For most people, the idea of a chunk of ice floating through the ocean seems relatively harmless. An iceberg six times the size of Manhattan, however? That is a topic that catches a few more eyes. The iceberg, known as B31, broke off from Antarctica’s Pine Island Glacier and has since been making its way into the open ocean. At a size of 225 miles wide and nearly a third of a mile thick, NASA scientists have said that the strange floating mass is more of a wonder than a very immediate threat to the sea level. Although iceberg splits are usual, this particular instance places Pine Island Glacier at even smaller than its typical 30-year average shrink, an alarming deficit that cannot be ignored. The shrink shows a not-so-shocking trend taking place in the Antarctic and across the rest of the globe, threatening the future of the globe as we know it.
Since around 1974, the Pine Island Glacier’s rapidly increasing rate of melting has worried scientists about its possible contribution to the rise of the sea level. In the past century alone, the global mean sea level has risen four to eight inches. The rapidly increasing rate of glacial melting in conjunction with the rising temperatures during the late winter and early spring seasons results in less snowfall and a generally higher sea level season after season. Instead of being able to even out through the seasonal cycle, the sea level instead continues to rise slightly year after year, eventually building up to what could be disastrous results–disastrous results that, although acknowledged, are ultimately not being prevented.
According to National Geographic, the sea level is expected to rise between 2.5 and 6.5 feet by 2100. Any location on the coast less than seven feet above sea level would be covered by water. Islands could be covered completely. Sea-surrounded areas such as coastal areas and the Everglades would be submerged entirely. When the hunt for resources to sustain the human population can already be difficult, losing a substantial amount of land would be disastrous.
The natural cycle of warming and cooling of Earth can no longer be used as a justification for deniers of global warming. The warming of Earth over the past 50 years cannot be explained by natural factors alone, leaving few options other than human activities as the cause of the increase. While some damage has already been done, it is not too late to attempt to reverse the damage and prevent damage that could occur in the future.
To ignore global warming is to ignore the dangerous threats to the environment that could be approaching faster than we think. The B13 iceberg is only the tipping point, and it cannot continue to go unacknowledged. In order to stop the increasing rates of warming across the globe, and the dangerous impacts that come as a result, education and preventative and sustainable practices have to be implemented.
