Expert: Arctic polar cap may disappear this summer

Oh look! The head of the Norwegian International Polar Year Secretariat says that the Arctic polar cap may disappear already this summer!


Photo: Lehmann Martin


Expert: Arctic polar cap may disappear this summer


If this is true, it's dramatic indeed. Thoughts?

i would think the effects of a complete meltdown would be a little more severe then what they are right now... Thats alot of cold water in a warm ocean.
just my 2 cents

That is a pretty sensational thing to say. I have never heard of "The head of the Norwegian International Polar Year Secretariat" so I wonder how "official" of a title that really is. Hey, it could be true but it seems like a pretty drastic thing to go on record with.

I believe he's looking at old data and doesn't know what is currently going on with the ice. Maybe I've been lied to and the ice hasn't reformed that thick this winter. At any rate, I don't think the ice is melting at a faster rate now since the northern hemisphere seems to be slighter colder. Maybe next year, the next solar cycle will be in full swing and it will be melting at a faster rate. The next solar cycle is supposed to be the strongest one yet I heard.

Reading these threads discussing global warming, global cooling is like a bunch of guys debating whether or not the stock market is going up or down based on only a few recent readings that indicate the contrary of what it has been doing.

I wouldn't put much faith in that article. It looks like media damage control to me. Look at this nonsense in the article..

According to a UN report last year, the world's average temperature could rise by as much as 6 degrees centigrade by the end of the century, causing serious harm to ecosystems worldwide.

There is absolutely no basis for it. Just more IPCC propaganda.

Check out how much ice has melted in the Arctic between 2005 and 2007.



Image: National Snow and Ice Data Center


And here's a Norwegian wiki entry on this guy. It seems like he should know what he's talking about.

Wikipedia: Olav Orheim (Norwegian wikipedia)

If you live in the keys or any other low lying area I'd suggest bail. In my humble opiion. Can you imagine a major antarctica shift? Studies have implied the consequences.


[edit on 3-3-2008 by jpm1602]

Olav Orheim was knighted last year. He recived the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav. (English wikipedia)


Source:
Olav Orheim utnevnt til ridder (in norwegian - July 2007)

Originally posted by Hellmutt
Check out how much ice has melted in the Arctic between 2005 and 2007.

Image: National Snow and Ice Data Center

 

thats insane, in 2 years it has melted by as much as a half, or maybe 3/5's

give it another warm summer and i have no doubts that there will be serious consiquenses. seeing as i live in a coastal basin, i think that such melting could cause some problems, depending on how rapid this situation could cause some real sea level transgression.
if this is happening in a similar pace down south then id say pack your bags and prepare to climb up hill, then buy some winter clothing.



[edit on 5-3-2008 by funny_pom]

One thing those images don't tell is when were they taken? Was one taken after winter and one before winter? And since the level has supposedly recovered after this winter I'd have to assume the image was from summer 2007. When was the 2005 image taken?

Rather cavalier of the important scientist to go throwing predictions around like that but at least he qualified his gamble with an "if".

Given global temperatures have declined significantly in the last 12 months and that solar activity is down the claim seems unlikely.

I added some pictures to my flicker web site with regard to this subject for people to view

One thought....earths "plates" ? will it effect the plates when or
if the ice/snow is gone?

www.flickr.com...

have the pictures tagged as earth,
Your Canadian Friend,
Sven

This news is alarming to say the least! But I can't see that it's going to be supported by any scientists whose source of income is dependent in any way by the government or big business... or both.

Afterall, did the gov't tell us about that highly contagious Ebola virus outbreak in Reston, Virgina back in 1989? Nope. And why not? This is just one example of how we should expect our gov't to react to potentially catastrophic news like this where millions of lives are at stake.

So the icecaps are melting... no big deal right?? I think NOT. Think about it.



[edit on 5-3-2008 by Palasheea]

Originally posted by svenglezz
I added some pictures to my flicker web site with regard to this subject for people to view

One thought....earths "plates" ? will it effect the plates when or
if the ice/snow is gone?

www.flickr.com...

have the pictures tagged as earth,
Your Canadian Friend,
Sven

its called isostacy (not sure on spelling) meaning that due to the loss of weight concentrated on a particular plate, it will rebound to form an equilibrium so that the plate is level with those around the rest of the planet.
im not sure how much effect this will actually have on the world, particularly on the sea level, but i dont think that it will be anything of any immediate concern. Eustcy (the change in sea level) will be of more concern as the caps melt

reply to post by Indy


Both images are from same time of the year, I believe it was in August.

I don't know about rest of the world I live in northern Europe & winters have gone really weird, no snow, warm & rainy. Nothing like this in 80's or 90's

STOCKHOLM, Sweden—Icebreakers sit idle in ports. Insects crawl out of forest hideouts. Daffodils sprout up from green lawns. Winter ended before it started in Europe's north, where record-high temperatures have people wondering whether it's a fluke or an ominous sign of a warming world. "It's the warmest winter ever" recorded, said John Ekwall of the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute.

www.mercurynews.com...

From what I hear, there's still a possibility that the North Pole will become ice-free this summer (for the first time ever). Scientists are "frightened" and "stunned" about what they see. This year's level of melting is 50% higher than last year, and last year was a record. They say if the melting rate doesn't decrease, the whole of Arctic will be ice-free within 2-3 years.



Nordpolen kan bli isfri i sommer (in Norwegian)

Hmmm. Something funny is happening to the arctic ice...


STOP PRESS - Vast Cracks Appear in Arctic Ice (by pause4thought)

If it does disappear, despite whatever catastrophes might result, this would be good for the shipping industry as long as Canada and Russia don't go to war.

I wish people would come to realize that climate change is a fact of life on earth. There were climate changes before humans evolved. There were climate changes after we evolved and there will continue to be climate changes even if it hare lips every cat in Georgia.

Adaptation is the key to life on earth. Adapt or die.

[edit on 2008/6/12 by GradyPhilpott]