Scientists are Shocked at How Fast Ice is Melting in the Arctic: Could Lead to Major Climate Changes
Scientists are growing increasingly concerned about the pace at which ice is melting in the Arctic. They say that the record melt of the summer of 2012 is part of a lasting trend that has global implications. Norwegian researchers are saying that the sea ice is thinning, leading to the greatest thaw on record. Scientists began keeping the data 30 years ago.
The Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI)’s international director, Kim Holmen, said that the changes are shocking to her and other scientists.
“It is a greater change than we could even imagine 20 years ago, even 10 years ago,” Dr Holmen told the BBC. “And it has taken us by surprise and we must adjust our understanding of the system and we must adjust our science and we must adjust our feelings for the nature around us.”
Another scientist, Dr. Edmond Hansen, also said that he was shocked at the recent developments.
“As a scientist, I know that this is unprecedented in at least as much as 1,500 years. It is truly amazing – it is a huge dramatic change in the system,” he said. “This is not some short-lived phenomenon – this is an ongoing trend. You lose more and more ice and it is accelerating – you can just look at the graphs, the observations, and you can see what’s happening.”
Even conservative estimates predict that the Arctic could become free of ice by the summer of 2080. This reduction in sea ice can impact the jet stream, which is controlled by differences in temperature between the Tropics and the Arctic. This could lead to lasting climate changes in Europe and other continents as well.
“When the Arctic is ice free, it is not white anymore and it will absorb more sunlight and that change will influence wind systems and where the precipitation comes,” said Holmen. “For northern Europe it could mean much more precipitation, while southern Europe will become drier so there are large scale shifts across the entire continent.”
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An Inconvenient Truth……As well as President Obama making reference to global warming in his acceptance speech this past week…President Al Gore was right.
AMAZINGGRACE
September 8, 2012 at 3:10 pm
The ozone layer has been broken down, allowing more light from the sun.Water levels will rise everywhere, spilling over to land mass.
brotherscoe
September 8, 2012 at 9:14 pm
Armed conflict releases heat from explosives and gunfire. With the increase in the number of conflicts on top of the increase in industrialization of all countries the polar ice caps are bound to increase in rate of melting. Add to this the increase in the eruptions of volcanoes and the appearance of wildfires along with the testing of super weapons like H.A.A.R.P. and that which was assumed to be negligible to the global biosphere produces a cumulative effect of profound impact that cannot be ignored as we watch the ice melt with accelerated speed. We have destroyed forests on every continent and thereby have upended the the ability of the biosphere to purify the atmosphere and by the increase in particulate matter have induced global dimming and global warming. A perfect storm that increases deserts and decreases the ability to grow nutritious food. Basic cause and effect.
Samdromeda
September 9, 2012 at 3:49 pm