# So...When Does the Great Antarctic Land Grab Start? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 11, 2021, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-does-the-great-antarctic-land-grab-start/939784 "2021-04-11T08:39:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-does-the-great-antarctic-land-grab-start/939784/23 "2021-04-12T17:23:11Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > If Antarctica melted, the sea levels would rise 230 feet. It would also mean that all ice on the earth would be gone, and temperatures would skyrocket. I’m thinking that, at that point, the human race would have pretty much ghosted itself and wouldn’t be settling anything, anywhere. There would still be humans, if quite likely far fewer of them. But even then, why would the survivors want to live in Antarctica? At more familiar latitudes, you’d still have huge amount of land VASTLY more habitable than Antarctica, where you didn’t have months of darkness. There will still be higher elevations, mountains, cooler places. Northern Alberta, Finland, southern Argentina, Nepal, these places aren’t going to be boiling. Consider this; even today, people live in deserts and places it’s ludicrously hot - way, way more than live in Antarctica, which has a real population of zero. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-does-the-great-antarctic-land-grab-start/939784/24 "2021-04-12T18:18:01Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > old and rotting “prestige” research stations with skeleton crews Eeek. Sounds like a zombie movie. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-does-the-great-antarctic-land-grab-start/939784/25 "2021-04-12T18:40:12Z")
I’m kind of doubtful Antarctic will warm and melt enough to live there except in the same conditions at research stations now. It will take so long that the earth will enter some kind of cooling cycle that will keep the bottom of the world frozen for millions more years. Even if that doesn’t happen, we’ll all be long dead before the ice is gone. The top of the world though, that’s gonna be open ocean pretty soon. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-does-the-great-antarctic-land-grab-start/939784/26 "2021-04-13T01:07:21Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > The last time Antarctica was ice-free was 34,000,000 years ago. I wouldn’t put all my life savings into potential Antarctic real estate if I were you. Yes. But considering the compounding, your great1,000,000 grandkids will think very highly of you. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-does-the-great-antarctic-land-grab-start/939784/27 "2021-04-13T02:20:53Z")
I never knew about this Antarctic resort community until yesterday, and no, it isn’t at McMurdo. > **[2021-2022 — White Desert](https://white-desert.com/2021-2022/)** ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-does-the-great-antarctic-land-grab-start/939784/28 "2021-04-13T03:32:54Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > Why not just delete them yourself? There is a time limitation to do that. After that it requires a Mod God to be involved. I am not a Mod God. I do not wish to Anger a Mod God. ( Volcanos have erupted for less ) ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-does-the-great-antarctic-land-grab-start/939784/29 "2021-04-13T03:51:26Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > How long for the Land Truly Down Under to lose enough ice for people to start moving in? Coincidentally, another thread started at around the same time: > [@The adventure of a lifetime - only $96,000 per person](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-adventure-of-a-lifetime-only-96-000-per-person/939829/1): > > It’s the closest thing they have to a resort in Antarctica. You fly on a chartered jet out of South Africa. Jet lands at “the only blue ice runway in Antarctic specifically designed for business jets”, and a DC3 takes you to the private resort at Schirmacher Oasis. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-does-the-great-antarctic-land-grab-start/939784/30 "2021-04-14T15:05:04Z")
> [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](#): > > > [@SCAdian](#): > > > > Why not just delete them yourself? > > There is a time limitation to do that. After that it requires a Mod God to be involved. I just deleted that question, which I posted a little over 64 hours ago. No mod required. ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-does-the-great-antarctic-land-grab-start/939784/31 "2021-04-14T21:48:47Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > I just deleted that question, which I posted a little over 64 hours ago. No mod required. “You’ve performed this action too many times. Please wait 19 hours before trying again.” So, Thursday afternoon…? ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-does-the-great-antarctic-land-grab-start/939784/32 "2021-04-14T22:30:21Z")
> [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](#): > > “You’ve performed this action too many times. Please wait 19 hours before trying again.” > > So, Thursday afternoon…? Come again? ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-does-the-great-antarctic-land-grab-start/939784/33 "2021-04-14T23:17:44Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > Come again? There is a multi-hour timer between deletions. It’s not me… ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-does-the-great-antarctic-land-grab-start/939784/34 "2021-04-14T23:21:56Z")
Yes. You _can_ delete an old post. But you can’t delete more than one post every (I think) 24 hours. So don’t make two mistakes in one day. The only reason I’ve wanted to delete posts, and have been stymied by the timer, is when I begin replying to a thread, and mostly to the post just above, then somebody (or three) slips in between us while I’m typing yet another long-winded disquisition. With the result that once my post is posted it makes no sense in the context it’ll be read within. And while there are some ways to edit in quotes, there’s no way to alter which post your post is considered a reply to. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-does-the-great-antarctic-land-grab-start/939784/35 "2021-04-15T04:47:04Z")
heres the article i was talking about [https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/antarctica-is-crammed-with-abandoned-ghost-stations/ar-BB1ecSqJ?ocid=SK2DDHP](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/antarctica-is-crammed-with-abandoned-ghost-stations/ar-BB1ecSqJ?ocid=SK2DDHP) ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-does-the-great-antarctic-land-grab-start/939784/36 "2021-04-15T05:28:38Z")
Why don’t we just wait 20 or 30 million years to when the continent has drifted to more palatable latitudes? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-does-the-great-antarctic-land-grab-start/939784/37 "2021-04-16T07:30:18Z")
More like 100 million. Of course, by then, it should be part of Novopangaea, so easier to get to (for the Sentient Cockroach Men who will inhabit that future…) ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-does-the-great-antarctic-land-grab-start/939784/38 "2021-04-16T17:55:52Z")
100 million years will get most of the continent north of the Antarctic Circle, but parts will be out of that zone by 20 to 30 million years. This is a rough estimate based on assuming the continent continues on its current track at about the same rate. That could change, of course. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-does-the-great-antarctic-land-grab-start/939784/39 "2021-04-16T20:43:29Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > 100 million years will get most of the continent north of the Antarctic Circle Depends on which drift model you follow Some, like Novopangaea, follow current trends only. Others, like the Afrasian model, postulate little movement for Antarctica. I do favour Novopangaea just because it’s parsimonious. > [@dtilque](#): > > parts will be out of that zone by 20 to 30 million years. Sure, sorry, I was going by you saying “the continent”. Parts will probably be out of the Antarctic Circle before then, yes, I agree. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-does-the-great-antarctic-land-grab-start/939784.md?page=1)