New Report Points to Accelerated Melting, Longer Drought http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/24/AR200... Ice sheets in the Antarctic and Greenland, above, are losing 48 cubic miles per year, pushing up sea level worldwide. The United States faces the possibility of much more rapid climate change by the end of the century than previous studies have suggested, according to a new report led by the U.S. Geological Survey.
On Dec 25, 11:41 am, Ohio mark <[email protected]> wrote: > bwahahahahahahahahah do do some research murky. read some real > studies by some real scientists instead of the liberal propaganda you > subscribe to and you will find the overwhelming amount of scientists > do not believe in warming and instead have found the earth is > cooling. but you just prepare for the warming that will not be > coming, murky. fool > > On Dec 25, 11:34 am, "mike [never forget] 532" > > > > <[email protected]> wrote: > > call it the yellow snow if you want it is still global warming ! > > > On Dec 25, 10:09 am, Ohio mark <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > yep I just love a good science fiction story. and why have the scam > > > artists changed the name of their story from global warming, to > > > climate change? why is that? > > > > On Dec 25, 9:28 am, "mike [never forget] 532" > > > > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > have your mommy explain the difference between weather and climate . > > > > > On Dec 25, 9:13 am, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > Longer Drough??? > > > > > > I have rain water coming in my basment. TODAY. > > > > > > On Dec 25, 8:52 am, "mike [never forget] 532" > > > > > > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > Faster Climate Change Feared > > > > > > New Report Points to Accelerated Melting, Longer > > > > > > Droughthttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/24/AR200... > > > > > > Ice sheets in the Antarctic and Greenland, above, are losing 48 > > > > > > cubic > > > > > > miles per year, pushing up sea level worldwide. The United States > > > > > > faces the possibility of much more rapid climate change by the end > > > > > > of > > > > > > the century than previous studies have suggested, according to a new > > > > > > report led by the U.S. Geological Survey. > > > > > > > The survey -- which was commissioned by the U.S. Climate Change > > > > > > Science Program and issued this month -- expands on the 2007 > > > > > > findings > > > > > > of the United Nations Intergovernment Panel on Climate Change. > > > > > > Looking > > > > > > at factors such as rapid sea ice loss in the Arctic and prolonged > > > > > > drought in the Southwest, the new assessment suggests that earlier > > > > > > projections may have underestimated the climatic shifts that could > > > > > > take place by 2100. > > > > > > > However, the assessment also suggests that some other feared effects > > > > > > of global warming are not likely to occur by the end of the century, > > > > > > such as an abrupt release of methane from the seabed and permafrost > > > > > > or > > > > > > a shutdown of the Atlantic Ocean circulation system that brings warm > > > > > > water north and colder water south. But the report projects an > > > > > > amount > > > > > > of potential sea level rise during that period that may be greater > > > > > > than what other researchers have anticipated, as well as a shift to > > > > > > a > > > > > > more arid climate pattern in the Southwest by mid-century. > > > > > > > Thirty-two scientists from federal and non-federal institutions > > > > > > contributed to the report, which took nearly two years to complete. > > > > > > The Climate Change Science Program, which was established in 1990, > > > > > > coordinates the climate research of 13 different federal agencies. > > > > > > > Tom Armstrong, senior adviser for global change programs at USGS, > > > > > > said > > > > > > the report "shows how quickly the information is advancing" on > > > > > > potential climate shifts. The prospect of abrupt climate change, he > > > > > > said, "is one of those things that keeps people up at night, because > > > > > > it's a low-probability but high-risk scenario. It's unlikely to > > > > > > happen > > > > > > in our lifetimes, but if it were to occur, it would be life- > > > > > > changing." > > > > > > > In one of the report's most worrisome findings, the agency estimates > > > > > > that in light of recent ice sheet melting, global sea level rise > > > > > > could > > > > > > be as much as four feet by 2100. The IPCC had projected a sea level > > > > > > rise of no more than 1.5 feet by that time, but satellite data over > > > > > > the past two years show the world's major ice sheets are melting > > > > > > much > > > > > > more rapidly than previously thought. The Antarctic and Greenland > > > > > > ice > > > > > > sheets are now losing an average of 48 cubic miles of ice a year, > > > > > > equivalent to twice the amount of ice that exists in the Alps. > > > > > > > Konrad Steffen, who directs the Cooperative Institute for Research > > > > > > in > > > > > > Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado at Boulder and > > > > > > was lead author on the report's chapter on ice sheets, said the > > > > > > models > > > > > > the IPCC used did not factor in some of the dynamics that scientists > > > > > > now understand about ice sheet melting. Among other things, Steffen > > > > > > and his collaborators have identified a process of "lubrication," in > > > > > > which warmer ocean water gets in underneath coastal ice sheets and > > > > > > accelerates melting. > > > > > > > "This has to be put into models," said Steffen, who organized a > > > > > > conference last summer in St. Petersburg, Russia, as part of an > > > > > > effort > > > > > > to develop more sophisticated ice sheet models. "What we predicted > > > > > > is > > > > > > sea level rise will be higher, but I have to be honest, we cannot > > > > > > model it for 2100 yet." > > > > > > > Still, Armstrong said the report "does take a step forward from > > > > > > where > > > > > > the IPCC was," especially in terms of ice sheet melting. > > > > > > > Scientists also looked at the prospect of prolonged drought over the > > > > > > next 100 years. They said it is impossible to determine yet whether > > > > > > human activity is responsible for the drought the Southwestern > > > > > > United > > > > > > States has experienced over the past decade, but every indication > > > > > > suggests the region will become consistently drier in the next > > > > > > several > > > > > > decades. Richard Seager, a senior research scientist at Columbia > > > > > > University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, said that nearly all > > > > > > of > > > > > > the 24 computer models the group surveyed project the same climatic > > > > > > conditions for the North American Southwest, which includes Mexico. > > > > > > > "If the models are correct, it will transition in the coming years > > > > > > and > > > > > > decades to a more arid climate, and that transition is already > > > > > > underway," Seager said, adding that such conditions would probably > > > > > > include prolonged droughts lasting more than a decade. > > > > > > > The current models cover broad swaths of landscape, and Seager said > > > > > > scientists need to work on developing versions that can make > > > > > > projections on a much smaller scale. "That's what the water managers > > > > > > out there really need," he said. Current models "don't give them the > > > > > > hard numbers they need." > > > > > > > CONTINUED 1 2 Next >- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
