Greenland and Antarctica Are Melting Fast

Greenland is mostly melting from the top down. Antarctica, on the other hand, is mostly melting from the bottom up. Maiya May explains why this is happening, and what it could mean for our planet's oceans.

Weathered: Earth's Extremes is now streaming on the PBS App

[peteeberhardt]

Those time lapses are really interesting to see. Bone chilling, dread inducing terror too, but interesting.

[jarlsparkley]

The really bad thing about the Antarctica situation is that a chunk of ice causes the same amount of sea level rise as an equal amount of water by mass. In other words when the glaciers of Antarctica fall into the ocean, you won’t have to wait for them to melt to experience the sea level rise.

[banksiasong]

65metres?!!
That would drown so many coastal cities and communities.
The world is ignoring this coming catastrophe, being distracted by profiteers and their petty squabbles.
Thank you for your films, particularly your excellent graphics which communicate complex phenomena.

[vesawuoristo]

And Trump doesn't even care. Good job voters

[pcoristi]

Can you guys talk about the melting in Greenland in relation to the inexplicable cold blob in the North Atlantic? Which is not far from where I live on the island portion of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The weather here can be pretty crazy -- especially in winter. We're affected by both the Labrador current, AMOC and the warm flow of air from the south, especially during Hurricane season.

How does all that relate to and/or get affected by that growing blob of cold water?

[maddogwillie]

What's the big deal, according to the next president a rise in sea level will just make more waterfront property. Yes, that sarcasm

[kudakwashemachipisa]

I recently watched a video illustrating how ice melting will not change the volume it occupies. He put ice cubes in a glass full of water and after the ice melted the height of the water in the glass stayed the same. To those who might have knowledge, how does it work.

[lucianoDoni]

What concerns me is that US, Russia and China are already getting ready to a new scenario. Why would US want Greenland if they weren't sure that area is not going to be covered in ice again?

[Petch]

👋me waving goodbye to the ice. We might hit +1.5 C in 2024 and 2024 will be the year we have emitted the most CO2 ever. Global warming is still accelerating, just a little slower that worst case. But it will stile take many decades for all the ice to melt, global warming is slow on a human timescale. 😥

[kananaskiscountry]

ice melting has become irreversible and we can not stop it = accept the truth

[edbouhl]

Unfortunately this presidential election was the final nail in the unchecked emissions coffin.

[blursey]

Guys its alright we about to get a new expansion on our earth

[dementiasorrow]

we're doing next to nothing to stop it.

[Andy.mikhail]

Would love to see what's hiding below the ice

[oldbrokenhands]

And then there's the nuclear waste in Greenland.

[PRND]

Could this ice change correspond with the wobble of the earth?

[almaxie]

WE ARE NOW TOO WORRIED ABOUT PEOPLE THAT ARENT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE TO WORRY ABOUT GLACIERS MELTING.

[adstix]

Those frames complement your skin tone well!

[BRADH-xwsw]

You forgetting the last 5 iceages. Global warming has an off switch - its called the Gulf Stream (both levels) and if so much fresh water enters the Altantic, its stops. When this happens, the British Isles and coastal western Europe will freeze badly in the oncoming winters. Take a look at global continental shelves - the coastal land was 300ft below our current levels. Once the Gulf Conveyor stops the northern Arctic will cool again and start the next Iceage.

[_Green]

Can we limit this to just 50m?? so I can have a house by the sea :D