North Pole Waters Will Soon Be Ice Free New Report Says

Sunday, January 30th 2011 - 21:24 UTC

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The north Atlantic current flowing in to the Arctic Ocean is warmer that it has been for at least 2000 years and is a sign that global warming is likely to bring ice free seas around the North Pole in a few years time, a new study finds Read full article

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briton
To cold to comment ,
Jan 30th, 2011 - 09:57 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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GeoffWard
The reducing albedo with the loss of ice is what's called a positive feedback system - ie. it accelerates as it progresses.
Only specific types of cloud-cover can reduce the rate of acceleration; other types of cloud-cover make it worse!

So thick arctic ice will thin, and its extent will show an accelerating decrease. This will make the ocean and its arctic perifery significantly warmer, melting the permafrost on shore and in the shallow marine coastal zone. This allows 'bog' methane held as clathrates (hydrates) to be released to the atmosphere in huge amounts.
Methane is a long-term greenhouse gas - much more dangerous than CO2 per se.

Global warming accelerating -

- *really* scary stuff.
Jan 31st, 2011 - 03:11 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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Think
Not to mention the slowdown of the thermohaline circulation………
That would cool the British haughtiness a bit………
Jan 31st, 2011 - 03:25 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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GeoffWard
If the Atlantic Conveyor was switched off because there was too little temperature diferential between low/high and deep/shallow circulations the whole of temperate Europe would get cold like Labrador-NY.
Jan 31st, 2011 - 07:40 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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Think
Ermmm....

Don't you mean Labrador-NF. ?
Jan 31st, 2011 - 08:23 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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GeoffWard
Labrador to New York State ... the Lab. cold N->S circulation
Jan 31st, 2011 - 10:14 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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