Global warming boost to glaciers

BBC News ^

[Mike-o-Matic]

  The Chicken Littles won't be happy about this news.

The Chicken Littles will not acknowledge this news.

[South40]

I hear all the world's sponges are dying and that is the cause of the oceans rising. /s

[staytrue]

The way it works is some glaciers are where it is sort of cold and some are where it is bitter cold.

The glaciers where it is just sort of cold will shrink when it gets warmer due to ice melt. The glaciers where it is bitter cold (himilayas, antarctica) will get bigger because when it warms up, it snows more due to higher humidity but it is still so cold, that the melting is negligible.

[Atlantic Bridge]

Well - I am a fanatic skier with lots of experience and practice over the years. Much of my leisure time is spend speeding down the hills in Switzerland, Austria or France. Since I started with 3 (today I am 38) I observed the situation of many glaciers in the Alps over the years. Although it is true that the snowfall differs over the years, practically all glaciers in the Alps lost large parts of their substance in that time. You can watch it every year since it is a fast process that seems to speed up.

I can not say anything relevant about the reasons since I am no scientist. We all know that there is a large variety of different opinions among them. But one thing is for sure - the melting happens.

[Atlantic Bridge]

Sorry I forgot to ping you! Take a look at my #24. Besides - it is interesting that as SunTzuWu said the edges melt and the glacier retreats but increased snow fall makes them thicker at their source. I will try to watch this process in the future. My impression is that they simply lost lots of substance during the past few years.

[aquila48]

Read all about it!! GLOBAL WARMING CAUSES GLOBAL COOLING!!

When it comes to double speak the environazis can teach Orwell and the Communists a thing or two.

[Nathan Zachary]

You have to admit that where you ski and therefore notice are only the lower parts of these glaciers. Most people don't try ski from altitudes where it's hard to even get to, never mind breathe.
Every year varies, but for the most part the rocky mountains Around Banff have had very good snow. I don't ski much, but I remember in the late 60's there were years with no snow, and some (1966) that it snowed so much you couldn't get to the mountains because the roads were blocked. Of course, everyone was afraid of global cooling in those days, and scientist were saying it was unmistakable, they couldn't be wrong, they had modern scientific measures, blah blah blah.

The truth of the matter is, "scientists" are just a clueless now as they have ever been.

[Species8472]

Climate change is happening here in Alaska as well. The little valley where I sit typing this post was covered by a quarter mile of ice just 2500 years ago. One thing I have observed here is that glaciers ebb and flow in slow motion waves with periods of years. Where I live, a number of glaciers are growing while others retreat.

[Nathan Zachary]

You are probably right. I work up north a lot myself. It's is generally accepted that the ice has been receeding for the past 4000 years since the end of the last mini ice age. as the bottom edges get thinner, it looks like it's receeding faster, but it's not, just at the same steady rate as always. Some areas get heavy snow, and the ice layer grows. Snowfall is never uniform over an area of say, 100o sq. miles, it can vary several feet, and drifing snow can pile it up several more, while eroding it from other areas.

[Atlantic Bridge]

You have to admit that where you ski and therefore notice are only the lower parts of these glaciers. Most people don't try ski from altitudes where it's hard to even get to, never mind breathe.

That of course is definitly true. Skiing in the Alps is restricted to a maximum of circa 3.700 meters (to my knowlege - I never cared too much over the actual height) over sea level although some mountains are much higher (Mont Blanc with roundabout 4800 m). Most skiing areas are below 3.000 meters.

The truth of the matter is, "scientists" are just a clueless now as they have ever been.

That might be true. As I said I do not belong to them and I have heared so many explanations to that phenomeon that I believe simply nothing.

[vigilante2]

boy this global warming is really causing havoc!

[aliquando]

I have never quite figured out the exact benefit of glaciers from an ecological point of view. Sure they look pretty and have made some nice lakes up north, but it is just a river of ice. Is there a keystone species that depends on glaciers?

[norwaypinesavage]

global warming is the ideal Bogey man. Any weather anywhere is proof of global warming.

[wildbill]

First it was nuclear winter, then just a few years later it's global warming, then predictions of a coming ice age.

Now this; global warming good for glaciers which hold most of our significant resources of fresh water which....

I CANT STAND ANY MORE OF THIS!

[Grendel9]

wHOA! Way too complicated for the Goretistas!

[cogitator]

Sure they look pretty and have made some nice lakes up north, but it is just a river of ice. Is there a keystone species that depends on glaciers?

Humans. A lot of areas, particularly in India, the high China plateau and South America, are dependent on glacier melt for rivers that supply their water resources.

I would expect that a lot of species in the rivers and feeder streams would be impacted by a reduction in glacier melt.

[aliquando]

This may sound picky, but once it melts it is no longer a glacier. I was thinking of just the solid state.

[boughtwithaprice]

Al Gore and John Kerry can use your money! Give them enough money, and they'll stop global warming! Stop those glaciers.

[cogitator]

I was thinking of just the solid state.

I'm pretty sure that there are only a few bacteria that actually live *in* glaciers.