Greenland Ice sheet melting down
For years, scientists
have studied the impact of global warming on the Greenland Ice sheets but now
on the ground researchers are documenting the full impact of the melting of
Greenland's ice sheet, one of the biggest and fastest-melting chunks of ice on
Earth ~ which could eventually increase sea levels by about 20 feet as well as
permanently alter the Gulf stream and effectively freeze Europe: Allen L
Roland, PhD
This summer in Greenland, these scientists set up their
camp on the ice, where they hoped to capture the first comprehensive
measurements of the rate of melting. See New York Times Interactive article
~ http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/10/27/world/greenland-is-melting-away.html?emc=edit_th_20151028&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=65700837&_r=0
Scene
from Day after Tomorrow
Michael T Klare,
Truthout explains this potential tipping point on October 28th, 2015 "Take
the disruption of the North Atlantic Current, the pivotal event in The Day
After Tomorrow. Essentially an extension of the Gulf Stream, that deep-sea
current carries relatively warm salty water from the South
Atlantic and the Caribbean to the northern reaches of the Atlantic. In the
process, it helps keep Europe warmer than it would otherwise be. Once its salty
water flows into sub-Arctic areas carried by this prolific stream, it gets
colder and heavier, sinks to lower depths, and starts a return trip to warmer
climes in the south where the whole process begins again.
So long
as this "global conveyor belt" - known to scientists as the
Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC - keeps functioning, the Gulf Stream will also
continue to bring warmer waters to the eastern United States and Europe. Should
it be disrupted, however, the whole system might break down, in which case the
Euro-Atlantic climate could turn colder and more storm-prone. Such a
disruption might occur if the vast Greenland ice sheet melts in a significant
way, as indeed is already beginning to
happen today, pouring large quantities of salt-free fresh water
into the Atlantic Ocean. Because of its lighter weight, this newly
introduced water will remain close to the surface, preventing the submergence
of salty water from the south and so effectively shutting down the conveyor
belt. Indeed, exactly this process now seems to be underway."
By all
accounts, 2015 is likely to wind up as the hottest year on record, with large
parts of the world suffering from severe heat waves and wildfires ~ which includes Greenland.
Could it be that the
global conveyor belt system is already being affected? Apparently so according
to Truthout ~
" a stretch of the North Atlantic below Iceland and Greenland
is experiencing all-time cold temperatures, according to the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. What explains this anomaly?
According to scientists from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
and Pennsylvania State University, among other institutions, the most likely explanation is the arrival in the area of cold water from
the Greenland ice sheet that is melting ever more rapidly thanks to climate change. Because
this meltwater starts out salt-free, it has remained near the surface and so,
as predicted, is slowing the northern advance of warmer water from the North
Atlantic Current."
"So far,
the AMOC has not suffered a dramatic shutdown, but it is slowing, and
scientists worry that a rapid increase in Greenland ice melt as the
Arctic continues to warm will pour ever more meltwater into the North Atlantic,
severely disrupting the conveyor system. That would, indeed, constitute a
major tipping point, with severe consequences for Europe and eastern
North America. Not only would Europe experience colder temperatures on an
otherwise warmer planet, but coastal North America could witness higher sea
levels than those predicted from climate change alone because the Gulf Stream tends to pull sea water away from the eastern US and push
it toward Europe. If it were to fail, rising sea levels could endanger cities like New York and
Boston. Indeed, scientists discovered that just such a slowing of the AMOC
helped produce a sea-level rise of four inches from New York to Newfoundland in 2009 and
2010."
How likely is this
tipping point to happen?
"In its
2014 report on the status of global warming, the IPCC indicated that the
likelihood of the AMOC collapsing before the end of this century remains
relatively low. But some studies suggest
that the conveyor system is already 15%-20% below normal with Greenland's
melting still in an early stage. Once that process switches into high gear, the
potential for the sort of breakdown that was once science fiction starts to look all too real." See full story ~
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/33156-welcome-to-a-new-planet-climate-change-tipping-points-and-the-fate-of-the-earth
This
is an important story so the world awaits the findings of the Greenland on- the- ground
researchers for their report could well effect the fate of the Earth.
“Men argue. Nature acts.”
~ Voltaire
~ Voltaire
Heart centered spiritual consultant and advisor Allen L Roland can be contacted at allen@allenroland.com Allen is also a lecturer and writer who shares a weekly political and social commentary on his web log and website allenroland.com. He is also featured columnist on Veterans Today and guest hosts a monthly national radio show TRUTHTALK on www.conscioustalk.net