next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent
--_cdfd4cb1-7b27-422b-bf1a-f7145a639f91_
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Thanks Jim - I was left hangng when reading it in the CH!
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
From: jimwolford@eastlink.ca
Subject: [NatureNS] Herald article today on melting arctic ice was too shor=
t.
Date: Tue=2C 28 Jun 2011 17:28:18 -0300
For those interested=2C note how much of this article was left out of the p=
rinted newspaper=2C at least for the Valley edition=2C versus what was on t=
he Herald Web site. Cheers from Jim in Wolfville--------------------------=
---
Chronicle Herald=2C Tuesday=2C June 28=2C 2011
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Canada/1250711.html
Walkers help solve mystery of fast melt=20
By BOB WEBER The Canadian Press Tue=2C Jun 28 - 4:54 AM
A 500-kilometre walk over treacherous Arctic terrain has resulted in a poss=
ible explanation for why sea ice in northern waters is melting so much more=
rapidly than anyone thought it would."We=92re trying to understand why the=
ice is melting so fast=2C" said Simon Boxall of the Catlin Arctic Survey. =
"It=92s not just down to simple warming. There are more complicated process=
es."The speed at which sea ice is disappearing in the Arctic has far exceed=
ed almost all predictions and alarmed climate scientists.A 2007 paper from =
the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder=2C Colo.=2C found that the=
projections of the UN-sponsored Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change =
were already obsolete three years after they were published.When projection=
s from the panel were compared with actual observations=2C the authors foun=
d that between 1953 and 2006 the sea ice was retreating three times faster =
than it should have. Between 1979 and 2006=2C when satellite data was avail=
able=2C the actual retreat was twice as fast as climate models predicted.Th=
e report concluded that sea ice retreat is 30 years ahead of where scientis=
ts thought it would be."Decay of the ice cover is proceeding more rapidly t=
han expected based on the model simulations=2C" said the report published i=
n Geophysical Research Letters.The team at the Catlin Arctic Survey=2C spon=
sored by the Catlin Group insurance company=2C thought the answer might lie=
in different temperatures at different levels of Arctic seas.Such data is =
usually obtained from ships. But during the spring=2C when melting is great=
est=2C there=92s still too much sea ice for ships to make it through.So the=
scientists walked from Borden Island to Ellef Ringnes Island and also from=
near the North Pole all the way down to the northern tip of Ellesmere Isla=
nd=2C slogging about 10 kilometres a day in below-deep-freeze temperatures =
over rugged=2C uneven ice.What they found was a surprise =97 a layer of sea=
water about 200 metres below the surface that was actually colder than when=
it had been measured by previous expeditions."That=92s counterintuitive=2C=
" said Boxall. "We would expect to see=2C with global warming=2C warming co=
nditions generally."But when they realized that the colder water was also s=
altier than they expected=2C an explanation began to suggest itself.Boxall =
points out that the older sea ice is=2C the less salt it contains. Ice that=
=92s two or three years old already contains very little salt.[NEWSPAPER AR=
TICLE ENDED RIGHT HERE=2C WITH NO INDICATION THAT THERE WAS MORE OF THE ART=
ICLE THAT WAS ELSEWHERE OR JUST LEFT OUT][JW]Year-old ice=2C however=2C rem=
ains fairly salty. And when it melts=2C it produces meltwater that's denser=
than the relatively fresh water from older ice.As multi-year ice declines =
throughout the Arctic=2C more of the saltier meltwater from younger ice is =
mixing into the ocean. That colder=2C denser water sinks more quickly and f=
orces less dense water from deeper in the ocean up to the surface.Because f=
resh meltwater is colder than seawater=2C that means relatively warm water =
is being forced upwards. And that=2C said Boxall=2C may be part of the reas=
on that sea ice is melting so much faster than anyone thought it would.``Wh=
at we're seeing is that (fresh meltwater) being taken away from the surface=
