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Calved glacier on the loose in south Chile threatening local ship navigation

Monday, December 4th 2017 - 16:32 UTC
Full article 10 comments

The recent calving of a large iceberg from a southern Chilean glacier threatens local ship navigation and could result in flooding for coastal communities, experts said. An iceberg measuring some 350 by 380 meters broke from the Grey glacier in far southern Chile in late November. Read full article

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  • Marti Llazo

    This “ glaciolologist” is completely full of shite on this one. And his name is not Jana but Jaña. I have read his work and frankly he's clueless, but says all the right politically correct things.

    Do yourself a favour and look at a map of the location of the inland lake on which this iceberg is located. Now calculate how far it is from the closest ocean. Let's say it's about 40 km down narrow rivers to an estuary at the end of a fjord which is itself over 40 km from open, navigable water.

    Now zoom in on the little tiny stream that serves to empty Lago Grey.

    If you were familiar with the territory, you'd know that this Río Grey is just a little over one metre deep where it leaves the lake, and only a few metres wide. But we are supposed to believe that large icebergs can somehow travel ( fly?) past this restriction to an additional restriction at the little auto bridge over this river, which would also prevent any substantial ice from traveling downstream.

    A friend of mine in Chile who works for INACH got in touch with them today to see WTF this is about. It turns out that almost all the ice calving from the Grey glacier gets grounded in shallow waters of the lake well before reaching the outlet. Occasionally, but rarely, a small piece of ice goes downstream and is observed by operators of kayaks and inflatables on the Serrano River. And this is the basis for the wild and baseless speculation that there might be interference with “navigation.” When pressed on the meaning of “navigation” it turns out that the Chilean who prepared the report likes to think of “navigation” not in English terms but instead as the passage of a kayak down a narrow rapids-filled river -- which would in English be described as nonnavigable ( 'term that applies to bodies of water that a ship is unable to pass through.')

    Bad translation, junk science, fake news.

    Dec 04th, 2017 - 08:42 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • Think

    Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...
    I would never had thought I would say the following..., but:
    Anglo Turnip MartiLlazo is completely right about this one... ;-)

    Dec 04th, 2017 - 09:37 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Capt Rockhopper

    Chileans need to be careful, the Argies might claim it as theirs.

    Dec 05th, 2017 - 01:44 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Marti Llazo

    @ Tinkle “Geeeeeeeeeeeeeee....”

    -----

    It's so obvious that even a pseudo argie might understand it.

    Dec 05th, 2017 - 03:33 am - Link - Report abuse +1
  • Think

    TWIMC...

    Just for the kind info of MercoPress' Non-Patagonian readers...
    Here's a video of the kind of “local ship navigation” threatened by that calved glacier on the loose at lago Grey...:

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=x6BbmIQr2yk

    Regards..., el packrafting Think...

    Dec 05th, 2017 - 08:46 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Marti Llazo

    The baby icebergs in that tinkle video were in the same place where icebergs are grounded every year -- anything of that size just can't get into the shallow river. That chilean glaciologist Jaña is clearly an idiot.

    This image shows the “zona de iceberg ” where those bergy bits are blown and stuck. You can then follow the course of that little river (Río Grey) as it meanders for dozens of km down to the Serrano River, where even the smallest pieces quickly disintegrate.

    http://www.tutravesia.com/imagen/rio_serrano/Rio%20Grey.jpeg

    And there is no fooking way this iceberg is going to cause “flooding in coastal communities.”

    Black Eye Award for the Chilean Antarctic Institute.

    Another view of that shallow river... imagine the sort of “navigation” possible here.

    https ://photos.travelblog.org/Photos/13426/181213/f/1342954-Rio-Grey-0.jpg

    Dec 05th, 2017 - 02:13 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • Think

    TWIMC...

    In defence of my little Shilean glaciologist brother..., I must say that he didn't say things as they are referred in this Anglo disinformation outlet... and as swallowed hook, sink and line by Anglo Turnip MartiLlazo
    Just for the kind info of MercoPress' Non-Patagonian readers..., here's what he really said...:
    http://www.inach.cl/inach/?p=22656

    Dec 05th, 2017 - 03:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Clyde15

    Think

    You said:-

    Anglo Turnip MartiLlazo is completely right about this one... ;-)

    THEN.........................

    I must say that he didn't say things as they are referred in this Anglo disinformation outlet... and as swallowed hook, sink and line by Anglo Turnip MartiLlazo..”

    Which is it ?

    Dec 05th, 2017 - 04:27 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Marti Llazo

    yes, it's all bullshite that this iceberg is going to have the drastic impacts mentioned in the Merco news note, and some of the statements from the INACH

    “Pese a que el lago Grey es muy extenso, con alrededor de 13 kilómetros de largo, ”es lo bastante angosto para que este témpano se puede transformar, sin duda, en un obstáculo para la navegación si este se disgrega en pedazos más pequeños“, explicó el glaciólgo.”

    'Instituto Antártico Chileno y desprendimiento de glaciar Grey: “El hielo se presentará como una amenaza” '

    'Han ocurrido eventos en el pasado que, por el tamaño de los témpanos y su dinámica, muchas veces impiden el flujo normal de las embarcaciones. ' (the only such “intereference” is with tiny river craft such as kayaks)

    Argie press: “No fue un fenómeno esperado, como suele repetir cada algunos años el glaciar Perito Moreno. ”

    Jaña: “Esta es una situación esperada, ....”

    Dec 05th, 2017 - 04:49 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • DemonTree

    @Clyde15
    “Which is it?”

    Looks like Marti isn't the only one swallowing things.

    At least they're disagreeing again, I was worried there for a second. ;)

    Dec 06th, 2017 - 12:24 am - Link - Report abuse 0

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