有人建议,全球变暖将导致部分地区的降水南极洲。这将削减冰盖的水,防止海平面上升。然而,斜率(因此高度和体积)大陆冰盖的冰属性的限制。如果冰盖已经在其最大坡度/高度/卷(这是已知的)?不会增加更多的冰导致更多流向大海?根据(“冰原建模”)(http://www3.geosc.psu.edu/ ~ dmb53 / DaveSTELLA /冰川冰% 20表% 20 model.pdf) >冰表现得像一个可变形的塑性材料,这意味着>有临界剪切应力,下面没有应变(变形或>流)会发生……如果斜率太低,基底剪切应力>不匹配的临界剪切应力,…但如雪堆积,>…流将开始……的结果是,冰川有>平衡剖面我认定的冰盖已经略高于他们平衡剖面(因为它们流动)。 Since the profile depends on the area and shape of the base (which is shrinking due to melting around the edges), they are already holding as much ice as possible, and adding more snow to any region will just accelerate the flow. I don't know on what timescale this occurs. (I have not tried the computer models described in the paper.)