Absolute Zero

Glaciers a canary in the coal mine of global warming


By Shelby Lin Erdman
CNN Radio


(CNN) -- U.S. scientists monitoring shrinking glaciers in Washington and Alaska reported this week that a major meltdown is under way.
The Gulcana glacier in Alaska is one of three glaciers considered a benchmark by the U.S. Geological Survey.





A 50-year government study found that the world's glaciers are melting at a rapid and alarming rate. The ongoing study is the latest in a series of reports that found glaciers worldwide are melting faster than anyone had predicted they would just a few years ago. It offers a clear indication of an accelerating climate change and warming earth, according to the authors.
Since 1959, the U.S. Geological Survey, which published the study on its Web site, has been tracking the movements of the South Cascade glacier in Washington and the Wolverine and Gulcana glaciers in Alaska. The three glaciers are considered "benchmarks" for the conditions of thousands of other glaciers because they're in different climate zones and at various elevations.

"These changes are taking place in Washington State and Alaska in three different climate regimes," said Edward Josberger, the lead researcher on the study with the USGS Washington Water Science Center in Tacoma, Washington. "So we feel it's definitely something going on, probably on a global scale, and of course, if you look at other such measurements around the world and put it all together, yes, glaciers are retreating and retreating rapidly."

In a telephone interview with CNN, Josberger called the unprecedented glacial melt the "canary in the coal mine."

The half-century record contains measurements of the amount of snow that has fallen on the glaciers each winter and on how much ice has melted off each summer. The data give scientists a sense of whether the glacier is getting more "healthy" or losing mass, Josberger said. They also indicate what's happening to mountain glaciers in other parts of the world, the scientist said.

"We feel it's definitely the signature of global change and climate warming," Josberger said.

The melt of glaciers is resulting in higher sea levels and affecting ecosystems and the rivers that emanate from these glaciers, Josberger said. "In terms of water supply available for people, Anchorage is fed by two glacially fed lakes. There are some very strong impacts that could happen."

The rate at which a glacier melts depends on its thickness and mass and, of course, on the temperature. Even small changes in temperature of only one to two degrees can have a significant impact on the environment, according the the National Weather Service.

"We've been using this 50-year record to interpret the changes or the response of glaciers to climate change," Josberger said. "Basically, in the past 10, 15 or 20 years these three glaciers are wasting away. The melting has far exceeded the amount of snow that falls on them in the winter, so they're retreating far up valley. And this retreat is taking place all over the Pacific Northwest and Alaska."

For example, Washington's South Cascade glacier has lost half its volume since 1960 and is predicted to lose half its current volume in 100 years.
And, if the canary analogy proves true, the ice retreat is likely occurring all over the world, too, he said.

Glacier melt will likely continue and, as it does, sea levels around the world are expected to continue rising. And that could affect people in low-lying coastal communities, forcing them from their homes and further inland, experts say.

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82CardsGrad

I'm not afraid... Obama can fix this too... Damn that George Bush.

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Dan H

"And, if the canary analogy proves true, the ice retreat is likely occurring all over the world, too, he said."

Interesting how they don't back that up with any data. Because the real data is for every glacier that is shrinking, there are others in other areas that are growing.

Lack of precipitation can cause glaciers to shrink as well - Kilimanjaro, for example, has been shrinking because of a drought in that part of Africa. Temperatures there haven't changed much.

Meanwhile much of America is having one of the milder summers in some time and our friend the sun just completed one of the quietest solar cycles since the 30's.

http://redicecreations.com/article.php?id=2659

“The last time this particular cycle regenerated was over 200 years ago. I call it the “Bi-Centennial Cycle” solar cycle. It took place between 1793 and 1830, the so-called Dalton Minimum, a period of extreme cold that resulted in what historian John D. Post called the ‘last great subsistence crisis.’ With that cold came massive crops losses, food riots, famine and disease. I believe this next climate change will be much stronger and has the potential to once more cause widespread crop losses globally with the resultant ill effects. The key difference for this next Bi-Centennial Cycle’s impact versus the last is that we will have over 8 billion mouths to feed in the next coldest years where as we had only 1 billion the last time. Among other effects like social and economic disruption, we are facing the real prospect of the ‘perfect storm of global food shortages’ in the next climate change. In answer to the question, everyone on the street will be affected.”

