Posted on 01/05/2014 11:51:32 AM PST by SeekAndFind
When last we left our heroes, they had successfully evacuated 52 global warming scientists from the MV Akademik Shokalskiy, a Russian ice breaker that was stranded by ice for 10 days. A Chinese ship, the Xue Long, used a helicopter to ferry the scientists — who still insist the Antarctic ice is melting due to global warming — to an Australian ice breaker that is now on the way back home.
But rather than get the girl and live happily ever after, the Chinese ice breaker itself has now become trapped by sea ice.
The Chinese ice-breaker that helped rescue passengers stranded on the Akademik Shokalskiy vessel in Antarctica may now itself be stuck.
An Australian ice-breaker carrying the rescued passengers has been placed on standby in case the Chinese ship, Xue Long, needs assistance.
On Thursday, a helicopter from Xue Long transferred 52 passengers from the Shokalskiy to the Aurora Australis.
The Shokalskiy has been trapped by thick floes of ice since 24 December.
“Xue Long notified Amsa [the Australian Maritime Safety Authority]… this afternoon [that] it has concerns about their ability to move through heavy ice in the area,” Amsa said in a statement.
“[Xue Long] will attempt to manoeuvre through the ice when tidal conditions are most suitable during the early hours of 4 January,” Amsa said, adding that there was no immediate danger to the crew on the Xue Long.
The Australian Aurora Australis has been asked to remain in open water nearby as a precautionary measure.
BBC reporter Andrew Luck-Baker is on board the Australian ship: “The irony of the situation is that the Xue Long was originally summoned to break a clear route through the pack ice to the smaller Russian vessel. That was not possible and the large icebreaker is now trapped itself.
“As a precautionary measure, the Australian icebreaker has been put on standby to assist the Xue Long, if needs be. All the vessels involved in this drama are within a sea area of East Antarctica that is claimed by Australia. Hence, the coordinating role lies with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.”
As a political joke, the idea of global warming scientists out to prove the shrinking Antarctic ice sheet becoming trapped is mildly amusing. But as a matter of science, looking at an infinitesimally small part of the ice sheet and basing any conclusions on how thick the ice is at that small section at a given point during a given time of the year is silly. The Antarctic ice sheet covers 4.5 million square miles and the local concentration of ice that covers a few dozen or even hundreds of miles is certainly not indicative of whether the entire ice sheet is growing, shrinking, or remaining constant.
That said, there doesn’t seem to be a good explanation for why part of the Antarctic ice sheet is shrinking and other parts are growing. The explanation for both cannot be global warming so there is obviously some dynamic about ice masses at work of which we are still in dark.
I don’t know whether the rescued scientists were interested in studying the problem with an open mind or whether they had braved the ice in order to advance a cause. We should rejoice that they are safe while, at the same time, allowing ourselves a chuckle at the superficial irony of seeing global warming scientists hoisted on their own petard, so to speak.
I thought it was a bunch of trust fund babies looking for an excuse to keep others from making money and to to party heartily to while trying to make themselves look and feel good, and to make people that work for a living look and feel bad?
There is something incredibly human about 52 global-warming scientists being trapped by sea ice and then being rescued by the Chinese - one of the, if not THE, top producers of pollution. Liberals, ever wont to enjoy irony, must be gleeful over this event.
I’m sorry, I’m not stopping laughing.
Who is PAYING for all this?
—
I challenge 60 minutes to investigate!
Send in Leslie Stahl, she knows cold.
Anybody notice this? While our heros in talk radio offer their schadenfreud sympathies on the on going episodes of the glow-bullshooters. Not one mentioned it’s supposed to be summertime down south. That includes Rush when offering their observations.
First Church of the Burning Planet
All one hundred and one crew members on board are safe and sound. And the ship is carrying sufficient supplies.
The Xuelong is stuck in pack ice up to four meters thick. It’s 21 kilometers away from clear waters. China’s Oceanic Administration has set up an emergency expert group which is consultation with the crew. The Xuelong is constantly sending back sea ice and tidal data.
(Source: CNTV.cn) "
Negative. Rush has mnade that point...several times.
Bbbrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Russian Built...China bought it..
It was a bunch of trust fund babies/Enviro Nuts looking for an excuse to keep others from making money and to party heartily too while trying to make themselves look and feel good, and to make people that work for a living look and feel bad?
Qu Tanzhou, director of the State Oceanic Administration's Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration, told Xinhua on Sunday that designs for the vessel were in the process after gaining official approval.
"The new icebreaker will be shorter and be equipped with blades both at the bow and the stern, which will be able to open ice 1.5 meters thick," said Qu.
Designed mainly for field research instead of transporting supplies, the new icebreaker will also have a better power system, larger decks and laboratories. It will be a "mobile research station," said Qu.
Put into use in 1994, the Ukraine-built Xuelong was designed for transporting supplies to China's research stations in the Antarctic. It can break ice that is 1.2 meters thick.
Xueying 12, a helicopter on board Xuelong, on Thursday successfully evacuated all 52 passengers aboard the Russian vessel MV Akademik Shokalskiy that had been stranded since Christmas Eve. The passengers were transferred to Australian icebreaker Aurora Australis. The Australian icebreaker had been sent to rescue the Russian ship.
After rescuing the passengers, Xuelong became stuck because of floating ice.
Xuelong is 66.65 degrees south latitude and 144.42 degrees east longitude. It is surrounded by sheets of ice up to four meters thick and is about 21 km away from unfrozen waters, according to the State Oceanic Administration.
China has sent a team to rescue Xuelong. There is no immediate danger to personnel aboard Xuelong, which is well stocked with food supplies and has enough fuel.
Zhang Jiansong, a Xinhua reporter, is aboard Xuelong. She said the blizzard on Sunday left the deck extremely slippery and people could hardly walk on it.
"Despite that, the Xuelong crew stay positive and have carried on experiments on board as scheduled," she said.
The U.S. Coast Guard will send its icebreaker Polar Star to assist Xuelong and the Russian vessel, Australian Maritime Safety Authority said Saturday.
Qu said the planned expedition by Xuelong will be altered once it is out of trouble. "
My pal Sam who was born in Hong Kong, was the best Chinese icebreaker I’d known at the parties we went to together. PARTEEE TIIIIIIME!
Dang! They had their choice of global warming or global cooling. I think I would have picked cooling because people seem to remember being extremely cold more than extremely hot. I think they tried climate change which would have given them both sides but it was too late, global warming is stuck in people’s head.
Thank God for fossil fuels
So the snow dragon is stuck in 4 meter thick ice.
4 meters equal 13.12 feet of ice.
In the Chinese logic, they plan to build a new ice breaker with blades able to chew through 1.5 meters of ice. That’s only 4.92 feet!
Looks like a monumental leap backwards.
“But as a matter of science, looking at an infinitesimally small part of the ice sheet and basing any conclusions on how thick the ice is at that small section at a given point during a given time of the year is silly”
Weellll...’as a matter of science’, Antarctic sea ice extent keeps hitting record highs:
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