March 8, 2007

1303 gmt

THIS IS THE CLINCHER in some ways.

The Northern Hemispheric satellites have also been showing a trend of heating. If one compares all the other northern hemispheric satellites of the past week there is a definate increase in 'accumulation' of upper tropospheric heat.

That is significant to realize this is a global phenomena based in 'heat' saturation of the entire troposphere and not just the southern hemisphere. Earth indiscriminately accumulates 'gaseous' atmosphere and all it's characteristics, including heat, equitably. It's physics. Just that simple.

The oddly interesting aspect of this discovery is the fact we are entering Earth's equinox with the sun. Therefore, to find this occurrence 'globally' when Sol's radiation is traversing Earth equitably is to realize the enormity of Human Induced Global Warming as a global concern.

This directly translates into a political dialogue that includes all peoples, all nations to the concern of drastically reducing Greenhouse Gases. This is an issue of survival, not economy. Those that value economy over survival are highly immoral people with no regard or comprehension of what is important to life.

The USA must take leadership and also take the most drastic steps to reduce it's contribution to carbon dioxide emissions. If we do not do this, survival of most species on Earth will be in question.

I am anticipating a 'relief' to Antarctica, at least I am hoping for one, when Sol's radiation transitions to the Northern Hemisphere. I don't necessarily expect that to be the case.

The weather at Glacier Bay National Park is:

Temperature :: 36 °F / 2 °C

Conditions :: Partly Cloudy

Humidity :: 75%

Dew Point :: 28 °F / -2 °C

Wind :: 12 mph / 18 km/h / 5.1 m/s from the East

Wind Gust :: 17 mph / 28 km/h / 7.7 m/s

Pressure :: 29.24 in / 990 hPa

Windchill :: 28 °F / -2 °C

Visibility :: 10.0 miles / 16.1 kilometers

UV :: 0 out of 16

Clouds :: Few 2000 ft / 609 m
(Above Ground Level)

Carbon dioxide, no different than most gases, greenhouse or otherwise is densest in the troposphere

 

Carbon dioxide has a strong impact on climate, but water vapour determines weather conditions.

Troposphere (Surface air of Earth. It's biotic atmosphere.)

It is in this first layer that the atmosphere, in contact with the Earth, is the warmest. The Earth's surface captures the Sun's rays and becomes a radiating body that warms the air, setting it in motion by simple thermodynamic action.

This produces large-scale rising air currents that warm the upper levels, while moving gigantic volumes of air horizontally. These movements are what we call weather systems.

As a result, most weather activity occurs in this lowermost layer of the atmosphere, the great variety of phenomena that affect us from day to day all around the world.

The intense concentration of water vapour, associated with strong rising air currents, leads to clouds and precipitation, thunderstorms, hurricanes and tornadoes.

Just below the tropopause, the shear caused by the strong contrast between the troposphere and stratosphere generate the very powerful winds called jet streams, and gives them their sometimes complex structures.

These narrow and powerful streams of air, which originate only in the north of the Northern Hemisphere, are so influential that they are part of what is called the general circulation, that is the trajectory of the Earth's air masses.

Tropopause (Upper Troposphere)

The first thermal boundary. The tropopause marks the end of the biosphere and is the coldest part of the lower atmosphere.

The average altitude of this layer is about 11 km (36,000 feet). Above the poles, it is about 8 km (26,000 feet) from the surface, while at the equator is at about 18 km (59,000 feet).

The tropopause shifts according to temperature and is highest in summer. It changes altitude abruptly near the jet streams.

Click to animate

 

The 'heat intrusion' that exists over the Blue Ice of Antarctica is persistent. The reason is because it is coming down in density from above.

I once believed the 'heat' of Earth generated by Human Induced Global Warming would seek relief to the outside atmospheric layers of Earth in that the vortices carried the heat to the highest layers of Earth's troposphere. The vortices 'live' far higher than any weather pattern. They are hydrologic in nature. The vortices don't exist without water vapor.

