Antartic ice not melting at amazing speed

[EternalOptimist]

So it is, and an Arctic Monkeys-esque rhyme pattern too. Subtle.

maybe it rimed then

[Cliphead]

maybe it rimed then

[Doggy Styles]

EO - your premise is just wrong. the Antarctic is a landmass surrounded by ocean, the Arctic is an ocean surrounded by land. The Arctic is losing sea ice at an alarming rate, the Antarctic is losing land ice at an alarming rate. see for example Velicogna 2009

The above is of course a crass simplification, but you started it.

Just like it did in the 1950s.

[doodab]

Just like it did in the 1950s.

Actually there are several ice shelves that have disappeared that had been there for quite a long time. I read an article in sciam about it the other day. So not really 'just like' at all.

[Doggy Styles]

Actually there are several ice shelves that have disappeared that had been there for quite a long time. I read an article in sciam about it the other day. So not really 'just like' at all.

The point was that a similar ice-melt also occurred in the 1950s, thus 'just like' today.

Arguing about exactly which bits of ice is beside the point. For example, we had patches of open water at the north pole then. I don't know, have we gone that far this time?

[doodab]

The point was that a similar ice-melt also occurred in the 1950s, thus 'just like' today.

Arguing about exactly which bits of ice is beside the point.

Really? Which ice shelves completely disappeared in the 1950s? Cos the ones that I was reading about had been there for ~10,000 years.

[BlasterBates]

Glaciers and ice sheets have been advancing and receding for thousands of years. Here is a report of evidence of Alpine glaciers having been further back.

Also investigations of researchers of the ETH Zurich on the apron of the Unteraargletschers in the upper Bernese country resulted in strongly varying temperatures in the Alps, into whose attendants the glaciers advanced at times and retreated at times. "Scientific and archaeological findings fit together outstandingly", says Suter. From climatic research, it is well-known that in Europe between the 3rd Millenium and 1750 BC, a mild climate prevailed. The average summer temperatures might have been at that time for 0.5 to two degrees than today.

Archaeological Finds in Retreating Swiss Glacier « Climate Audit

[BlasterBates]

...and here is an interesting article

Antarctic ice is growing, not melting away | News.com.au

[Doggy Styles]

Really? Which ice shelves completely disappeared in the 1950s? Cos the ones that I was reading about had been there for ~10,000 years.

Did I say that? No.

Read again. I said that enough ice disappeared from the pole itself to leave areas of open water. At the pole itself.

The north pole is one of the coldest spots in the Arctic, so if it can happen there at any time, it can happen anywhere.

[doodab]

The north pole is one of the coldest spots in the Arctic, so if it can happen there at any time, it can happen anywhere.

That's rather a large and probably erroneous assumption, and the fact that there are patches of open water doesn't really tell us anything about the volume of ice, merely where it is(n't).