and replaced by slightly warmer water=2C'' said Boxall. ``The evidence is =
that the surface waters are (now) slightly warmer.''Boxall cautions that hi=
s conclusions are based on a preliminary review of data that the team broug=
ht back from the ice.``We need to compare our results with previous data an=
d with groups from other areas.''A paper is being prepared for publication.=
The results do show that the effects of climate change and global warming a=
re not always obvious=2C suggested Boxall.``The evidence is that there's so=
mething interesting going on. The fact that (the climate) is getting warmer=
is one reason for the ice melting=2C but it's more complex than that.'' =
=
--_cdfd4cb1-7b27-422b-bf1a-f7145a639f91_
Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<html>
<head>
<style><!--
.hmmessage P
{
margin:0px=3B
padding:0px
}
body.hmmessage
{
font-size: 10pt=3B
font-family:Tahoma
}
--></style>
</head>
<body class=3D'hmmessage'><div dir=3D'ltr'>
Thanks Jim - =3BI was left hangng when reading it in the CH!<br> =
=3B<BR><div><hr id=3D"stopSpelling">To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca<br>From: ji=
mwolford@eastlink.ca<br>Subject: [NatureNS] Herald article today on melting=
arctic ice was too short.<br>Date: Tue=2C 28 Jun 2011 17:28:18 -0300<br><b=
r><div style=3D"margin-right: 0px=3B margin-bottom: 0px=3B margin-left: 0px=
=3B"><font style=3D"font: 12px/normal Helvetica=3B font-size-adjust: none=
=3B font-stretch: normal=3B" size=3D"3" face=3D"Helvetica">For those intere=
sted=2C note how much of this article was left out of the printed newspaper=
=2C at least for the Valley edition=2C versus what was on the Herald Web si=
te.  =3BCheers from Jim in Wolfville</font></div><div style=3D"margin-r=
ight: 0px=3B margin-bottom: 0px=3B margin-left: 0px=3B"><font style=3D"font=
: 12px/normal Helvetica=3B font-size-adjust: none=3B font-stretch: normal=
=3B" size=3D"3" face=3D"Helvetica">-----------------------------</font></di=
v><div style=3D"margin-right: 0px=3B margin-bottom: 0px=3B margin-left: 0px=
=3B"><font style=3D"font: 12px/normal Helvetica=3B font-size-adjust: none=
=3B font-stretch: normal=3B" size=3D"3" face=3D"Helvetica"><br></font></div=
><div style=3D"margin-right: 0px=3B margin-bottom: 0px=3B margin-left: 0px=
=3B"><font style=3D"font: 12px/normal Helvetica=3B font-size-adjust: none=
=3B font-stretch: normal=3B" size=3D"3" face=3D"Helvetica">Chronicle Herald=
=2C Tuesday=2C June 28=2C 2011</font></div><div style=3D"font: 12px/normal =
Helvetica=3B margin-right: 0px=3B margin-bottom: 0px=3B margin-left: 0px=3B=
min-height: 14px=3B font-size-adjust: none=3B font-stretch: normal=3B"><br=
></div><div style=3D"margin-right: 0px=3B margin-bottom: 0px=3B margin-left=
: 0px=3B"><font style=3D"font: 12px/normal Helvetica=3B color: rgb(0=2C 30=
=2C 230)=3B font-size-adjust: none=3B font-stretch: normal=3B" color=3D"#00=
1ee6" size=3D"3" face=3D"Helvetica"><a href=3D"http://thechronicleherald.ca=
/Canada/1250711.html" target=3D"_blank">http://thechronicleherald.ca/Canada=
/1250711.html</a></font></div><div style=3D"font: 12px/normal Helvetica=3B =
margin-right: 0px=3B margin-bottom: 0px=3B margin-left: 0px=3B min-height: =
14px=3B font-size-adjust: none=3B font-stretch: normal=3B"><br></div><div s=
tyle=3D"line-height: 35px=3B margin-right: 0px=3B margin-bottom: 0px=3B mar=
gin-left: 0px=3B"><font style=3D"font: 32px/normal Georgia=3B font-size-adj=
ust: none=3B font-stretch: normal=3B" size=3D"7" face=3D"Georgia">Walkers h=
elp solve mystery of fast melt =3B</font></div><div style=3D"font: 12px=
/normal Arial=3B color: rgb(30=2C 30=2C 30)=3B margin-right: 0px=3B margin-=
bottom: 0px=3B margin-left: 0px=3B min-height: 14px=3B font-size-adjust: no=
ne=3B font-stretch: normal=3B"><br></div><div style=3D"margin-right: 0px=3B=
margin-bottom: 0px=3B margin-left: 0px=3B"><font style=3D"font: 11px/norma=
l Arial=3B color: rgb(129=2C 129=2C 129)=3B font-size-adjust: none=3B font-=
stretch: normal=3B" color=3D"#818181" size=3D"3" face=3D"Arial">By BOB WEBE=
R The Canadian Press =3B</font></div><div style=3D"margin-right: 0px=3B=
margin-bottom: 0px=3B margin-left: 0px=3B"><font style=3D"font: 11px/norma=
l Arial=3B color: rgb(129=2C 129=2C 129)=3B font-size-adjust: none=3B font-=
