A section of the Wilkins Ice Shelf the size of Chicago has broken off due to higher temperatures and the action of waves. It seems that we're hearing about a lot of the Antarctic melting lately, doesn't it? Scientists say that this breakup will not raise the sea level because the ice shelf is already floating in the ocean, but one concern is that fact that ice shelves hold back the advancement of glaciers. If the ice shelf is not there to impede the progress of a glacier, then the glacier will fall into the ocean, thus raising sea levels worldwide. Scientists say that temperatures in the Antarctic region have risen several degrees in the past 50 years, causing the breakup of other ice shelves. The Wilkins Ice Shelf is expected to experience further breakups in the future.
If this trend continues, we'll all be going for a swim soon. I'm going to work on developing gills in the meantime.
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