Global warming threatens NZ
New Zealand is "particularly at risk" as quakes, volcanic eruptions, giant landslides and tsunamis are increasingly triggered by global warming changing the earth's crust, scientists say.
Climate-linked geological changes may also trigger "methane burps," the release of a potent greenhouse gas, currently stored in solid form under melting permafrost and the seabed, in quantities greater than all the carbon dioxide (CO2) in our air today.
Tony Song of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California warned of the vast power of recently discovered "glacial earthquakes" - in which glacial ice mass crashes downwards like an enormous landslide.
In the West Antarctic, ice piled more than one mile above sea level is being undermined in places by water seeping in underneath.
"Our experiments show that glacial earthquakes can generate far more powerful tsunamis than undersea earthquakes with similar magnitude," said Song.
"Several high-latitude regions, such as Chile, New Zealand and Canadian Newfoundland are particularly at risk."
He said ice sheets appeared to be disintegrating much more rapidly than thought and said glacial earthquake tsunamis were "low-probability but high-risk."
"Climate change doesn't just affect the atmosphere and the oceans but the earth's crust as well. The whole earth is an interactive system," Professor Bill McGuire of University College London said at the first major conference of scientists researching the changing climate's effects on geological hazards.
"In the political community people are almost completely unaware of any geological aspects to climate change."
The vulcanologists, seismologists, glaciologists, climatologists and landslide experts at the meeting have looked to the past to try to predict future changes, particularly to climate upheaval at the end of the last ice age, some 12,000 years ago.
"When the ice is lost, the earth's crust bounces back up again and that triggers earthquakes, which trigger submarine landslides, which cause tsunamis," said McGuire, who organised the three-day conference.
David Pyle of Oxford University said small changes in the mass of the earth's surface seems to affect volcanic activity in general, not just in places where ice receded after a cold spell. Weather patterns also seem to affect volcanic activity - not just the other way round, he told the conference.
Volcanoes can spew vast amounts of ash, sulphur, carbon dioxide and water into the upper atmosphere, reflecting sunlight and sometimes cooling the earth for a couple of years. But too many eruptions, too close together, may have the opposite effect and quicken global warming, said US vulcanologist Peter Ward.
"Prior to man, the most abrupt climate change was initiated by volcanoes, but now man has taken over. Understanding why and how volcanoes did it will help man figure out what to do," he said.
Speakers were careful to point out that many findings still amounted only to hypotheses, but said evidence appeared to be mounting that the world could be in for shocks on a vast scale.
McGuire said the possible geological hazards were alarming enough, but just one small part of a scary picture if man-made CO2 emissions were not stabilised within around the next five years.
"Added to all the rest of the mayhem and chaos, these things would just be the icing on the cake," he said. "Things would be so bad that the odd tsunami or eruption won't make much difference."
- Reuters
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Interesting, though doubtful considering the mass in question would always be on the surface of the earth as either ice or water anyway, give or take a bit which would be gas at any given time.
Enough to change pressure on the crust to cause earthquakes and volcanoes though? You're dreaming.
@KooBus#55: "Global Warming" is an unfortunate term because people think of it in simplistic terms. The issue is that the metereological patterns of the planet are getting out of control.
Like I said earlier, climate change is real. Only an utter fool would deny that. Are humans to blame? I can't believe any intelligent person can argue that humans have not contributed to this in some way - however small.
The real issue is "How do we deal with it?" Oceanic levels are rising. Low-lying Pacific nations are at risk. Weather patterns are changing dramatically, causing increased damage from storms, floods and droughts. That has a flow on effect to insurance systems and the general economy.
Once you accept that human activity contributes to climate change, you must then ask whether or not we should modify our behaviour. If you lived in filth, is that any reason to toss your rubbish on the floor? Do you deliberately make it worse? Or do you in your own small way do something to make it better. Butterfly wings against the storm, but with enough butterflies, you make a difference.
LB #56
Hardly a balanced analysis LB.
Any article that mentions the IPCC and "the collective wisdom of the scientific community" anywhere near each other has got issues.
Al Gore, James Hansen et al have a certain sanctimonious barrow to push and unfortunately it wont be for decades before mankind realises it is the Y2K bug all over again.
I think in the bigger picture is not to ask ourselves whether it is happening or not- but whether we can take the risk of climate change happening? Governments do not have a large tolerance for risk, they have to prepare for wost case scenarios. So the question is - when we are going to stop bickering and just get on with it.
Check out this link - has probably one of the most balanced analysis of the issues I have come across:
Global warming / global cooling - which one is it?
Just so much BS spouted by these idiots - a whole new industry is started by Enron and cronies and now even so called scientists, who should have know better, is full tilt on the bandwagon!
Are these guys serious?
PS: we will pay for this nonsense, just as we are paying for their little conference!!
Nasa has said that all the planets in our solar system have risen in temperature the same as earth. Global warming is a myth! Its a cycle that will right itself in due course.
In the mean time we will pay for the hysteria created by the Governments of the World/U.N & Major Media News Corporations. Does everyone believe that paying various carbon taxes are going to stop the so called "Global Warming!!"
People need to educate themselves and not blindly believe whats been spoon feed them via the news.
Come on the UN reported back in the late 50's & 60's that the earth was cooling and that we were headed for another Ice Age of epic proportions.
The human race is a fairly young species, compared to the age of the Earth. How could global warming be soley blamed on man? Sure we have contributed and we have been very damaging to Earth, however global warming and cooling is a natural cycle. I think the human race will kill itself out before Earth ever explodes! Just hope it does not happen in mine or my childrens lifetime...
Global warming/climate change is real. This is easy to see (look at historical waether records). Why is it happening? It's probably because of us humans, but I don't know. But here is a one thing I do know: I don't care! Bring on change, I say. Let's embrace change. I was getting bored with the seasons and the coastline the way they are. Natural selection in action. The earth will correct itself when humans have all been snuffed out.
So earthquakes, tsunami's and volcanic eruptions are caused by global warming too?
The media love scaremongering don't they.
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@Colin #57: I don't understand how anyone can deny that climate change is occurring. We can clearly see changes in weather patterns. Floods, droughts, storms - all happening more, and worse, and with less reliability.
The climate is changing - it is becoming more unstable. Sea levels are rising. There is only one question that need be answered: What are we going to do about it? Even if it is perhaps moving all low-lying areas. Establishing re-location plans for those small sub-sea level islands.