stretch: normal=3B" color=3D"#818181" size=3D"3" face=3D"Arial">Tue=2C Jun =
28 - 4:54 AM</font></div><div style=3D"font: 11px/normal Arial=3B color: rg=
b(129=2C 129=2C 129)=3B margin-right: 0px=3B margin-bottom: 0px=3B margin-l=
eft: 0px=3B min-height: 12px=3B font-size-adjust: none=3B font-stretch: nor=
mal=3B"><br></div><p style=3D"line-height: 18px=3B"><font style=3D"font: 14=
px/normal Arial=3B font-size-adjust: none=3B font-stretch: normal=3B" size=
=3D"4" face=3D"Arial">A 500-kilometre walk over treacherous Arctic terrain =
has resulted in a possible explanation for why sea ice in northern waters i=
s melting so much more rapidly than anyone thought it would.</font></p><p s=
tyle=3D"line-height: 18px=3B"><font style=3D"font: 14px/normal Arial=3B fon=
t-size-adjust: none=3B font-stretch: normal=3B" size=3D"4" face=3D"Arial">"=
We=92re trying to understand why the ice is melting so fast=2C" said Simon =
Boxall of the Catlin Arctic Survey. "It=92s not just down to simple warming=
. There are more complicated processes."</font></p><p style=3D"line-height:=
18px=3B"><font style=3D"font: 14px/normal Arial=3B font-size-adjust: none=
=3B font-stretch: normal=3B" size=3D"4" face=3D"Arial">The speed at which s=
ea ice is disappearing in the Arctic has far exceeded almost all prediction=
s and alarmed climate scientists.</font></p><p style=3D"line-height: 18px=
=3B"><font style=3D"font: 14px/normal Arial=3B font-size-adjust: none=3B fo=
nt-stretch: normal=3B" size=3D"4" face=3D"Arial">A 2007 paper from the Nati=
onal Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder=2C Colo.=2C found that the project=
ions of the UN-sponsored Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change were alr=
eady obsolete three years after they were published.</font></p><p style=3D"=
line-height: 18px=3B"><font style=3D"font: 14px/normal Arial=3B font-size-a=
djust: none=3B font-stretch: normal=3B" size=3D"4" face=3D"Arial">When proj=
ections from the panel were compared with actual observations=2C the author=
s found that between 1953 and 2006 the sea ice was retreating three times f=
aster than it should have. Between 1979 and 2006=2C when satellite data was=
available=2C the actual retreat was twice as fast as climate models predic=
ted.</font></p><p style=3D"line-height: 18px=3B"><font style=3D"font: 14px/=
normal Arial=3B font-size-adjust: none=3B font-stretch: normal=3B" size=3D"=
4" face=3D"Arial">The report concluded that sea ice retreat is 30 years ahe=
ad of where scientists thought it would be.</font></p><p style=3D"line-heig=
ht: 18px=3B"><font style=3D"font: 14px/normal Arial=3B font-size-adjust: no=
ne=3B font-stretch: normal=3B" size=3D"4" face=3D"Arial">"Decay of the ice =
cover is proceeding more rapidly than expected based on the model simulatio=
ns=2C" said the report published in Geophysical Research Letters.</font></p=
><p style=3D"line-height: 18px=3B"><font style=3D"font: 14px/normal Arial=
=3B font-size-adjust: none=3B font-stretch: normal=3B" size=3D"4" face=3D"A=
rial">The team at the Catlin Arctic Survey=2C sponsored by the Catlin Group=
insurance company=2C thought the answer might lie in different temperature=
s at different levels of Arctic seas.</font></p><p style=3D"line-height: 18=
px=3B"><font style=3D"font: 14px/normal Arial=3B font-size-adjust: none=3B =
font-stretch: normal=3B" size=3D"4" face=3D"Arial">Such data is usually obt=
ained from ships. But during the spring=2C when melting is greatest=2C ther=
e=92s still too much sea ice for ships to make it through.</font></p><p sty=
le=3D"line-height: 18px=3B"><font style=3D"font: 14px/normal Arial=3B font-=
size-adjust: none=3B font-stretch: normal=3B" size=3D"4" face=3D"Arial">So =
the scientists walked from Borden Island to Ellef Ringnes Island and also f=
rom near the North Pole all the way down to the northern tip of Ellesmere I=
sland=2C slogging about 10 kilometres a day in below-deep-freeze temperatur=
es over rugged=2C uneven ice.</font></p><p style=3D"line-height: 18px=3B"><=
font style=3D"font: 14px/normal Arial=3B font-size-adjust: none=3B font-str=
etch: normal=3B" size=3D"4" face=3D"Arial">What they found was a surprise =
=97 a layer of seawater about 200 metres below the surface that was actuall=
y colder than when it had been measured by previous expeditions.</font></p>=
