Melting of Antarctic ice shelves may double by 2050
Washington: The surface melting of Antarctic ice shelves may double by 2050 and surpass intensities associated with ice shelf collapse by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions continue at the present rate, a new study has warned.
Ice shelves are the floating extensions of the continent’s massive land-based ice sheets, researchers said.
While the melting or breakup of floating ice shelves does not directly raise sea level, ice shelves do have a “door stop” effect: They slow the flow of ice from glaciers and ice sheets into the ocean, where it melts and raises sea levels.
“Our results illustrate just how rapidly melting in Antarctica can intensify in a warming climate,” said Luke Trusel, lead author and postdoctoral scholar at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in US.
“This has already occurred in places like the Antarctic Peninsula where we’ve observed warming and abrupt ice shelf collapses in the last few decades,” said Trusel.
“Our model projections show that similar levels of melt may occur across coastal Antarctica near the end of this century, raising concerns about future ice shelf stability,” he said.
To study how melting evolves over time and to predict future ice sheet melting along the entire Antarctic coastline, the scientists combined satellite observations of ice surface melting with climate model simulations under scenarios of intermediate and high levels of greenhouse gas emissions until the year 2100.
The results indicate a strong potential for the doubling of Antarctica-wide ice sheet surface melting by 2050, under either emissions scenario.
However, between 2050 and 2100, the models show a significant divergence between the two scenarios. (PTI)
Rare ancient ‘casket in casket’ found in China
Beijing: Chinese archaeologists have found a 3,000-year-old stone coffin which contains a smaller casket inside at a site in the country’s northwest Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
The discovery, first of its kind in Xinjiang, was made earlier this month by researchers with the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Qagan Gol Township, Qinghe County.
Scattered bones were found in the large casket, which is about 3 meter long and 1.65 meter wide. Associate researcher Guo Wu, who led the excavation, speculated that the casket was not the first home of the remains, but noted that conclusion could only be confirmed after scientific tests. Inside the small casket, which is around 1.7 meter long and 1.5 meter wide, a complete skeleton of a woman was discovered along with pottery, bone and stone tools, Guo said. The large coffin was built between 3,800 and 3,500 years ago and small one between 2,800 and 2,500 years ago.
The researchers speculated the small casket was made by those who wanted to “reuse” the large one, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Guo said they are using a drone to obtain images of the coffins from all angles, adding that the findings are significant for research on the history and culture of early nomads in the Altai region. (PTI)
Thai monk horror film banned on fears it could ‘destroy’ faith
Bangkok: A Thai horror film about Buddhist monks has been banned over fears it could “destroy” the kingdom’s majority faith, authorities said on Tuesday.
The Ministry of Culture has objected to certain parts of the film “Arbat” including a kissing scene and one where a monk is shown taking drugs.
The clergy have long been revered in overwhelmingly Buddhist Thailand but in recent years have been rocked by scandals including gambling and prostitution, as well as corruption at the increasingly wealthy temples propped by donations from the faithful.
“The movie has some scenes that will destroy Buddhism. If it is shown, people’s faith in Buddhism will deteriorate,” Somchai Surachatri, spokesman for Thailand’s National Office of Buddhism, told AFP. His office sits on the censorship committee at the culture ministry. On Tuesday the film’s producer Sahamongkol Film International said it was “preparing to adjust some parts of the movie” before resubmitting it for consideration.
“We will try to maintain the essence and plot of the story as far as we can,” it said in a Facebook post. Arbat — which translates from Thai as “violations committed by monks” — was scheduled for nationwide release on Thursday. The ban triggered a wave of comments from disgruntled movie fans on Tuesday.
“We’ve lost our right to watch the film as a few people have decided on behalf of the whole country,” said one comment on the producer’s Facebook page by a user named Back Man. Thailand’s monks have come under increasing fire for their embrace of commercialism in recent years. (AFP)
