speechlesstx
Jul 6, 2007, 09:36 AM
Man, this global warming thing sure is getting complicated...
DNA extracted from ice cores show that moths and butterflies were living in forests of spruce and pine (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6276576.stm) in the area between 450,000 and 800,000 years ago.
Writing in the journal Science, the researchers say they believe the DNAs are the oldest pure samples obtained.
The ice cores also suggest that the ice sheet is more resistant to warming than previously thought, the scientists say.
"We have shown for the first time that southern Greenland, which is currently hidden under more than 2km of ice, was once very different to the Greenland we see today," said Professor Eske Willerslev from the University of Copenhagen and one of the authors of the paper.
"What we've learned is that this part of the world was significantly warmer than most people thought," said Professor Martin Sharp from the University of Alberta and a co-author of the paper...
"If our data is correct, then this means that the southern Greenland ice cap is more stable than previously thought," said Professor Willerslev. "This may have implications for how the ice sheets respond to global warming."
All this ice we want to shield from a meltdown destroyed entire ecosystems teeming with plant and animal life, so why wouldn't we want Greenland to be lush and green again? Oh that's right, "a complete melt of the ice sheet would cause a global sea level rise of about 7m."
The article described the southern ice sheet in Greenland as "more resistant to warming than previously thought," "more stable than previously thought," and noted that "while some regions are thinning, others are apparently getting thicker." And yet, the BBC pointed out other recent findings:
Research by Australian scientists has suggested that a 3C rise in global temperatures would be enough to trigger the melting of the Greenland ice sheet.
In 2006, research conducted by researchers at Nasa suggested that the rate of melting of the giant ice sheet had tripled since 2004.
While in February 2006, researchers found that Greenland's glaciers were moving much faster than before, meaning that more of its ice was entering the sea.
And in 1996, Greenland was losing about 100 cubic km per year in mass from its ice sheet; by 2005, this had increased to about 220 cubic km.
A complete melt of the ice sheet would cause a global sea level rise of about 7m
So what's up with the ice in Greenland? Does anyone know? And here's a question, at these allegedly alarming rates of thawing, how much of that will contribute to sea levels and how much is lost to evaporation? And what would significant evaporation mean - more hurricanes, deserts turning green, no more water rationing in California - is that why there's so much flooding right now?
DNA extracted from ice cores show that moths and butterflies were living in forests of spruce and pine (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6276576.stm) in the area between 450,000 and 800,000 years ago.
Writing in the journal Science, the researchers say they believe the DNAs are the oldest pure samples obtained.
The ice cores also suggest that the ice sheet is more resistant to warming than previously thought, the scientists say.
"We have shown for the first time that southern Greenland, which is currently hidden under more than 2km of ice, was once very different to the Greenland we see today," said Professor Eske Willerslev from the University of Copenhagen and one of the authors of the paper.
"What we've learned is that this part of the world was significantly warmer than most people thought," said Professor Martin Sharp from the University of Alberta and a co-author of the paper...
"If our data is correct, then this means that the southern Greenland ice cap is more stable than previously thought," said Professor Willerslev. "This may have implications for how the ice sheets respond to global warming."
All this ice we want to shield from a meltdown destroyed entire ecosystems teeming with plant and animal life, so why wouldn't we want Greenland to be lush and green again? Oh that's right, "a complete melt of the ice sheet would cause a global sea level rise of about 7m."
The article described the southern ice sheet in Greenland as "more resistant to warming than previously thought," "more stable than previously thought," and noted that "while some regions are thinning, others are apparently getting thicker." And yet, the BBC pointed out other recent findings:
Research by Australian scientists has suggested that a 3C rise in global temperatures would be enough to trigger the melting of the Greenland ice sheet.
In 2006, research conducted by researchers at Nasa suggested that the rate of melting of the giant ice sheet had tripled since 2004.
While in February 2006, researchers found that Greenland's glaciers were moving much faster than before, meaning that more of its ice was entering the sea.
And in 1996, Greenland was losing about 100 cubic km per year in mass from its ice sheet; by 2005, this had increased to about 220 cubic km.
A complete melt of the ice sheet would cause a global sea level rise of about 7m
So what's up with the ice in Greenland? Does anyone know? And here's a question, at these allegedly alarming rates of thawing, how much of that will contribute to sea levels and how much is lost to evaporation? And what would significant evaporation mean - more hurricanes, deserts turning green, no more water rationing in California - is that why there's so much flooding right now?