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Certain Arctic lakes store more greenhouse gases than they release
National Science Foundation ^ | 7/16/2014 | NSF

Posted on 07/20/2014 11:20:52 AM PDT by JimSEA

New research, supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), counters a widely-held scientific view that thawing permafrost uniformly accelerates atmospheric warming, indicating instead that certain Arctic lakes store more greenhouse gases than they emit into the atmosphere.

The study, published this week in the journal Nature, focuses on thermokarst lakes, which occur as permafrost thaws and creates surface depressions that fill with melted fresh water, converting what was previously frozen land into lakes.

The research suggests that Arctic thermokarst lakes are "net climate coolers" when observed over longer, millennial, time scales.

"Until now, we've only thought of thermokarst lakes as positive contributors to climate warming," said lead researcher Katey Walter Anthony, associate research professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Institute of Northern Engineering. "It is true that they do warm climate by strong methane emissions when they first form, but on a longer-term scale, they switch to become climate coolers because they ultimately soak up more carbon from the atmosphere than they ever release."

(Excerpt) Read more at nsf.gov ...


TOPICS: Science; Weather
KEYWORDS: climate; warming
Accurate science is politically neutral. Another tenant of AGW which needs more study.
1 posted on 07/20/2014 11:20:52 AM PDT by JimSEA
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To: JimSEA

Let me get this straight!

Is this kinda like the more CO2 there is the more plants convert it back into more oxygen?

Kinda baffling.


2 posted on 07/20/2014 11:25:11 AM PDT by x1stcav (Leftism is like rust. It corrodes twenty-four hous a day.)
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To: JimSEA

Another nail in the AGW Coffin. There’s not one assertion by these leftist democrats that has not been torn to shreds when given outside scrutiny. NO ONE.


3 posted on 07/20/2014 11:25:28 AM PDT by spawn44 (MOO)
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To: JimSEA

Even more baffling is that though there may be genetic evolution among mammalians, could there have been evolution amongst the elements?

I think Adam Smith and his ‘invisible hand’ had a good guess on it.


4 posted on 07/20/2014 11:27:29 AM PDT by x1stcav (Leftism is like rust. It corrodes twenty-four hous a day.)
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To: spawn44

I will acknowledge that, in the melt phase, these lakes do give off a good amount of methane. However, over a short length of time, they become net carbon sinks.


5 posted on 07/20/2014 11:29:42 AM PDT by JimSEA
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To: JimSEA

The global warming crowd insists that increased levels of CO2 in the atmosphere are causing global warming, but now its called “climate change” so that the same CO2 can be blamed for any climate phenomenon including record setting cold. Hypocrite Al Gore who assured us that our coasts would soon be inundated by rising sea levels due to melting ice caps is enjoying his millions in a SEASIDE California mansion.


6 posted on 07/20/2014 11:40:58 AM PDT by The Great RJ
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To: spawn44
Another nail in the AGW Coffin.

The proper way to handle this is not to approach climate science with an open mind, weighing all the evidence carefully and not making overly broad predictions not justified by evidence. The proper way is to put opponents of AGW into re-education camps on 600 calories a day and working 12 hours a day, seven days a week. THAT is real science!

7 posted on 07/20/2014 11:42:49 AM PDT by 17th Miss Regt
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To: JimSEA

I have been convince by the incessant lies being exposed about global warming and man’s influence on it that all of the scientific community is just one big bunch of horse shit. Universities want to make money and publishing is key. So any crap that can be written down as a THEORY and passed off as “peer reviewed” research is hailed as facts until some other more powerful voice can get their crappier facts published.

The Universities must require courses In Carny Hucksterism so these eminent scientist can learn how to sell their horse shit as real facts. Just so long as the Grants and tenure keep coming.

I used to believe that the term political science was the study of politics. I know have a much better understanding of that phrase


8 posted on 07/20/2014 12:22:15 PM PDT by dirtymac (Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country)
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To: JimSEA

So there’s no fish in these things? What a waste of a body of water! Truck some in!


9 posted on 07/20/2014 1:43:15 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi - Revolution is a'brewin!!!)
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To: dirtymac

I only went to college for frat parties and beer rallies!

Oh Man, what did I miss out on?


10 posted on 07/20/2014 1:44:49 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi - Revolution is a'brewin!!!)
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To: All

Here is a clue, you rocket scientist’s.....like an RC cola, cold water will hold CO2 and when it warms the fizzy goes away.


11 posted on 07/20/2014 1:52:13 PM PDT by mylife
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To: dirtymac

The cure for bad science is good science. The Piltdown Man was an utter and complete fraud, a hoax. The hoax lasted because it “confirmed” the expectations of most scientists. It was finally and completely exposed as a fraud by scientists.

The global warming idea is not all fraudulent but the enforced conclusions and ridicule of non conforming studies is very unscientific, as you say it’s political.

It’s has been a valid observation that much of the Arctic had gotten warmer. Why, for how long, what does it mean and how long will it last, are all questions up in the air. Cooling back down seems to be happening. The climate is always changing, usually regional change, eventually global. Now that the Arctic is cooling off again and the Antarctic glacier melt is due to volcanic intrusion, at least in part, more work needs to be done. CO2 is a smaller part of the puzzle than previously thought.

Of course, the idea that Arctic warming might lead to more plant life and, thus, more CO2 adsorption seems to be obvious, at least as a possibility.


12 posted on 07/20/2014 2:16:57 PM PDT by JimSEA
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