The AnthropoScenic Garbage-Gyre Level Rises

Fig. 1 Garbage Level Rising

One of the more popular Dredd Blog series is New Continent Found - Garbage Gyre II, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.

I hadn't heard of a "gyre" until I ran across a group of scientists who were discussing a "Garbage Patch" in the Pacific Ocean (Garbage Garbage Garbage).

While I was researching then writing about it, five such gyres showed up, one of which ended up being located where the MH-370 was searched for, but not found.

Perhaps a metaphor of sorts for Civilization's ongoing pouring of itself, as garbage, into the oceans of life.

While thinking about these locations and their being where some of the highest sea levels are also found , somehow it dawned on me that the melting polar ice sheets are also heading that way.

I realized that they will contribute to sea level rise (SLR) of the ghost-water type.

Let me explain.

Fig. 2 Blue = SLF,, Orange=Highest SLR

It is commonly known that when the Arctic ice shelf, which floats upon the Arctic Sea, melts, theoretically it does not contribute much if any to "displacement" SLR.

That is, since the ice volume is already in the ocean, any displacement of its volume into the volume of the ocean has already happened (see e.g. Icebergs Contribute to Sea Level Rise, The Warming Science Commentariat - 2).

There may be some thermal consideration (ibid), but the larger picture for Arctic sea ice involves its relocation SLR once it melts and becomes sea water (Fig. 2).

In this sense, Arctic ice melt-water has the same future as ice sheet displacement melt-water, icebergs, and ghost-water (The Ghost-Water Constant, 2, 3, 4).

This is because Arctic sea ice is located within the sea level fall (SLF) zone of the Greenland Ice sheet (The Gravity of Sea Level Change, 2, 3, 4).

Water in that area is relocated toward the Equator by forces generated by the Earth's rotation, which causes a bulge in the Earth at the Equator (The Battle of the Bulge).

Thus, as the floating Arctic Ice melts, it will no longer cling to land there, so as to anchor itself in place there.

It will flow away from the Arctic region like icebergs, other melt-water, and ghost-water do.

This adds a bit more to the maximum potential SLC in various areas closer to the equator.

You know, where the garbage is, and where the fish once were (By 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans, study says).

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Sailing away on the Hopium II:

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