Arctic Ice May Be Collapsing

[Guest guest]

This is from a site called UnknownCountry by Whitley

Strieber where they deal with a lot of UFO stuff and things like that.

Overall, there is so much conflicting information, it's difficult to know

what to believe....................Lynn

Arctic Ice May Be Collapsing

Right-wing talk show hosts have been crowing that

this years harsh winter in the Northern Hemisphere is proof that global

warming is nonsense, but they are ignoring the fact that parts of

Australia are experiencing that hottest summer on record, AND that arctic

ice is still melting fast.

Satellite data reveal that the arctic is losing its old, thick ice faster

than ever before­in modern times, anyway. This has continued even though

the summer is over. Older ice floes are thicker and contain less salt, so

they usually survive the summer better than the more newly-formed ice.

The shrinking of Arctic ice has global implications, since ice reflects

heat back into the atmosphere, helping to keep global warming at bay. In

BBC News, Richard Black quotes NASA researcher Seelye Martin as

saying, " Although this March the area is slightly larger than last

March, the area of [thick] perennial ice has reached an all time low.

" So the volume of Arctic ice continues to decrease. " " He

quotes NASA researcher Josefino Comiso as saying, " It's becoming

thinner and thinner and much more susceptible to melting during the

summer­much more likely to melt away. "

 

Arctic losing long-term ice cover

By Richard Black

Environment correspondent, BBC News website

 

 

 

 

Ice has been transported south during the Arctic winter

The Arctic is losing its old, thick ice faster than in previous years,

according to satellite data.

The loss has continued since the end of the Arctic summer, despite cold

weather across the northern hemisphere.

The warm 2007 summer saw the smallest area of ice ever recorded in the

region, and scientists say 2008 could follow a similar pattern.

Older floes are thicker and less saline than newly-formed ice, meaning

they can survive warm spells better.

 

 

 

It is not likely that perennial ice will recover in the long

term

 

 

Josefino Comiso, Nasa

Ice more than two years old now makes up about 30% of all the ice in the

Arctic, down from 60% two decades ago.

The shrinking of Arctic ice has global implications, as its white surface

reflects solar energy back into space whereas the open ocean absorbs it.

 

Long March

March is the month when the Arctic ice usually reaches its largest

extent, as the dark winter nears its end.

Nasa's data shows the area covered by ice is roughly the same as it was

last year; but this masks a significant change.

" Although this March the area is slightly larger than last March,

the area of [thick] perennial ice has reached an all time low, " said

Seelye Martin, manager of the Cryospheric Sciences Program at Nasa

headquarters in Washington DC.

" So the volume of Arctic ice continues to decrease. "

 

 

The proportion of old ice covering the Arctic has fallen

markedly

The loss of old, thick ice has continued through the winter months,

despite the unusually cold weather deriving from La Nina conditions (the

other extreme of the El Nino Southern Oscillation) in the Pacific.

 

The winter ice loss is thought to be driven mainly by the transport of

old floes from Arctic waters out into the Atlantic Ocean. The currents

driving this are stronger than usual as a consequence of another natural

cycle, the Arctic Oscillation.

The net result is that most of the cover consists of ice that has formed

since last summer.

The scientists behind these findings believe this year's cooling should

not obscure the long term warming trend, with temperatures across the

Arctic rising about twice as fast as the global average.

" Weather comes and goes, and it's the long term average that really

matters, " observed Josefino Comiso from Nasa's Goddard Space Flight

Center.

Dr Comiso said he believed that the change of albedo - the change from a

white, reflective surface of ice to a dark, absorbing surface of sea -

was already happening.

Summer sailing

With the ice pack containing such a high proportion of thin, salty ice,

the scientists believe another major melt is likely in the summer.

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Lynn Ward <lynnward wrote: This is from a site called UnknownCountry by Whitley Strieber where they deal with a lot of UFO stuff and things like that. Overall, there is so much conflicting information, it's difficult to know what to believe....................LynnArctic Ice May Be Collapsing Right-wing talk show hosts have been crowing that this years harsh winter in the Northern Hemisphere is proof that global warming is nonsense,

but they are ignoring the fact that parts of Australia are experiencing that hottest summer on record, AND that arctic ice is still melting fast. Satellite data reveal that the arctic is losing its old, thick ice faster than ever before­in modern times, anyway. This has continued even though the summer is over. Older ice floes are thicker and contain less salt, so they usually survive the summer better than the more newly-formed ice. The shrinking of Arctic ice has global implications, since ice reflects heat back into the atmosphere, helping to keep global warming at bay. In BBC News, Richard Black quotes NASA researcher Seelye Martin as saying,"Although this March the area is slightly larger than last March, the area of [thick] perennial ice has reached an all time low. "So the volume of Arctic ice continues to decrease."" He quotes NASA researcher Josefino Comiso as saying, "It's becoming thinner and thinner and much more susceptible to melting during the

summer­much more likely to melt away."Arctic losing long-term ice cover By Richard Black Environment correspondent, BBC News website Ice has been transported south during the Arctic winterThe Arctic is losing its old, thick ice faster than in previous years, according to satellite data. The loss has continued since the end of the Arctic summer, despite cold weather across the northern hemisphere. The warm 2007 summer saw the smallest area of ice ever recorded in the region, and scientists say 2008 could follow a similar pattern. Older floes are thicker and less saline than newly-formed ice, meaning they can survive warm spells

better. It is not likely that perennial ice will recover in the long term Josefino Comiso, NasaIce more than two years old now makes up about 30% of all the ice in the Arctic, down from 60% two decades ago. The shrinking of Arctic ice has global implications, as its white surface reflects solar energy back into space whereas the open ocean absorbs it. Long March March is the month when the Arctic ice usually reaches its largest extent, as the dark winter nears its end. Nasa's data shows the area covered by ice is roughly the same as it was last year; but this masks a significant change. "Although this March the area

is slightly larger than last March, the area of [thick] perennial ice has reached an all time low," said Seelye Martin, manager of the Cryospheric Sciences Program at Nasa headquarters in Washington DC. "So the volume of Arctic ice continues to decrease." The proportion of old ice covering the Arctic has fallen markedlyThe loss of old, thick ice has continued through the winter months, despite the unusually cold weather deriving from La Nina conditions (the other extreme of the El Nino Southern Oscillation) in the Pacific. The winter ice loss is thought to be driven mainly by the transport of old floes from Arctic waters out into the Atlantic Ocean. The currents driving this are stronger than usual as a consequence of another natural cycle, the Arctic Oscillation. The net result is that most of the cover

consists of ice that has formed since last summer. The scientists behind these findings believe this year's cooling should not obscure the long term warming trend, with temperatures across the Arctic rising about twice as fast as the global average. "Weather comes and goes, and it's the long term average that really matters," observed Josefino Comiso from Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Center. Dr Comiso said he believed that the change of albedo - the change from a white, reflective surface of ice to a dark, absorbing surface of sea - was already happening. Summer sailing With the ice pack containing such a high proportion of thin, salty ice, the scientists believe another major melt is likely in the summer.

Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now.