[Iowa-dx] Arctic Sea Ice Drops To 2nd Lowest Level On Record
IowaGreen Libris
iowagreenlibris@mail.org
Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:03:17 -0500
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Arctic Sea Ice Drops
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
To 2nd Lowest Level
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
On Record
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Wednesday, August 27, 2008 11:23:08 PMBy SETH BORENSTEIN and DAN JOLINGArct=
ic sea ice drops to 2nd lowest level on record
More ominous signs Wednesday have scientists saying that a global warming
"tipping point" in the Arctic seems to be happening before their eyes:
Sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is at its second lowest level in about 30
years.
The National Snow and Ice Data Center reported that sea ice in the Arctic
now covers about 2.03 million square miles. The lowest point since
satellite measurements began in 1979 was 1.65 million square miles set
last September.
With about three weeks left in the Arctic summer, this year could wind up
breaking that previous record, scientists said.
Arctic ice always melts in summer and refreezes in winter.
But over the years, more of the ice is lost to the sea with less of it
recovered in winter. While ice reflects the sun's heat, the open ocean
absorbs more heat and the melting accelerates warming in other parts of
the world.
Other News Photos
"The sky is falling... the sky is falling...lions and tigers and bears...
oh my!All these terrorist conspiracy theoriesabout global warming, it's
just sounbelievable! I don't believe it! I won'tbelieve it! Al Gore
would have us allgetting rid of our cars and riding horses!"
Sea ice also serves as primary habitat for threatened polar bears.
"We could very well be in that quick slide downward in terms of passing a
tipping point," said senior scientist Mark Serreze at the data center in
Boulder, Colo. "It's tipping now. We're seeing it happen now."
Within "five to less than 10 years," the Arctic could be free of sea ice
in the summer, said NASA ice scientist Jay Zwally.
"It also means that climate warming is also coming larger and faster than
the models are predicting and nobody's really taken into account that
change yet," he said.
Five climate scientists, four of them specialists on the Arctic, told The
Associated Press that it is fair to call what is happening in the Arctic
a "tipping point." NASA scientist James Hansen, who sounded the alarm
about global warming 20 years ago before Congress, said the sea ice melt
"is the best current example" of that.
Last year was an unusual year when wind currents and other weather
conditions coincided with global warming to worsen sea ice melt, Serreze
said. Scientists wondered if last year was an unusual event or the start
of a new and disturbing trend.
This year's results suggest the latter because the ice had recovered a
bit more than usual thanks to a somewhat cooler winter, Serreze said.
Then this month, when the melting rate usually slows, it sped up instead,
he said.
The most recent ice retreat primarily reflects melt in the Chukchi Sea
off Alaska's northwest coast and the East Siberian Sea off the coast of
eastern Russia, according to the center.
The Chukchi Sea is home to one of two populations of Alaska polar bears.
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<DIV>
<DIV>
<H1>Arctic Sea Ice Drops</H1>
<H1>To 2nd Lowest Level</H1>
<H1>On Record</H1>
<DIV class=3Ddate>Wednesday, August 27, 2008 11:23:08 PM</DIV>
<DIV class=3Dauthor>By SETH BORENSTEIN and DAN JOLING</DIV><A><IMG class=3D=
thumbnail3 title=3D"Arctic sea ice drops to 2nd lowest level on record" hei=
ght=3D120 alt=3D"Arctic sea ice drops to 2nd lowest level on record" src=3D=
"http://mi.vimg.net/darwin/cmsdb/images/APNews/financialnewsigtech/20080827=
/sci-arctic-ice-94ffd97a-4ef1-4e49-b06e-e2d0561f81f2_180x210.jpg" width=3D1=
80 align=3Dleft border=3D0></A>=20
<DIV class=3DKonaBody gbipq=3D"true">
<P>More ominous signs Wednesday have scientists saying that a global warmin=
g "tipping point" in the Arctic seems to be happening before their eyes: Se=
a ice in the Arctic Ocean is at its second lowest level in about 30 years.<=
/P>
<P>The National Snow and Ice <A class=3DkLink id=3DKonaLink1 href=3D"=
http://www.mail.com/Article.aspx?articlepath=3DAPNews\financialnewsigtech\2=
0080827\SCI-Arctic-Ice.xml&cat=3Dmoney&subcat=3Dfinancialnewsigtech=
&pageid=3D1#" target=3D_blank><FONT style=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: 400; FONT-SIZ=
E: 12px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif" color=3Dblue><SPAN class=
=3DkLink style=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: 400; FONT-SIZE: 12px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Hel=
vetica,sans-serif">Data </SPAN><SPAN class=3DkLink style=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: 40=
