Quote:
Originally Posted by astroron
From what I read it is happening NOW.
"We present observational evidence that a large section of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has gone into a state of irreversible retreat; it has passed the point of no return," the agency glaciologist explained.
Like the Thwaites, Smith, Haynes, Pope, Smith and Kohler Glaciers in this region - the PIG has been thinning rapidly.
And its grounding line - the zone where the glacier enters the sea and lifts up and floats - has also reversed tens of km over recent decades.
"There is now little doubt that this sector of West Antarctica is in a state of rapid retreat, and the burning question is whether and how soon this retreat might escalate into irreversible collapse. Thankfully, we now have an array of satellites capable of detecting the tell-tale signs, and their observations will allow us to monitor the progress and establish which particular scenario Thwaites Glacier will follow.
Just a few quotes to show it is just not a future predicion but is happening as we speak.
Cheers  |
From what you cited,
"
and the burning question is whether and how soon this retreat might escalate into irreversible collapse."
That is a prediction or fear of what may happen in the future.
One side of Antarctica loses some ice, the other side grows an unprecedented amount of it.
Regards,
Renato