Carbon dioxide at record high, stoking warming: WMO (click here)
...The WMO (World Meteorological Organization) said levels rose 0.53 percent from 2005 to 381.2 parts per million of the atmosphere, 36 percent above levels before the Industrial Revolution began in the 18th century.
Levels of nitrous oxide, the number three greenhouse gas produced by burning fuels and by industrial processes, also rose to a record with a 0.25 percent gain in 2006. Levels are 320 parts per billion, 19 percent above pre-industrial times....
Albedo - the reflective ability of 'snow/ice/glacier' to reflect solar radiation back to space.
The angles of cliffs of snow and ice do several things. They reflect light back to space to assist in the cooling of Earth, but, they also protect the glaciers and their underlying ice.
When wind and weather wear away the sharp angles or 'faces' of the glaciers that allows sunlight to disaffect the formation of snow/ice 'recharge.'
In this picture there is a lot of light. But, there is also a great deal of shadow. The shadowed areas are a far greater surface than the lighted surface. The reason is that the shadowed surfaces survive at the cost of the surfaces facing the sun. When that ratio changes the 'melt' becomes greater.
Glacier 'recharge' is a year long process. With temperatures high during the Southern Hemisphere Summer and heat transfers visiting now in the winter there is no 'residual' frigid air that provides ice and snow. Rain is not recharge, it is too warm to be recharge. When rain is delivered to the ice continent it causes melting. Same is true with drizzle and fog and other percipitation that is not a result of freezing temperatures. As a matter of fact, rain will smooth out edges and cause more exposure to the sun when the sun returns to the ice continent.
In other words, Antarctica and the Arctic Ocean have a 'heat balance' that equates to a year long concentration of frigid temperatures. When those temperatures, including the arrival of heat transfers from the Equator, swing the 'heat balance' above zero there is melting. The 'heat balance' of Antarctica is severely above zero regardless of its' current temperatures. Cumulatively, there is not enough 'frigid' temperatures to sustain the prolonged existance of the ice.
June 6, 2008
1200 PM
Antartica Wind Surface Satellite
The surface winds have increased considerably, with a surprising increase over the 3 mile high ice where the air is moving 'off shore.' The increased movement at the 3 mile altitude is due to the transfer of heat and the change in air mass with that heat. The arrival of that heat mass is noted in the vortex/jet stream below. The dissipation of the heat is increasing air movement.
The exception is over WAIS, where air is falling off the 'top ice' to the lower latitudes. Why is the continent dominated by 'on shore' air movement, because the velocity of the air movement coming on shore is greater than that moving 'off shore.' Therefore, the arriving air mass delivering heat to the continent is greater than the air movement of 'cooled' air into the East Wind Drift.
It is always better if the air movement of Antarctica is 'off shore' which would insure no arriving heat, but, only transfer of 'frigid air' to the East Wind Drift, which then radiates it to the West Wind Drift and the Circumpolar Ocean.
What is occurring now, is the arrival of heat 'on shore' in the southeast Antarctica shoreline to be cooled as it migrates across the continent, changing in density and mass. It then changes velocity and at a far slower rate than it arrived, exits the ice continent into the East Wind Drift creating sea ice rather than glacier recharge. The air is moving too fast to form 'recharge' and it is not cool enough.
December 10, 2007
1920 GMT
Antarctica
The frigid air mass of Antarctica was completely removed by a heat transfer event that was dissipated over the Antarctica ice and removed the frigid air from the continent. That threw the 'heat budget' of Antarctica into the positive side of melting. Will it recover? It is recovering, but, as long as the heat transfers continue and the snow and ice continue to be sublimed, the recovery will not occur to the extent it is needed to RETURN the continent back to its 'balance.' The continued degradation of the ice as exhibited by the recent disintegration of the Wilkins Ice Sheet (click here) clearing indicates the 'above zero' heat budget of Antarctica.