0; FONT-SIZE: 12px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">Center</SPAN><=
/FONT></A> reported that sea ice in the Arctic now covers about 2.03 millio=
n square miles. The lowest point since satellite measurements began in 1979=
was 1.65 million square miles set last September.</P>
<P>With about three weeks left in the Arctic summer, this year could wind u=
p breaking that previous record, scientists said.</P>
<P>Arctic ice always melts in summer and refreezes in winter. </P>
<P><SPAN id=3Dmorephoto>But over the years, more of the ice is lost to the =
sea with less of it recovered in winter. While ice reflects the sun's heat,=
the open ocean absorbs more heat and the melting accelerates warming in ot=
her parts of the world.</P>
<P>
<TABLE id=3Dmorephototable cellSpacing=3D0 cellPadding=3D0 border=3D0>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD class=3DapgTitle align=3Dleft width=3D176><FONT size=3D1><STRONG>Other =
News Photos</STRONG></FONT></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD align=3Dmiddle>
<DIV class=3DapgArrows><A class=3Dbuttonleftend id=3DArticle1_ArticlePhotoG=
allery1#leftButton target=3D_blank></A><A class=3Dbuttonright id=3DArticle1=
_ArticlePhotoGallery1#rightButton target=3D_blank></A></DIV></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD class=3DthumbnailContainer>
<DIV lang=3D~/xsl/Common/ArticlePhotoGallery.xsl id=3DArticle1_ArticlePhoto=
Gallery1_Ajaxxml1_div><A href=3D"http://www.mail.com/Article.aspx?articlepa=
th=3DAPNews\General-Business\20080827\Fannie-Freddie-Stocks.xml&cat=3Dm=
oney&subcat=3Dbusiness&pageid=3D1" target=3D_blank><IMG class=3Dthu=
mbnail title=3D"" height=3D117 alt=3D"" src=3D"http://mi.vimg.net/darwin/cm=
sdb/images/APNews/General-Business/20080827/fannie-freddie-stocks-b28ccb86-=
6aba-49ae-b036-00994b432d16_180xH.jpg" width=3D180 border=3D0></A>=20
<DIV class=3Dphotosmalldescription><FONT size=3D1><STRONG>"The sky is falli=
ng... the sky is falling...</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV class=3Dphotosmalldescription><FONT size=3D1><STRONG>lions and tigers =
and bears... oh my!</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV class=3Dphotosmalldescription><FONT size=3D1><STRONG>All these terrori=
st conspiracy theories</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV class=3Dphotosmalldescription><FONT size=3D1><STRONG>about global warm=
ing, it's just so</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV class=3Dphotosmalldescription><FONT size=3D1><STRONG>unbelievable!&nbs=
p; I don't believe it! I won't</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV class=3Dphotosmalldescription><FONT size=3D1><STRONG>believe it! =
Al Gore would have us all</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV class=3Dphotosmalldescription><FONT size=3D1><STRONG>getting rid of ou=
r cars and riding horses!"</STRONG></FONT>=20
<DIV id=3DArticle1_ArticlePhotoGallery1#TotalImages> </DIV> </DIV=
></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></P>
<P></SPAN>Sea ice also serves as primary habitat for threatened polar bears=
.</P>
<P>"We could very well be in that quick slide downward in terms of passing =
a tipping point," said senior scientist Mark Serreze at the data center in =
Boulder, Colo. "It's tipping now. We're seeing it happen now."</P>
<P>Within "five to less than 10 years," the Arctic could be free of sea ice=
in the summer, said NASA ice scientist Jay Zwally.</P>
<P>"It also means that climate warming is also coming larger and faster tha=
n the models are predicting and nobody's really taken into account that cha=
nge yet," he said.</P>
<P>Five climate scientists, four of them specialists on the Arctic, told Th=
e Associated Press that it is fair to call what is happening in the Arctic =
a "tipping point." NASA scientist James Hansen, who sounded the alarm about=
global warming 20 years ago before Congress, said the sea ice melt "is the=
best current example" of that.</P>
<P>Last year was an unusual year when wind currents and other weather condi=
tions coincided with global warming to worsen sea ice melt, Serreze said. S=
cientists wondered if last year was an unusual event or the start of a new =
and disturbing trend.</P>
<P>This year's results suggest the latter because the ice had recovered a b=
it more than usual thanks to a somewhat cooler winter, Serreze said. Then t=
his month, when the melting rate usually slows, it sped up instead, he said=
.</P>
<P>The most recent ice retreat primarily reflects melt in the Chukchi Sea o=
ff Alaska's northwest coast and the East Siberian Sea off the coast of east=
ern Russia, according to the center.</P>
<P>The Chukchi Sea is home to one of two populations of Alaska polar bears.=
<BR></P></DIV></DIV></DIV><BR>
--=20
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