Talk:West Antarctic Ice Sheet

message: Seriously. I suppose for an American the meter is something strange and unknown, but this link is a bit insulting to the reader. I mean, you could link to the number 5 too. Piet 09:30, 23 January 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Link to meters?

message: I haven't been here a while but after drifting around it looks like the fanatics had nothing to do this summer.  Unfortunately this winter will put it away.  Chears, Wiki=CRAP.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by Itsonlysteam (talk • contribs) 05:09, 5 September 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Wiki is BS 

message: This article is on a scientific topic, and is not specifically US-related. The Manual of Style recommends that metric units are used in both cases (with imperial conversions if desired). Since there is little activity on this page at the moment, I am taking the liberty of making some minor alterations to bring it into line with Wikipedia house style. (As a trainee science teacher in the UK, I am increasingly aware of the confusion caused when pupils who are taught in metric start injecting occasional imperial units into assignments, and Wikipedia is often their first port of call.) Please let me know if you think my alterations do not achieve this... I appreciate the time that others have spent developing the article. Peter Barber 11:31, 8 November 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Metric units, please? 

message: It might be a good idea to label the satellite picture that's currently there. Otherwise, what's the point?  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.171.83.244 (talk) 14:41, 27 October 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: At the moment the figures we give appear contradictory. If the WAIS contains only 10% of the ice in Antarctica, and if the COMPLETE melting of ALL the ice in Antarctica would raise sea levels by only about 60 m (a figure I find at the Sea level rise article), how is it that the maximum estimated sea level rise from WAIS collapse is as high as 15 m? Is it because a larger percentage of the EAIS is below sea level and thus is already displacing water? Or is some other mechanism at work that accounts for the 15 m figure? It would be nice if we explained that more clearly, and included a link to a source for the 15 m estimate. 65.213.77.129 (talk) 18:37, 9 March 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  picture 

message: It comes from just a single source - a  meeting from UT Austin involving explorational geophysicists.  Most of the attendees are from just this one place, with a few invited speakers from elsewhere.  They are all close associates, involved in this WAIS cores project. None are climatologists. Check it out !
I could cite several sources that would dispute the statement about marine sediements being at the bed of the ice streams.  This was never remotely
demonstrated to be true, and in fact, there is a considerable amount of contrary evidence, not to mention common sense that glacier sliding produces sediments due to friction, rather than sliding on pre-existing marine sediments.
The attendees are not climate specialists.  They are all involved in exploration geophysics and remote sensing.  Their statement about the warm 
air creating a collapse of Antarctica is "stupid" and totally unsubstantiated.  Warm air would only superficially warm the thinnest edge of Antarctica, whereas warm water carried far more energy and is more likely to be substantiated.  Neither of these datasets were consulted by this group to make these assertions. 
The main convener of the meeting is involved in supporting an ice-core project, and they are trying to use the idea of  "climate studies" to add punch to an otherwise stupid project.  They have nothing to do with Hansen, and have never participated in a climate study.  They reference their ice core project, but have no climate study references.  
I humbly request that the editor of this page remove or alter its content, or state forthrightly that it is high disputable and highly questionable in its conclusions.  As it stands, it is highly misleading.  Editor, I can supply many references and additional information if desired.   What would you need/like -  in order to get rid of this dreadful article? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.69.143.129 (talk • contribs) 2008
: This isn't a great article, but its not all from a single source. You've also misunderstood bits of it: Their statement about the warm air creating a collapse of Antarctica is "stupid" and totally unsubstantiated. The article is talking about ocean upwelling at that point. That said, if you think it can be improved (and it can be) please have a go, cautiously: thats what the "edit" tab is for William M. Connolley (talk) 07:29, 12 September 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  This article is extremely biased 

message: I've seen discussion of the sea level impact of melted ice but nothing about what would happen if the entire shelf effectively calved in a geological instant.  Can anyone comment on this?  I submit this would be an excellent addition to the article, especially if it is at all possible.
David L. Craig (talk) 18:40, 7 May 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: Risks to civilization, humans and planet Earth mentions that this would result in a global megatsunami. Narssarssuaq (talk) 07:49, 11 May 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Sea Level Change Question 

message: "Large parts of the WAIS sit on a reverse-sloping bed below sea level. The reverse slope"  might be more clear.  Which way is  it sloping?  Midgley (talk) 03:28, 3 November 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: Okay I've had a go. I certainly didn't write this in the first place. I don't even understand the following sentence but I'll have a go at that too if I have time. Polargeo (talk) 10:04, 3 November 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Reverse slope 

message: Could someone give us an explanation (with reference) of the idea that the ice sheet is unstable because it rests on a surface below sea level that slopes towards the land? Eric Kvaalen (talk) 08:09, 5 March 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: The video shows what is thought to be happening but does not fully explain the logic.  The narrator suggests that a reverse tile would actually slow down the process.  The explanation given on NASA's web site (http://www.nasa.gov/jpl/news/antarctic-ice-sheet-20140512/#.VncNMcArJcw) does not focus on the direction of the slope, but on the fact that the ice sheet is grounded on a submerged bed rather than (1) floating or (2) on a non-submerged bed.  The "grounding line" is the outermost grounded edge of the glacier.  The weight of the ice sheet on the submerged bed, landward of the grounding line, is what holds the ice sheet in place-- and holds back the upland glacier from sliding into the sea.  This makes the entire configuration particularly susceptible to underwater currents, which can eat away at the foundation so that the grounding line moves landward (see video).  If the ice sheet were on land, or if it were floating, the underwater currents would not be so destabilizing.  Because the ice sheets are grounded, but underwater, the underwater currents can melt the foundation, so that the sheet is no longer anchored from calving glaciers and from slipping so as to allow upland glaciers to slide into the sea.  Dabs (talk) 20:27, 20 December 2015 (UTC)
thread_title: Instability

message: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=West_Antarctic_Ice_Sheet&oldid=582106516&diff=prev
http://phys.org/news/2013-11-volcano-smoldering-kilometer-ice-west.html
Scientists have discovered the next member of the Executive Committee Range. Why isn't this notable? Hcobb (talk) 00:05, 18 November 2013 (UTC)
thread_title:  Volcano notable? 

message: Hello fellow Wikipedians,
I have just added archive links to  on West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Please take a moment to review my edit. If necessary, add  after the link to keep me from modifying it. Alternatively, you can add  to keep me off the page altogether. I made the following changes:
*Added archive https://web.archive.org/20060203051802/http://www.asoc.org:80/general/iceshelve.htm to http://www.asoc.org/general/iceshelve.htm
When you have finished reviewing my changes, please set the checked parameter below to true to let others know.
Cheers.—cyberbot IITalk to my owner:Online 22:14, 8 January 2016 (UTC)
thread_title:  External links modified 

message: There is currently, Oct 2023, maps of:
* A topographic and bathymetric map of Antarctica
* A map of West Antarctica
but not one just for the Western Antarctic Ice Sheet.
I would say, out of the 300 points made on this page, a map would be number 1 or 2!
Would be great if someone has a good map. Emdee (talk) 16:46, 23 October 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  A clear map for the Western Antarctic Ice Sheet