Introduction and Calving

For my blog assignment I decided to take a closer look at the effects glacier calving has on the environment in various places in the world. My name is Thomas Jock Callander, a 3rd year Thompson Rivers University student studying environmental issues in tourism.

Glacial calving is still somewhat of an unknown issue to many people. As glaciers do calve naturally and have been for thousands of years, their rate of calving has increased drastically in just the past 100 years. For those of you who are still unaware of what glacier calving is:

Glacier calving is the breaking off of massive size ice chunks on the edge of a glacier. This broken off piece then becomes an iceberg. The calving of the glacier is caused due to the crevasse completely cracking through the glacier until it bends and twists and breaks off.
 

This documentary Chasing Ice really puts into perspective exactly what glacial calving is: Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIZTMVNBjc4

One of main causes of the rapid increase of glacial calving is global warming. With this increased warmth, over the past 100 years, there has been an average rate of 1 to 2 millimeters of sea level rise per year. This increased water level will result in flooding in many parts of the world.

A recent story covers a glaciers retreat in the Antarctic.
Date- 16.01.2014
Article- Antarctic glacier's retreat unstoppable
Link- http://www.dw.de/antarctic-glaciers-retreat-unstoppable/a-17363380

A significant size of ice broke off recently pushing the glacier over the "tipping point" thus leaving it in an irreversible state of slow decay. Gael Durand of the French University of Grenoble stated this, "These glaciers have already passed the tipping point, and this is irreversible. That means because of our behavior, our climate is changing and will continue to change a lot. I think it is one of the first times we are passing these tipping points."


References:

• http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Ge-Hy/Global-Warming-and-Glaciers.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_calving
• http://www.skepticalscience.com/himalayan-glaciers-growing.htm
• http://www.chasingice.com/
• http://www.dw.de/antarctic-glaciers-retreat-unstoppable/a-17363380

Photos:

• http://www.filmapia.com/sites/default/files/filmapia/pub/place/alaska-glacier-usa.jpg
• http://media.lonelyplanet.com/lpi/26367/26367-12/681x454.jpg