However, knowing there are fewer and fewer gas molecules in the stratosphere, that 'theory/hope' might prove to be false. In other words, without sufficient gas molecules, primarily water vapor in my opinion, the dissipation of the heat of Human Induced Global Warming to the 'outer atmosphere' of Earth is impossible. I believe that is what I am witnessing now.

I believe this is an early warning to the 'trend' of heating of Earth. Carbon dioxide with it's accumulation in the troposphere has not only increased the temperature of the air surrounding Earth where the biotic environment exists, it has trapped it there.

As a result, the heat is saturating the troposphere from the top down. The additional heat people 'feel' from year to year. The increase in hurricane activity. The disruption of the biotic nature of Earth leading to species demise AT THE SURFACE is due to the reflective properties and radiant properties of land masses.

However, that is not all the story.

What is being neglected in estimating the demise of the biotic nature of Earth is the fact the radiant heat from the surface of Earth will eventually be met with the accumulated heat of the upper tropopshere. When that occurs there will be no relief from the heat and Earth's biotic surface will be too hostile to support life. If I were an Antarctica Scientist right now, I'd be sending weather balloons, capable of measuring temperatures and gas concentrations, high into the troposphere to record the change in 'average' temperatures at those altitudes. Quite frankly, I am sure they are doing exactly that, especially considering the vast expedition of science and scientists currently taking over Antarctica.

To discuss briefly the satellite picture below. There is only one place where a heat accumulation is occuring. Over the 3 mile high Blue Ice. There is grossly absent from that satellite any contributing 'offshore' sources of heat. There is some minor movement off southern South America, but, by in large considering the 'build up' of heat since the beginning of the week when I first noted it, there is not enough 'offshore' sources to justify the increase over the Blue Ice. It is coming in accumulation from above.

In other words, the 'first detections' of upper tropospheric heat accumulations are now being noted in temperature satellites.

I'll discuss this further on the satellite picture of the Northern Hemisphere but I want to record some temperatures first.

The coldest conditions in Antarctica today are:

Vostok with a noted warming trend of -50 degrees celcius. 35% humidity. Winds 12 mph / 18 kmph at 6:00 PM VOST (Vostok time) under Clear conditions.

The ‘temperate’ areas are increasing in number. Those areas are increasing drastically in temperature as well, but, I need to be careful here. The highest temperatures are in majority on the Peninsula. While that is unfortunate and wrong, it doesn’t speak to the phenomena being noted here. The peninsula temperatures are important to realize the ice shelves, at sea level are more threatened than not, but, that is another issue. Antarctica has many and varied what might be called ‘micro-environments’ but that isn’t exactly accurate either, because each ‘unique’ area of Antarctica still contributes to the biotic balance of the continent. So the ‘sectioned’ environments such as the Ross Ice Shelf vs. The Peninsula vs. the Blue Ice is important, however, Antarctica is ice. Frozen water. In many ways, what affects one section of Antarctica environment impacts all others.

So, I believe it will be better to settle on a few 'inland' stations of monitoring rather than 'any' station with the lowest temperature. But, to make that point I list the warmest station today as:

Base Esperanza with a temperature of 9 degree Celcius, a humidity of 24% and winds of 29 mph / 46 km/h at 12:00 PM GMT with Overcast Conditions.

As to 'other' inland conditions, I debated including several locations, but, that might prove to be confusing, so, I'll just make the note of my stalworth for years now, Scott Base. I'll just list it daily. See below:

 

 

March 8, 2007

1314 gmt

The Southern Hemisphere. It accumulation of heat over Antarctica caught my attention a few days ago. At first it made little sense as up to that point the heat intrusions on to the ice continent had always come from other 'surface' areas of Earth. In other words, Antarctica never received heat intrusions from any other sources except offshore. It never produced any of it's own because there is not the climate for that.

I had always kept in the back of my mind that one day if there was a continued heating of Earth, the upper troposphere could be like a reservoir for all that heat. I tended NOT to consider that a viable option as I thought the vortices so hard at moving air around Earth would also provide a source of dissipation to the stratosphere. (click on) Evidently, as it appears to me, that is not happening.

