Glacier Losing Huge Chunk of Ice

A Manhattan sized chunk of ice is about to break free from the largest glacier in the Arctic. This month researchers have descended on the Peterman Glacier, in Greenland, to witness what they believe will be a spectacular event – 5 billion tones of ice breaking free into the sea. Peterman’s huge ice tongue extends over the ocean and it is believed that warmer ocean currents, fueled by global warming, are responsible for the increase in ice flow.

The first signs of this unfolding event were documented last summer by Jason Box of Ohio State University. Box noticed an enormous crack in Peterman’s floating ice tongue, which acts like a giant conveyor belt carrying ice through the fjord and out to sea. The crack extended all the way across the fjord to the other side of the tongue, just over 9 miles. Understanding that this was a remarkable discovery, Box and associates have recently returned to Peterman aboard the Greenpeace research vessel the Arctic Sunrise .

The vessel is equipped with cameras and sensors needed to document the event which the team believes will occur within weeks. Since last year more than 10 cracks have opened up in the giant tongue, some more than 1600 feet wide. Of course ice regularly calves off Peterman’s tongue and is compensated for by snow falling at the top of the glacier. However the sheer size of this potential break, 5 billion tones of ice has researchers concerned. This is well over half the annual flow of ice and it would be occurring in a relative instant. The idea being that losing such a large chunk of ice would in effect uncork the bottle, allowing the ice to flow faster into the ocean and ultimately affecting sea levels.

Atlantis to Rescue Hubble and Inspire

IMAGE FROM NASA

NASA TV blurbs constant updates, “Going into AUX -101 puts the flight computers into flight-mode”. Images of orange suited technicians hurriedly taking pictures of the space shuttle Atlantis’ exterior, against the backdrop of enormous engines, seem oddly similar to images I just witnessed in the new Star Trek motion picture. Camera 35 shows the ‘ice team’ packing up their gear and getting ready to leave the launch pad. “T-minus ten minutes and counting and we are one minute away from our built in hold of 20 minutes.”

This is the 30th launch of Atlantis and it stands like a monument through the 20 minute built in hold, spewing gases out of its bulging fuel tank. The ice team is returning to evaluate images of ice that has formed on one of the umbilical connections to the shuttle. Shuttle launch control does not see this as a threat but they will examine the photos and run through scenarios to insure flight safety. After careful evaluation the shuttle launch control lifts the constraint on ice sighting its small size. With no more constraints the shuttle is ready to press on. Meanwhile the shuttle weather officer is keeping an eye on a cloud build up north of the pad, with just 7 minutes left in the hold. If the tops on the clouds reach 18,000 feet the launch will go from green to red.

The launch director now calls out each department to verify no constraints – with the check list complete the launch director calls out to the shuttle commander with a message that, “it’s a nice day to fly.” Scooter welcomes the news reminding all that this was a long time coming.

“T-minus seven minutes, seven minutes to launch.” The orbiter access arm is now pulling slowly away from Atlantis. All that tethers her to earth is the fuel cap atop the giant orange external fuel tank. T-minus three minutes, the main engines are now in their start position. The giant oxygen arm lifts off the fuel tank and slides away – the ship is now free. “One minute, thirty seconds.”

As the final count drones on NASA switches to a camera trained tightly on the shuttle engines. They almost appear anxious to me. There is a tension conveyed in the image of these powerful giants as sparks suddenly shoot underneath them from the sides. These mighty thrusters don’t have a sophisticated ignition system; rather its giant sparklers spraying glowing embers underneath them. The fuel releases into these angry fireflies and then, whooshes… Ignition… For a split second the engines shimmy, as they push against four and a half million pounds of weight atop them. Then, in a sight I never grow tired of seeing, this massive space ship lifts forcefully off the pad.

In eight and a half minutes this thundering machine reaches orbit. I watch each moment with both nervousness and exhilaration. When I was a just a kid, I believed that one day space would be accessible to everyone. Despite the formation of Virgin Galactic that dream has yet to be realized. Many people question the value of these dangerous and expensive missions. I on the other hand ask why not more? President Obama has asked for a reevaluation of the plan to scrap the shuttle and return to the old style rockets of the sixties and seventies. I say more power to him. We have to keep moving forward and somehow the new/old Orion crew capsule seems like a bad sci-fi flick from the 50’s.

Maybe my head is still in space, having thoroughly enjoyed the new Star Trek redo a couple days ago, but this shuttle launch is special for me. Atlantis is going to breathe new life into the Hubble Space Telescope. Without this mission Hubble would likely die and fall to earth. This school bus sized window to the universe has done more to inspire, with its beautiful images of the universe, than any other telescope on or off the planet. Our space program must continue to inspire all of us. This is our future and our survival depends on the science it delivers and, perhaps one day, on its ability to free human kind to travel the universe.

