Arctic Ice melting faster than predicted!

[andrewl]

The seasonal sea ice and permanent arctic ice is vanishing at an accelerating rate and scientists are starting to grasp what this means for the arctic ecosystem:

The melting ice poses different threats. Barber said the ice is full of toxic contaminants, which are released back into the environment when the ice melts. Wildlife in the Arctic is negatively impacted by the loss of ice and degraded habitat. Animals that live in the Arctic will also experience more competition for resources as species move north. And finally, the melting ice contributes to global warming, and while there was no prediction made as to when we might expect the Arctic to be mostly melted, the impacts will be apparent in the world long before most of the ice is lost. Barber said the warming of the Arctic influenced the jet stream, which then causes warm air to move further north.

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/287158

Remember a few years ago when the sea ice extent was supposed to last at least until the end of the century? Turns out it could be gone (in summers) very soon.

Here is a comparison of modeled prediction to observation:

http://www.skepticalscience.com/images/Arctic_models_obs.gif

http://skepticalscience.com/climate-models.htm

and here is the melting of the permanent multi-year ice:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m-M37vc-m0&feature=player_embedded


http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/bto/20090407/NASA_End_of_February_Arctic_Sea_Ice_Age_324804main _meierfig2_full_610x851.jpg
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10213891-54.html

Meanwhile less people believe any of this is actually happening. :shrug:

The disappearance of the seasonal arctic sea ice and the permanent ice has long been considered a possible climate tipping point by climate scientists. And its happening very very fast. Way faster than anybody imagined.

Andrew

[Michael]

One thing about the arctic warming up is that every time I look at this issue, it turns out that reality is much worse than our 'worst-case' prediction from five years ago.

I guess we have to drown out all the polar bears before anyone is going to notice and take the issue seriously. Even then I'm sure they will blame the extinction of polar bears on Innuit hunting - or the moratorium on the seal hunt or some such silliness.

[andrewl]

One thing about the arctic warming up is that every time I look at this issue, it turns out that reality is much worse than our 'worst-case' prediction from five years ago.

I guess we have to drown out all the polar bears before anyone is going to notice and take the issue seriously. Even then I'm sure they will blame the extinction of polar bears on Innuit hunting - or the moratorium on the seal hunt or some such silliness.

More likely they will just deny that there were ever any polar bears to begin with.

Andrew

[Michael]

Actually, I'm thinking that the polar bear's days are numbered because there just happens to be way too much potential profit in opening up the fabled Northwest Passage.

And less ice in the Arctic makes it easier to get at any oil/gas reserves buried up there.

With that much corporate profit in an ice-free Arctic, that doesn't bode well for the polar bears at all.

[andrewl]

Actually, I'm thinking that the polar bear's days are numbered because there just happens to be way too much potential profit in opening up the fabled Northwest Passage.

And less ice in the Arctic makes it easier to get at any oil/gas reserves buried up there.

With that much corporate profit in an ice-free Arctic, that doesn't bode well for the polar bears at all.


Very true. And its amazing to watch the oil industry fund AGW denial campaigns while at the same chomping at the bit profit off of AGW.

Andrew