual temperature. The importance of melt ponds indicates that mean summer temperature is a better guide. How do other ice shelves fare under this new criteria? The next shelf to the south, the Larsen C, is very near the stability limit, and may start to recede in coming decades if the observed warming trend continues. Ted Scambos and Mark Fahnestock are hard at work developing new data sets to extend the analysis farther.
WHILE 'taking in' the information at the link, realize the delicacy of which 'ice formations' exist. They are some of the most hostile climates on the planet but they are in minority/'the extremes.' In minority, one should realize the delicacy at which these extremes exist.
To realize ALSO the importance of ice shelves in 'protecting' the Antacrtica Ice Mass 'proper' is to realize the 'stability' these delicate ecosystems survive and hence insure the survival of the biotic Earth.
The Larsen Ice Shelves collapse wasn't just a matter of your favorite ice skating pond melting for the season to return later. This is a huge demise of a very important ice formation that contributes to Earth's biotic nature.
