Snows of Kilimanjaro Disappearing (faster rate reported)

TerraDaily ^ | 02/113/2006

[cogitator]

Not that this is new news, but it's an update. Things change.

[Semper Paratus]

"OHH NOO Mr. Bill that mean Mr. Bush is melting all the snow!"

[VaBthang4]

I care about this because...

[Pearls Before Swine]

"I care about this because..."

....humanitarian concerns aside, Kofi Annan and our government will surely want them to come here when the wells run dry.

[tertiary01]

Isn't Kilimanjaro a volcano? I would be looking for signs of renewed activity before jumping to possible false conclusions.

[Abathar]

The melting of the glaciers on Mt. Kilimanjaro is a simple, local event. The water came from the heavy humidity of forests that USE to surround the mountains, and updrafts brought it up and deposited on the peaks. Natives slash/burned the forests, so the water stopped rising. In this particular case it is 100% explainable and simple to reverse, replant the forests, don't cut them down, and eventually they will grow thicker again.

[jpl]

The snow all went to New York City over the weekend.

[Red Badger]

It's hot in Africa near the equator..........or so I've heard.....

[cogitator]

Isn't Kilimanjaro a volcano? I would be looking for signs of renewed activity before jumping to possible false conclusions.

That's not the problem. It's mainly a regional climate change phenomenon (another post here described that), perhaps a bit accelerated by higher global temperatures.

[cogitator]

I care about this because...

Because "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" are something that have existed through all of human recorded history, and are somewhat famous, and they may not be there in a few years, maybe?

[Hayzo]

I read your posts often. I believe to have a true concern and interest in global climate. I also believe you to be very knowledgeable on the topic without any true political agenda behind it.

I believe that are climate is getting warmer. But, like many on this forum, I have a hard time believing that these events and global warming as a whole is being accelerated by man.

Without going into a novel, what is your opinion of how man may be affecting the climate versus natural forces?

[parcel_of_rogues]

How soon we forget:

http://www.john-daly.com/press/press-01a.htm#kilimanjaro
About half way down the page are photos showin hardly any snow in 1971, a lot of snow in 1983 and little snow in 1997.

source pictures:
http://www.sharrock.com/safariscrapbook.htm

[tertiary01]

From that post it sounds like the snows of Kilimanjaro are DEPENDENT on the greenhouse effect.

[Heyworth]

Because "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" are something that have existed through all of human recorded history,

Which in the case of Kilimanjaro only extends to 1848, when a German missionary reported it.

[Stirner]

disappearing glaciers will "add to the heavy drought burden already facing those living near that mountain".

I think it's the other way around. The drought near the mountain is reducing the amount of snow at the peak. It's cold enough up there, but without adequate new snow, the existing pack will evaporate without melting (sublimation). When people read this story, they think "global warming", but even scientists who believe in global warming work with models that predict warming at higher latitudes, not at the equator.

[irishtenor]

I think the snow went to New York. Must be on vacation.

[Straight Vermonter]

You win the cigar, sir.

[boomop1]

Good, more water for crops.

[Dustbunny]

So what we need to do is instead of sending aid that seldom reaches those that truly need it we need to get to planting trees.

[Abathar]

In all honesty yes, it would help more than most things they get.
The problem is that some of the ice is so old that it could take thousands of years to replace what a few dozen years of melt can do. Basically the ice is formed by water picked up over the high humid forests, almost like lake effect snow is formed here. The natives have done so much damage to the forests that they better start getting their water from somewhere else when the glaciers completely melt, for mother nature it might be a blink of the eye to replace them but to Hajiji and his family it will be several lifetimes.