If the ice accumulates in a dessert (Antarctica) and sheds at a certain rate, it is still accumulating. If you increase the moisture content of the surrounding air (global warming) it will increase the accumulation of water/ice on the land area. If the ice was accumulating before what mechanism would cause it to accelerate the shedding to the point of net water loss?
If the ice accumulates in a dessert (Antarctica) and sheds at a certain rate, it is still accumulating. If you increase the moisture content of the surrounding air (global warming) it will increase the accumulation of water/ice on the land area. If the ice was accumulating before what mechanism would cause it to accelerate the shedding to the point of net water loss? The relevant dynamics are:
1. Precipitation falls on the ice cap at a certain rate and freezes (if it wasn't frozen already). This increases the size of the ice cap.
2. When the ice cap gets thick enough to flow under pressure, parts of it get pushed out to sea, break off as icebergs, drift out into the ocean, and melt when they reach warmer regions. This decreases the size of the ice cap.
In the long term, these two processes balance out in equilibrium. If (for example) precipitation increases, the ice cap will thicken, build up more pressure, and flow faster, thus increasing the rate of iceberg formation and re-balancing the equilibrium.