March 20, 2008
1302 gmt
Arctic Ocean
Can't imagine why no one can get the EPA to act on the Polar Bears Threatened status, can you?
...Las Vegas-based Arctic Oil & Gas has raised eyebrows around the world with its roll-of-the-dice bid to lock up exclusive rights to extract oil and gas from rapidly melting areas of the central Arctic Ocean, currently beyond the territorial control of Canada, Russia and other polar nations....
This picture is from 1999 when there was still ice in the Arctic Ocean that supported Polar Bears with acceptable levels of body weight. 1999, only 9 short years ago and today the bears are facing the end of their habitat (click here).
Local Time: 6:08 AM AKDT
Lat/Lon: 58.8° N 137.0° W
Elevation :: 33 ft / 10 m
Gustavus, Alaska (Airport)
Time :: 1005 edt
Temperature :: 39 °F / 4 °C
Conditions :: Overcast
Windchill :: 32 °F / 0 °C
Humidity :: 61%
Dew Point :: 27 °F / -3 °C
Wind :: 10 mph / 17 km/h / 4.6 m/s from the ESE
Wind Gust :: 17 mph / 28 km/h / 7.7 m/s
Pressure :: 29.79 in / 1009 hPa (Steady)
Visibility :: 10.0 miles / 16.1 kilometers
UV :: 0 out of 16
Clouds:
Mostly Cloudy 4900 ft / 1493 m
Overcast 11000 ft / 3352 m
(Above Ground Level)
Arctic Ice, Glaciers Feeling The Heat From Global Warming (click at title of entry)
Washington (dbTechno) - According to scientists, it appears that Arctic ice and glaciers are really feeling the heat from global warming. They have discovered that there is a great deal of accelerated melting of glaciers, as well as the Arctic ocean ice.
NASA scientists have discovered that the Arctic ice, which is usually thick throughout the Arctic summer, has grown much thinner this year than ever before.
The scientists stated that in some parts it is already melting, before the winter even officially ends. Ice that is over two-years-old, perennial ice, now makes up only 30% of the Arctic ice, down from 60% 20 years ago.
It was reported that this ice is not likely to return either, with another major melt expected this summer.
This comes as scientists at the World Glacier Monitoring Service revealed that 30 major glaciers in the world are melting at a rapid pace. The researchers, from the University of Zurich in Switzerland, stated that the melting could lead to severe floods, and a decreased water supply.
The report on the glaciers is that the average rate of melting and thinning has more than doubled between 2004 and 2006. They looked at glaciers in Alaska, Antarctica, the Himalayas, and other areas of the world.
NASA scientists told reporters that the thicker perennial ice that is melting is scary, as it usually stays year after year without much decline.
Ice is st ill present, but it is all extremely thin and melting fast.