What I do believe is happening is discussed above in three entries.

Global warming putting polar bears at risk, Inslee says

 

"We cannot talk about this species without talking about global warming and its effect on the Arctic," Rep. Jay Inslee, D- Bainbridge Island, said in remarks prepared for a public hearing Monday night.

"Today, polar bears, a beloved American icon, are at risk," said Inslee, a member of the House Natural Resources Committee and a leading advocate of aggressive action on global warming.

A marine mammal, the polar bear is dependent on sea ice for survival. Yet as a result of climate change, "these magnificent creatures — which can swim at least 50 miles — have drowned and starved to death," Inslee said.

Memos Tell Officials How to Discuss Climate

 

I hesitated to put this entry on the blog because the other focus on the heat accumulating at the poles would be viewed by some as merely politics. It isn't. The heat accumlation is of real concern and brand new to the monitoring that takes place. It is just circumstantial this is occurring at the same time there is debate regarding Human Induced Global Warming in Alaska.

I don't really consider it a debate either. The citizens involved in the exploitation of oil in Alaska are very unhappy about the prospects of the Threatened/Endangered status of Polar Bears. There is no debate, the science is very clear and has been established since the beginning of time. Polar Bears live on sea ice. There isn't anything else to say.

When the sea ice disappears these animals disappear. The most hideous question that came out of the public hearings regarding the classification of Threatened/Endangered to the name Polar Bear, a marine mammal, went like this : "What if saving the sea ice doesn't save the Polar Bear ?"

Huh?

Where does that level of moronity come from? Do those speaking to allow the demise of Polar Bears to benefit oil exploitation actually think they add dignity to their argument by making those kind of statements? I am here to tell you they do not. They only prove how desperate their measures are.

Why would saving the sea ice NOT save the Polar Bears? The only reason that would occur is if the Polar Bears were genetically defective and unable to reproduce. We know that is not true. These animals are starving (see below). Starving is NOT genetically based and it would be a waste of precious scientific assets to even explore that idea. If there were genetic issues of viability with Polar Bears, scientists would have 'gone there' a long time ago. The picture below is profound. It shows a Polar Bear within it's habitat starving to death, losing all it's body mass/fat that protects it from the frigid waters of the Arctic Ocean. This Polar Bear, whom is probably dead since this picture, is standing where? On land? No. On sea ice.

The debate against the classification of Polar Bears as threatened/endangered is hideous and all those presenting any of it need to be ashamed for their desperation. Alaska has known for a long time that Human Induced Global Warming was an issue on Earth and particularly with the USA as the largest emitter of the deadly carbon dioxide levels now present in the troposphere. The USA alone has caused the struggle for survival currently being conducted on Earth of every species including humans. The USA is directly responsible for this catastrophic destruction of Earth's biota. It is responsible by emitting the largest and growing carbon dioxide load to the planet and it is responsible for 'outsourcing/exporting' carbon dioxide polluting economies.

The listing of Polar Bears as threatened or endangered is scientifically correct and needed for the survival of this species. There are areas of the habitat where Polar Bears are actually endangered and some areas where they are threatened. I believe the lesser option has been taken to begin a process that will hopefully roll back the most endangered of the habitat. They really should be listed as endangered for the 'habitat areas' where that is true.

It is time for the people of the USA to take ownership for it's very bad habits.

 

A starving Polar Bear in the Arctic Ocean. There are no Polar Bears anywhere else in the world. Polar Bears are unique to Arctic Ocean, no different than penguins are unique to Antarctica. There is no viable debate regarding the listing of Polar Bears as Threatened/Endangered.

The USA needs a climate policy to ensure the survival of this species and it needs to be forthcoming.

Money is the root of all evil it would seem.

The darnest thing is, the next great American economy lies ahead in the challenge and conversion of the energy and transportation sectors. It's just that 'old money' doesn't want to 'give it up.' As we have witnessed in Texas with the Governor's misguided proposal for coal fired plants, the wealthy have a hard time being weaned from their mother's milk.

Pity.

Polar Bears come before the destruction of a planet's biotic nature.