New findings: West Antarctic Ice Sheet is inherently vulnerable to change and creates “unstoppable” ocean rise.

This report on NASA’s new study, led by glaciologist Eric Rignot at NASA’s JPL and the  of UC Irvine, points to dramatic and “unstoppable” melting and contribution of the West Antarctica ice sheet to ocean levels. The gist is that the grounding line–the point at which ice and ocean meet below the waterline–is receding as it erodes the ice below the surface with warm water, essentially transforming glacial ice mass into ice shelves.

This finding, which represents decades of research from NASA, points to ice valleys around the Pine island glacier in West Antarctica among six others in the Amundsen Sea region which are below sea level for hundreds of kilometers inland. This sets a positive feedback of receding grounding line for that entire regions for six similar glaciers. With no hill below the ice to slow or stop the water from eroding the ice, there is no way of effectively stop the melting of the Antarctica ice over the next couple of centuries, which alone will contribute to four feet of global ocean rise.

To further this dramatic finding, the positive loop on other regions of the world such as the East Antarctic ice or the Greenland ice sheet will affect the configuration of other ice shelves further increasing ocean rise over the coming century.

The full recorded report including media questions can be heard here.

A digest of those findings can be read here.

“Unstoppable” ice melt from West Antarctica leads to unavoidable and dramatic rise of ocean levels.

SEBASTIAN RETURNS TO THE ANNENBERG SPACE FOR PHOTOGRAPHY FOR INTO THE COLD

On May 8th, The Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles screened Sebastian’s North Pole epic documentary about his 2009 mission. The screening, a part of the Annenberg’s Iris Nights,  played to a sold out audience at the Skylight studio. The screening was followed by a Q&A and was reported in this article posted by Liz Kelly for Examiner.com. This was Sebastian’s second presentation at the Annenberg this year. In February, a full presentation of his photographic and advocacy work in the polar regions was attended also by a sold out audience, and can be viewed here.

Sebastian’s Q&A at the Annenberg Space for Photography on May 8, 2014

Today is World Awareness Penguin Day.

Gentoo Penguins near the Gerlach Strait, Antarctica Peninsula 2006.

Sebastian was on air for the WQNA 88.3FM Flyover Zone hour with Hugh Moore and friends, on April 20th, discussing systemic changes in the polar regions and polar travel. You can find a recording of the show here.

Michael Kurcfeld profiled Sebastian for the latest LA Review of Books (March 2014). The interview was conducted during Sebastian’s solo Antarctica: A Million Faces Of Ice at the Munich Bernheimer Gallery last year. The profile also features a filmed segment which can be seen here.

“Following in the footsteps of Herbert Ponting and Frank Hurley, Sebastian Copeland ventures into the blinding white expanses of both poles, often for weeks at a time, to seek out the wild sculpted beauty of places no human has seen before.” Michael Kurcfeld — LA Review of Books

Big New For Whales in the Southern Seas

Following the International Court of Justice’s ruling, Japan has officially cancelled all plans to hunt whales in the Southern Ocean in 2014. This will be the first year since 1904 that no whales will be hunted in Antarctic waters.

Sebastian Appears on Red Bull’s Servus TV

On March 5th, 2014 Sebastian appeared on Servus TV’s Sport&Talk to promote his new film Across The Ice–The Greenland Victory March which premiered March 5. Joining him in the studios in Salzburg, Austria was F1 racing legend Nicky Lauda.  Sebastian also appeared on the morning show Servus Morgen on March 6th. The film will play again on Servus AM TV Sunday March 9th at 3PM before rolling out to international distribution later in the year.

Servus TV to premiere Sebastian Copeland’s new film for German Speaking countries

Across The Ice–The Greenland Victory March premiered on Servus TV on March 5th in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The film chronicles Sebastian Copeland and Eric McNair Landry’s record setting kite skiing mission across the south-north axis of the Greenland ice sheet. The film marks Sebastian’s second directorial effort and his first collaboration with Red Bull Media House. Set mostly on Greenland, the film follows training sessions in Iqualuit, and the 2300 kilometer unassisted journey which includes getting pinned down by hurricane strength winds; a tour of the cold war relic DYE II; and setting the new world record for the longest distance travelled in 24 hours by kites with 595 km. Across The Ice will be presented at Cannes’s 2014 MipDoc for international distribution in early April. You see watch the trailer here. Stay tuned for other international releases.

Sebastian Speaks At The Iris Night Lecture Series

As part of the National Geographic lecture series, Sebastian was invited to speak at the prestigious Annenberg Space for Photography on February 20, 2014. From Pole to Pole: The Longest Journey recounts being attacked by polar bears; reaching both poles on foot; photographing in sub-zero temperatures; and what the loss of  ice means in the context of a warming planet. The lecture sold out but was filmed and can be streamed here.