In “The Doomsday Book” by Marshall Brain you begin to understand that Antarctica may be far less stable than you once believed. For decades the conventional wisdom has been, “it is bitter cold in Antarctica and therefore it will never melt.” But the fact is that Antarctica is melting far faster than most anyone predicted. And the ice in the western half may outright collapse far sooner than people imagined. In addition, there are dozens of newly-discovered volcanoes underneath the ice that are pumping in heat as well. The whole chapter is alarming because of the implications for coastal cities around the world. These videos help to illustrate the points made in the book:
Antarctica melting: Journey to the ‘doomsday glacier’ – From the video’s description: “Glaciologists have described Thwaites Glacier as the “most important” glacier in the world, the “riskiest” glacier, even the “doomsday” glacier.”
Unstoppable (West Antarctic melt) – From the video’s description: “Most glaciers in West Antarctica sit on a bed that is below sea level. The massive ice sheet’s exposure to ocean water makes it inherently unstable, a fact that scientists have warned about for decades. In recent years, scientists have observed the glaciers that flow into West Antarctica’s Amundsen Sea are shedding ice at a faster rate. Now, new research shows there is nothing to stop these glaciers from being lost to the ocean—an event that will likely take centuries to unfold, but raise global sea level by four feet. Watch the video to learn more.”
No Turning Back – From the video’s description: “West Antarctic Glaciers in Irreversible Decline – A new study led by NASA researchers shows that half-a-dozen key glaciers in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet are in irreversible decline. The melting of these sprawling icy giants will affect global sea levels in the centuries ahead.”
Antarctica : What happens if the ‘Doomsday’ Glacier collapses? From the video’s description: “Antarctica is home to some of the world’s largest ice sheets and glaciers. They existed in a stable equilibrium of ebb and flow for millions of years until global warming started to melt them faster than the snow falls could replenish their ice. Now a new US / UK research collaboration has discovered that the rate of melt is even worse than scientists feared. What’s driving this latest acceleration, and can we slow it down?”
91 New Volcanoes Discovered Underneath The Antarctic Ice – From the video’s description: “Researchers at the University of Edinburgh just discovered 91 new volcanoes in Antarctica, bringing the total number of volcanoes in the region up to 138. Their biggest concern is that some of these volcanoes might be active.”
Antarctica’s Ice on the Move – Antarctica’s Climate Secrets From the video’s description: “Antarctica is the iciest place on Earth, but not all of the ice on the continent is the same — nor is it sitting still. Antarctica has both floating ice and land-based ice. What is the difference between ice sheets, ice shelves and sea ice? How does this ice affect the stratification and circulation of global oceans? How does it affect climate?”
The Hidden Meltdown of Greenland From the video’s description: “NASA-supported researchers have found that ice covering Greenland is melting faster than previously thought. The action is happening out of sight, below the surface.”
Greenland is melting – From the video’s description: “CNN’s Clarissa Ward visits Greenland to learn about how quickly the ice sheet is melting and the effect it has on the planet.” “We have now broken all-time records for three consecutive years.”
“The Doomsday Book” by Marshall Brain lays out this scenario in amazing detail and offers solutions to prevent this doomsday scenario from unfolding. You can order the book today on Amazon and other retailers.
A companion website for "The Doomsday Book" by Marshall Brain
