Wednesday, June 4, 2008

 

Thin Arctic Ice showing Signs of an Early Breakup

Arctic sea ice coverage May 2008, courtesy of the NSIDC.

The National Snow and Ice Data Center has just released their latest update (month of May) on the sea ice situation up in the Arctic. Here are some of the main highlights from their report.....

Arctic sea-ice situation

--Sea ice extent is below the long-term average.
--Sea ice extent is very close to the low levels seen in May 2007. (May 2008 extent was 0.11 million sq. miles greater than May 2007).
--Spring ice cover is thin.
--The average decline rate this May was 3000 sq. miles per day faster than May 2007.
--The average Arctic Ocean surface air temperatures in May were 1 to 3 degrees celsius (2 to 5 degrees F) above normal.
--Thin ice that covers the Arctic Ocean is showing signs of early breakup.
--There is a distinct lack of thick, resilient multi-year ice, but the thin ice is farther north than normal, which may make it less vunerable than if it was in its normal position.


Also, one particular scientist from my alma mater (Rutgers U.) has linked an increase in springtime clouds and water vapor over the Arctic during the past three decades to the retreat of the ice edge northwest of Alaska in the spring (clouds and water vapor act like a blanket). In the summer, this would have the opposite effect.

NASA Controversy


I couldn't pass this one up........

NASA's own Inspector General has concluded that NASA studies on global warming between 2004 and 2006 were deliberately "marginalized; or mischaracterized" by political appointees in NASA's Office of Public Affairs (press office).

From the report via the USA Today article........

While we could not substantiate that Administration officials employed outside NASA approved or disapproved or edited specific news releases, we do, however, find by a preponderance of the evidence that the claims of inappropriate political interference made by the climate change scientists and career Public Affairs Officers were more persuasive than the arguments of the senior Public Affairs officials that their actions were due to the volume and poor quality of the draft news releases.

Climate change scientists and a majority of career public affairs officers strongly believe the alleged actions taken by senior NASA Headquarters Office of Public Affairs officials (those political appointees) intended to portray NASA in a light most favorable to administration policies at the expence of reporting unfiltered research results. Those same political appointees deny those actions.

The IG report also found no evidence that senior NASA officials directed the Office of Public Affairs to minimize information regarding climate change.

Here is the link to the full IG investigative report.

Maybe Dr. Hansen will have something to say about this in the near future.

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