[extropy-chat] global warming eats island

[Robert Bradbury]

Spike (& Damien),

You are right to be somewhat skeptical.  This may be the "poster boy" of
examples of new persons falling all over themselves to to "push" global
warming.

I believe that Spike has done some relatively complete analysis that even if
the entire Antarctic melts the sea level isn't going to rise *that* much.
(Spike, please correct if this is a misunderstanding on my part.)

On the other hand it is relatively accepted that the Indian plate is diving
under the Asian plate giving rise to the Himalayas.  That uplift will erode
and as the mass is transfered to below sea level there will be consequences
(e.g. land subsidence).  It would be incorrect to label a "land
compactation" process as a "global warming" process.  (And those of you who
are seduced by the popular press should hang your heads in shame...)  The
"Bay of Bengal" *is* going to sink because Nature is moving large amounts of
mass from the Himilayas to a relatively uncompacted sedimentary deposition
zone [1] -- go look at an elevation map of mid-Southern Asia and Bangladesh
-- this is basic geology folks....

And though you may have news people falling all over themselves saying "the
sky is falling", "the sky is falling" they do not have the skills to
recognize the distinction between "the sea is rising" and "the land is
sinking".  I would hope that on *this* list more educated minds might
prevail.

Robert

1. For those who study geology, the Himalayas are a relatively recent
uplift.  What goes up must come down at some point due to erosion.  When it
comes down it will compact the areas where it is deposited.
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