Ross Ice Shelf

bandit · Post by **bandit** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 7:15 pm

Not sure this fits into the scheme of this site, but I just gotta ask.

I was having a "discussion" last night with an individual who claimed that should the Ross Ice shelf in Antartica ever separate from the continent, it would directly affect the axis of the planet causing a 30 degree northernly tilt.

I went balls-to-the-wall trying to convince him that this was garbage.

Does anyone know anything about this supposition? I really don't like the taste of crow!

bandit · Post by **bandit** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 7:18 pm

Sorry, that should be Antarctica

Starflower · Post by **Starflower** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 7:36 pm

should the Ross Ice shelf in Antartica ever separate from the continent, it would directly affect the axis of the planet causing a 30 degree northernly tilt.

My 'expert' on such matters has been rolling on the floor laughing ever since he read this theory. And making the funniest gasping sounds, I'm taking that as a no.

bandit · Post by **bandit** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 8:02 pm

I had the same initial reaction as your "expert" Starflower.

But the laughter quickly turned to incredulity as he was so sure he was right. I spent a lot of time just shakin my head.

oldarchystudent · Post by **oldarchystudent** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 8:15 pm

bandit wrote:I had the same initial reaction as your "expert" Starflower.

But the laughter quickly turned to incredulity as he was so sure he was right. I spent a lot of time just shakin my head.

Some claims are so nuts that it's hard to find any data to disprove it because it's so lunatic that nobody would bother to do the resarch.

Example - here's my hypothesis - If I keep jumping out of planes using smaller parachutes each time, eventually I won't need one at all and be absolutely fine. Who's going to prove me wrong? Can anyone produce a study????

bandit · Post by **bandit** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 8:35 pm

So true, so true.

But things got even better, when I asked him "What would be the catalyst for the separation?"

He replied " an underground earthquake or man." I let the earthquake go and asked how "man" would achieve this.

reply: "drill 47 holes 500ft deep, drop 40lbs of C4 into each hole and detonate."

That's about the time I went to get something to scrape my chin off the floor.

Post by **Minimalist** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 8:40 pm

"drill 47 holes 500ft deep, drop 40lbs of C4 into each hole and detonate."

Don't give Bush and Cheney any ideas, will ya. They might think there's oil down there.

oldarchystudent · Post by **oldarchystudent** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 8:47 pm

Minimalist wrote:
"drill 47 holes 500ft deep, drop 40lbs of C4 into each hole and detonate."

Don't give Bush and Cheney any ideas, will ya. They might think there's oil down there.

If we ever run REALLY short of water, somebody will want to try this and drag all that ice to Nevada to keep the golf courses nice and green. Then we'll know for sure.....

bandit · Post by **bandit** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 6:00 am

But OAS, with a 30 degree northernly tilt, Nevada would have enough ice of it own to make water

oldarchystudent · Post by **oldarchystudent** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 6:24 am

bandit wrote:But OAS, with a 30 degree northernly tilt, Nevada would have enough ice of it own to make water

Maybe that was the plan all along - and they take the ice to Australia to start irrigating the outback. It's all making sense now.....

Bruce · Post by **Bruce** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 11:02 am

http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/moments/s98442.htm

hope it melts before it get to far north!

Beagle · Post by **Beagle** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 6:43 am

Shelf ice is formed from salt water, making it much more "porous", among other things and it would tend to melt more rapidly than ice formed from potable water.

Good point though Bruce.