<p style=3D"line-height: 18px=3B"><font style=3D"font: 14px/normal Arial=3B=
font-size-adjust: none=3B font-stretch: normal=3B" size=3D"4" face=3D"Aria=
l">"That=92s counterintuitive=2C" said Boxall. "We would expect to see=2C w=
ith global warming=2C warming conditions generally."</font></p><p style=3D"=
line-height: 18px=3B"><font style=3D"font: 14px/normal Arial=3B font-size-a=
djust: none=3B font-stretch: normal=3B" size=3D"4" face=3D"Arial">But when =
they realized that the colder water was also saltier than they expected=2C =
an explanation began to suggest itself.</font></p><p style=3D"line-height: =
18px=3B"><font style=3D"font: 14px/normal Arial=3B font-size-adjust: none=
=3B font-stretch: normal=3B" size=3D"4" face=3D"Arial">Boxall points out th=
at the older sea ice is=2C the less salt it contains. Ice that=92s two or t=
hree years old already contains very little salt.</font></p><p style=3D"lin=
e-height: 18px=3B"><font style=3D"font: 14px/normal Arial=3B font-size-adju=
st: none=3B font-stretch: normal=3B" size=3D"4" face=3D"Arial">[NEWSPAPER A=
RTICLE ENDED RIGHT HERE=2C WITH NO INDICATION THAT THERE WAS MORE OF THE AR=
TICLE THAT WAS ELSEWHERE OR JUST LEFT OUT][JW]</font></p><p style=3D"line-h=
eight: 18px=3B"><font style=3D"font: 14px/normal Arial=3B font-size-adjust:=
none=3B font-stretch: normal=3B" size=3D"4" face=3D"Arial">Year-old ice=2C=
however=2C remains fairly salty. And when it melts=2C it produces meltwate=
r that's denser than the relatively fresh water from older ice.</font></p><=
p style=3D"line-height: 18px=3B"><font style=3D"font: 14px/normal Arial=3B =
font-size-adjust: none=3B font-stretch: normal=3B" size=3D"4" face=3D"Arial=
">As multi-year ice declines throughout the Arctic=2C more of the saltier m=
eltwater from younger ice is mixing into the ocean. That colder=2C denser w=
ater sinks more quickly and forces less dense water from deeper in the ocea=
n up to the surface.</font></p><p style=3D"line-height: 18px=3B"><font styl=
e=3D"font: 14px/normal Arial=3B font-size-adjust: none=3B font-stretch: nor=
mal=3B" size=3D"4" face=3D"Arial">Because fresh meltwater is colder than se=
awater=2C that means relatively warm water is being forced upwards. And tha=
t=2C said Boxall=2C may be part of the reason that sea ice is melting so mu=
ch faster than anyone thought it would.</font></p><p style=3D"line-height: =
18px=3B"><font style=3D"font: 14px/normal Arial=3B font-size-adjust: none=
=3B font-stretch: normal=3B" size=3D"4" face=3D"Arial">``What we're seeing =
is that (fresh meltwater) being taken away from the surface and replaced by=
slightly warmer water=2C'' said Boxall. ``The evidence is that the surface=
waters are (now) slightly warmer.''</font></p><p style=3D"line-height: 18p=
x=3B"><font style=3D"font: 14px/normal Arial=3B font-size-adjust: none=3B f=
ont-stretch: normal=3B" size=3D"4" face=3D"Arial">Boxall cautions that his =
conclusions are based on a preliminary review of data that the team brought=
back from the ice.</font></p><p style=3D"line-height: 18px=3B"><font style=
=3D"font: 14px/normal Arial=3B font-size-adjust: none=3B font-stretch: norm=
al=3B" size=3D"4" face=3D"Arial">``We need to compare our results with prev=
ious data and with groups from other areas.''</font></p><p style=3D"line-he=
ight: 18px=3B"><font style=3D"font: 14px/normal Arial=3B font-size-adjust: =
none=3B font-stretch: normal=3B" size=3D"4" face=3D"Arial">A paper is being=
prepared for publication.</font></p><p style=3D"line-height: 18px=3B"><fon=
t style=3D"font: 14px/normal Arial=3B font-size-adjust: none=3B font-stretc=
h: normal=3B" size=3D"4" face=3D"Arial">The results do show that the effect=
s of climate change and global warming are not always obvious=2C suggested =
Boxall.</font></p><p style=3D"line-height: 18px=3B"><font style=3D"font: 14=
px/normal Arial=3B font-size-adjust: none=3B font-stretch: normal=3B" size=
=3D"4" face=3D"Arial">``The evidence is that there's something interesting =
going on. The fact that (the climate) is getting warmer is one reason for t=
he ice melting=2C but it's more complex than that.''</font></p></div> =
</div></body>
</html>=
--_cdfd4cb1-7b27-422b-bf1a-f7145a639f91_--
next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects