Posted on 10/20/2005 6:25:11 PM PDT by Pharmboy
Greenland's ice-cap has thickened slightly in recent years despite wide predictions of a thaw triggered by global warming, a team of scientists said on Thursday.
The 3,000-meter (9,842-feet) thick ice-cap is a key concern in debates about climate change because a total melt would raise world sea levels by about 7 meters. And a runaway thaw might slow the Gulf Stream that keeps the North Atlantic region warm.
But satellite measurements showed that more snowfall was falling and thickening the ice-cap, especially at high altitudes, according to the report in the journal Science.
Glaciers at sea level have been retreating fast because of a warming climate, making many other scientists believe the entire ice-cap was thinning.
"The overall ice thickness changes are ... approximately plus 5 cms (1.9 inches) a year or 54 cms (21.26 inches) over 11 years," according to the experts at Norwegian, Russian and U.S. institutes led by Ola Johannessen at the Mohn Sverdrup center for Global Ocean Studies and Operational Oceanography in Norway.
However, they said that the thickening seemed consistent with theories of global warming, blamed by most experts on a build-up of heat-trapping gases from (32.00F).
And the scientists said that the thickening of the ice-cap might be offset by a melting of glaciers around the fringes of Greenland. Satellite data was not good enough to measure the melt nearer sea level.
ICE SHEETS
Most models of global warming indicate that the Greenland ice might melt within thousands of years if warming continues.
Oceans would rise by about 70 meters if the far bigger ice-cap on Antarctica melted along with Greenland. Antarctica's vast size acts as a deep freeze likely to slow any melt of the southern continent.
The panel that advises the United Nations has predicted that global sea levels might rise by almost a meter by 2100 because of a warming climate.
Such a rise would swamp low-lying Pacific islands and warming could trigger more hurricanes, droughts, spread deserts and drive thousands of species to extinction.
Still, a separate study in Science on Thursday said sea levels were probably rising slightly because of a melt of ice sheets.
"Ice sheets now appear to be contributing modestly to sea level rise because warming has increased mass loss from coastal areas more than warming has increased mass gain from enhanced snowfall in cold central regions," it said.
"Greenland presently makes the largest contribution to sea level rise," according to the report by scientists led by Richard Alley of Pennsylvania State University in the United States.
tau·tol·o·gy
Pronunciation Key (tô-tl-j)
n. pl. tau·tol·o·gies
1.
1. Needless repetition of the same sense in different words; redundancy.
2. An instance of such repetition.
2. Logic. An empty or vacuous statement composed of simpler statements in a fashion that makes it logically true whether the simpler statements are factually true or false; for example, the statement Either it will rain tomorrow or it will not rain tomorrow.
I love the language used on FR.
Nice use of the word tautology, Dan
Greenland
Yes I have.
The name"Greenland" is one of history's great geographical scams, on par with calling the Caribbean the "West Indies." In 982, the good people of Iceland exiled Eric the Red. Eric sailed west towards some mountains visible from the top of Iceland's higher peaks. He found himself on the island now known as Greenland, and when his exile was over, he returned to Iceland to gather a group of settlers.......
So Leif had a mighty hard sales pitch convincing would-be settlers to spend the rest of their life there. He returned to Iceland with exaggerated stories of verdant shores, abundant fish, excellent farmland and an evocative name for this wonderland: Greenland. He rallied a group of settlers, and they ventured off to found a colony that lasted for 300 years— until it was done in by the combined effects of climatic cooling and Europe's bubonic plague.
from /gorp.away.com
Greenland's ice cap is thickening. It's because of millions of fast food outlets...the fumes from the grills get into the atmosphere and gather near the poles, causing the ice cap to suffer from obesity.
Eric the Red called it Greenland as a public relations stunt, hoping to attract settlers. The name Iceland for that island had discouraged settlement.
Some think we're coming out of one. They've got more theories than sense; but, need the best one so it doesn't look bad in light of the Evolution model lol.
How the heck does that happen?
I'm driving my SUV an extra 10 miles this weekend. Should keep Greenland in a deep freeze - eh?
your's is a tired response. Why keep posting the same thing thread after thread?
Yes...
Vineyards in England too...
The world was a warmer place a thousand years ago.
Follow the money - who owns most of the UN "carbon credits" and how much are they worth?
one of history's great geographical scams
Global warming is one of history's great sociological scams...
Yep, the little known fact about the battle of Hastings was the Norman cavalry in their Hummers. Harold didn't stand a chance.
Global warming is one of history's great sociological scams...
Double ditto there!
Anyone see South Park tonight? It was a take off on Global Warming and the "Day After Tomorrow". I think the episode was called "Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow". People were running panicked in the streets from an attack of Global Warming. They got in a jab at the global-warming-causing-cooling by having three guys venture out in heavy parkas, connected by ropes like they were climbing Mt Everest. When one guy overheated (it was a normal sunny day outside), the other blamed it on "feeling warm is the final stage of hypothermia". I've never watched SP before but this one really had me ROTFLOL.
Actually, it's too much listening to George Noory(sp?) and Art Bell. Dang those shadow people! Hehe.
Some think we're coming out of one. They've got more theories than sense; but, need the best one so it doesn't look bad in light of the Evolution model lol.
Hehe. Weather people are ALWAYS right you know:).
Because Bush has a lot of faults. He starts big earthquakes you know.:)
bookmark
When people get their heating bills this winter, they'll be wanting more global warming.
Lighten up, Francis.
Yep...I think I've finally got it. Thanks for your most succinct explanation. :)
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