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"To take from one because it is thought that his own industry and that of his father's has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association--'the guarantee to every one of a free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it.'" - Thomas Jefferson

Absolute Zero

I would say lack of percipitation could be a sign of climate change as well, and a bad thing.

On a related point, we drove from West Colorado to Denver last Summer. Scenic Route. The devestation of the forests by pine beetles was amazing and extremely sad. They usually die out in the cold Winters, but it hasn't been getting cold enough for years now. Sights like this were typical on our drive:



http://ecoworldly.com/files/2009/07/...t_colorado.jpg

As for the mild Summer, we broke records for some of the hottest days on record here in Oregon and in Washington too I understand. The climate is changing no doubt about it.

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Dan H

The pine beetle situation is atrocious, particularly in the Routt National Forest. About a decade ago a windstorm blew down a huge number of trees. The Forest Service solicited offers from several lumber companies to go in and clean up the downed trees. The lumber company gets some trees, the Forest Service gets a mess cleaned up, works out for everyone. Some groups, including the Sierra Club, sued to keep the lumber companies from taking the trees out (note the trees were BLOWN DOWN and would eventually rot). It drug out in court long enough for the beetle population to explode on the smorgasbord and eventually move to the health portion of the forest. And let's not even talk about efforts to prevent the USDA from clearing dead brush out of National Parks as fire prevention.

I don't disagree that there's climate change and that man has some impact on it; I just don't think we are the end-all, be-all answer that many feel we are. I am very much a Teddy Roosevelt-type in my view of the outdoors, and I just flat can't stand the flat-out refusal by environmental interest groups to stand in the way of common sense conservation and management efforts.

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"To take from one because it is thought that his own industry and that of his father's has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association--'the guarantee to every one of a free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it.'" - Thomas Jefferson

CatBoxBackFan

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Absolute Zero

If you are in Blockbuster, consider picking up this new video "Home" that is out now that shows how we are systematically destroying our planet. http://videoeta.com/movie/114529 Whether you believe that we are s the cause of climate change or not, it is pretty disturbing.

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40yearfan

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Russ Smith

It is a sign of climate change, but not global warming. Lack of precipation is generally due to COOLING, not warming. Colder air has less water in it, that's why if you have a controlled environment like say a clean room, and the humidity is too low, you have to pump warmer air into the room, the air has more water in it.

In the case of Kilimanjaro the experts think it's deforestation, not warming, that is causing the ice loss. Forests at the base of the mountain are being cut down which has reduced the amount of water in the air that blows up and gets turned into rain or snow that falls on the glacier.

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conraddobler

Nope.

I appreciate you trying to cover for me but I'm afraid it's me.

I drive a truck, it pollutes the air, cause and effect.

I feel so ashamed, that is until I see videos of China, melting old computers spewing tons of acrid who knows what into the air to get the gold and silver out of them.

Also I have no control over the Sun but again I'm sure there is some way to make me feel guilty enough about that to sign on for Sun credits or something someone can make money off of.

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Dback Jon

Global warming can change wind patterns, leading to droughts.

It has NOT been a mild summer - record temps over Texas, the Pacific Northwest, etc.

But, one summer has little effect on glaciers. This is a longer term phenomena.

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nidan

What defines common sense ?

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In Wiz I trust

DogTv

40yearfan

nidan, I had a feeling you wouldn't know what common sense was.

Sorry, it was just too big of an opening to pass by.

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nidan

True enough one has to be a right wing conservative to understand common sense.

I really do understand that

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DogTv

conraddobler

How about we all just meet in the middle?

Instead of decrees from on high how about we all agree to do things that help the situation but just don't run around screaming we're all going to die!!!

See I want to get off oil because we import too much, that leads to nasty financial effects and thus our goals are the same.

So how about you and I agree that we streamline the process of approving Nukes for now, somehow, someway and agree that's better than oil?

I also am going to build one of these things for myself, but it's money that motivates me to do so, plus it looks like fun.

http://www.power4home.com/index.php?hop=ttinc1

The point is why does your government have to decree things?

We don't have to rely on something so huge to save us, it needs to be smaller and people need to take care of themselves, if you let them fail enough they'll get the hang of hanling daily life again, if you save them all the time they'll just continue doing stupid stuff and asking for saving.

Let them pancake on their face a time or two and they'll come out smarter for it.

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