By Warren Hohmann

Arnold Links Wildfires to Global Warming

“Through global warming, we have now a fire season all year round,” Schwarzenegger said. “We used to have fire seasons only in the fall. But now the fire seasons start in February already.” With these words California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger ventured into uncharted territory on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos”; officially proclaiming a link between California’s unrelenting wildfires and the changing climate. The Governor has good reason to draw this conclusion because of mounting evidence that prolonged drought conditions, a hastening of the annual snow melt and other factors are clear markers of climate change in the West.

Extreme drought is not all that California has to deal with as a consequence of climate change; the oceans may pose the greatest threat to the State. According to a new report, "California Climate Risk and Response," written by UC Berkeley researchers Fredrich Kahrl and David Roland-Holst, 2.5 trillion dollars of California’s prized real estate is at risk due to rising sea levels and wildfires.

The Nation’s longest running sea level gauge is operated from Fort Point underneath the Golden Gate Bridge. Over the 20th Century this gauge showed a rise in sea level of seven inches. In the coming Century the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is predicting that global sea levels will rise by an additional seven to 23 inches. This could be devastating to the infrastructure, businesses, residents and wildlife habitats that make up California’s lengthy coastline.

On November 14, 2008 Governor Schwarzenegger signed Executive Order S-13-08 which directs a multi-agency response to study the potential impacts of climate change in California. In particular the State will ask the National Academy of Science to study the impacts of sea level rises on the California Coast.

“We have to adapt the way we work and plan in order to manage the impacts and challenges that California and our entire planet face from climate change,” said Schwarzenegger. “Given the serious threat of sea level rise to California’s water supply, population and our economy, it’s critically important that we make sure the state is prepared when heavy rains cause flooding and the potential for sea level rise increases in future years.”

By Warren Hohmann

Failing Grades for the Arctic

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued its annual Arctic report card and the results are startling. 2007 was the warmest year on record for the Arctic, a continuation of the Arctic-wide warming trend that began in the mid-1960’s. In fact the annual mean surface air temperature anomaly has nearly doubled from the Dust Bowl years of the 1930’s. Check out the NOAA graph I’ve included above. What jumps out at me is that, since the sixties, temperature anomalies crescendo upward; leaving behind any sort of semblance of normalcy visible in the first half of the century.

One item of particular note is the feedback loop that is now clearly showing in the data as this autumn’s Arctic temperatures are running 5 degrees C over normal. With record losses of summertime sea ice the last few years, solar heating of the open ocean is contributing to Arctic wide warming. Further the freeze-up of the ice now occurs later in the season which prevents it from thickening to historic levels and thus results in a faster melting in the spring – And there’s the loop. What we are witnessing clearly demonstrates the effects of global warming.

DOW PURGES 1.2 TRILLION DOLLARS TODAY

Today is the scariest day I have personally witnessed on Wall Street. I was fresh out of high school when the market plunged in 1987. Even though the percentage amount of the loss in 87' was higher than today, the fundamentals of the economy are much worse now. We are facing life changing times here in America. It's time to wake up to the reality that we are going to be affected by the continuing collapse of our economy and by the ineptitude of our leaders who have failed to take action in this darkest of hours.
By Warren Hohman

Summer Arctic Ice Second Lowest on Record

Arctic sea ice has apparently reached its 2008 summer minimum. On September 12th the National Snow and Ice Data Center recorded the ice at .52 million square kilometers (1.74 million square miles). This is the second lowest minimum, 150,000 square miles more than last years record setting low. Over the last few days the ice has started to refreeze in response to autumn's arrival.

The top three lowest sea ice events have occurred in the last five years. This underscores the dramatic changes that are taking place at the top of the world due to climate change. The record was set this summer despite the overall cooler conditions in the Arctic.

The NSIDC attains its measurements from imagery and microwave data from satellites maintained by NASA and the government of the United States. Since the satellite era began in 1979, this record is based on roughly 30 years of data.

By Warren Hohmann

Arctic Ocean - Yet?

With only five days left before the annual Arctic Sea ice minimum, I thought it would be appropriate to gaze into the future. On some not too distant mid September day this is the view we'll see as we traverse the Arctic Ocean. It may be 20 years from now or it may be in as little as 10 years, but the reality is now clear that one day there will be an open ocean at the top of the world.

August saw another record loss of Arctic ice. In a few days the National Snow and Ice Data Center will release its annual report as to the extent of this summer's sea ice minimum in the Arctic. As it stands 2008 will be the second lowest sea ice extent following the all time record holder 2007. There is still a chance that this year's ice will be the lowest yet. More to come...
By Warren Hohmann