June 4, 2008
0721 gmt
Antarctica
The frigid air mass is reestablishing itself now that Winter is near in Antarctica. But, clearly the air mass over the top ice is diminished in mass from just 2 days of heat transfers from the Equator. The frigid mass is being displaced to the periphery where an accumulation of sea ice results. This clearly illustrates the observations in the "Slate" article.
June 6, 2008
1323 gmt
Antarctica
June 5, 2009
0600 gmt
Antarctica Jet Stream (click for animation)
Noted in the previous week, from May 30 through June 5, 2008 the regular and voluminous arrival of heat transfers over the top ice.
June 6, 2008
0600
Antartica (24 hour loop noted, missing 12 A, 3P and 6P)
The Warmest Reporting Stations
May 29, 2008
Base Esperanza, Antarctica
Local Time: 3:04 PM GMT
Lat/Lon: 63.4° S 57.0° W
Elevation :: 43 ft / 13 m
Temperature :: 38 °F / 3 °C
Conditions :: Scattered Clouds
Humidity :: 49%
Dew Point :: 26 °F / -4 °C
Wind :: 46 mph / 74 km/h from the West
Wind Gust :: -
Pressure :: 29.08 in / 985 hPa (Falling)
Visibility :: 9.0 miles / 15.0 kilometers
Clouds:
Few 886 ft / 270 m
(Above Ground Level)
June 6, 2008
Base Esperanza, Antarctica
Elevation :: 43 ft / 13 m
Temperature :: 0 °F / -18 °C
Clouds :: Scattered Clouds
Humidity :: 77%
Dew Point :: -4 °F / -20 °C
Wind :: 12 mph / 18 km/h from the SW
Wind Gust :: -
Pressure :: 29.89 in / 1012 hPa (Steady)
Visibility :: 6.0 miles / 10.0 kilometers
Clouds:
Few 4724 ft / 1440 m
(Above Ground Level)
The Coldest Reporting Stations
May 29, 2008
Amundsen-Scott, Antarctica
Local Time: 2:11 AM NZST on May 29, 2008
Lat/Lon: 90.0° S 0.0° E
Temperature :: -77 °F / -60 °C
Conditions :: Blowing Snow
Wind :: 10 mph / 17 km/h from the NE
Wind Gust :: -
Pressure :: in / hPa (Rising)
Visibility :: 1.0 miles / 1.6 kilometers
Clouds :: Few 1969 ft / 600 m
(Above Ground Level)
Elevation :: 9285 ft / 2830 m
June 6, 2008
Amundsen-Scott, Antarctica
Local Time: 11:18 PM NZST
Lat/Lon: 90.0° S 0.0 E
Temperature :: -86 °F / -65 °C
Conditions :: Clear
Wind :: 12 mph / 18 km/h from the East
Wind Gust :: -
Pressure :: in / hPa (Rising)
Visibility :: 7.0 miles / 11.0 kilometers
Clouds:
Few 5906 ft / 1800 m
(Above Ground Level)
Elevation :: 9285 ft / 2830 m
May 29, 2008
Vostok, Antarctica
Local Time: 8:08 PM VOST
Lat/Lon: 78.4° S 106.9° E
Temperature :: -84 °F / -64 °C
Conditions :: Heavy Blowing Snow
Humidity :: 43%
Dew Point :: -90 °F / -68 °C
Wind :: 18 mph / 30 km/h from the SW
Wind Gust :: -
Pressure :: in / hPa (Falling)
Visibility :: 0.0 miles / 0.5 kilometers
Elevation :: 11220 ft / 3420 m
June 6, 2009
Vostok, Antarctica
Local Time: 5:12 PM VOST
Lat/Lon: 78.4° S 106.9° E
Temperature :: -93 °F / -70 °C
Conditions :: Clear
Humidity :: 27%
Dew Point: :: -101 °F / -74 °C
Wind :: 14 mph / 22 km/h from the SSW
Wind Gust :: -
Pressure :: in / hPa (Rising)
Visibility :: 12.0 miles / 20.0 kilometers
Elevation :: 11220 ft / 3420 m
