Rasmussen 1

Tasia Rasmussen
BIOL-1120-F15
Kristen Taylor
27 October 2015
Extreme Ice
The documentary Extreme Ice, is an eye opening collection of images, information,
and evidence that unmasks the devastating effects and implications of global warming and
climate change on the planet. Photo journalist James Balog participates in the largest
photographic study of the cryosphere to ever take place, and the results of his findings are
astonishing. James deployed twenty six time-lapse cameras across the Northern Hemisphere and
each were programmed to take one frame every single daylight hour for three long years. The
extreme recession of the ice caps can be seen in these time-lapse photos, depicting a loss of a
mile of glacier in a single year. It is stated that the ice is receding so quickly that we have
already lost a whopping ten miles of the glacier Columbia.
The team works to determine the cause of these extreme recessions in order to determine
what the future holds for the global Ice Sheets. Researchers believe that water deep within the
icebergs are actually prying the bergs apart; water is flowing into cracks in the iceberg and
prying the ice apart in what is called calving events. In a calving event great chunks of ice are
sheared off of the ice sheet. It is believed that the ice sheets are calving so fast that these glaciers
are collapsing before any new ice can be created. Because of this, the ice is literally
disappearing before our very eyes.

Rasmussen 2

Ice bergs and icecaps are not just disappearing in one area, but around the globe.
Evidence of this can be seen on the Columbia, The Rockies, The Andes, and The Alpes, which
are all stated to be in their death throws. Due to climate change and the rise in temperatures
across the globe, it is estimated that mountain glaciers will completely disappear within the next
fifty to one hundred years. History shows that an increase in climate temperatures is linked to an
increase in CO2 levels and simultaneously Greenlands ice shrinks. 125, 000 years ago the
temperatures increased by 7 and the entire Southern Portion melted causing sea levels to rise
over ten feet, and current trend studies show the great potential there is for this type of event to
repeat in coming years. The summer melt in Greenland is much hotter and two weeks longer
than it was ten years ago.
At this rate, in 100 years the oceans are expected to expand as they warm up, causing a
one foot rise in sea level. Furthering evidence suggests that as the mountain glaciers continue to
melt an additional one foot rise in water level will occur. Though the ice sheets in Greenland and
Antarctica are not expected to disappear during this time, their melt will contribute an additional
foot making a total estimate of about three feet or one meter in water levels. Considering that
there are over 100 million people who live around three feet of sea level these results may be
devastating, and island nations can cease to be after 100 years. Ice is extremely important to the
essential operations of the planet, sea levels, and climate, but it is disappearing.
After watching this program it is impossible to deny global warming. As seen in the
evidence of icecaps and glaciers melting at alarming rates, global climate change is occurring
now. As the temperatures continue to rise, the oceans will heat, ice will melt, and sea levels will
rise. It is undeniable that the climate is changing, and it seems the important thing to focus
efforts on now is how to slow these changes down. Much of what has already been started has

Rasmussen 3

passed the point of full recovery, however, changes in human behavior and interaction with the
environment can help to improve current and future climate changes.

Rasmussen 4

Works Cited
Extreme ice. Dir. Noel Dockstader and Quinn Kanaly. Perf. James Balog. PBS. 2009. PBS/
Extreme Ice. NOVA and National Geographic Television, 18 Dec. 2013. Web. 27 Oct.
2015.