Posted on 10/14/2009 4:53:37 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
LONDON (AFP) – The Arctic ice cap will disappear completely in summer months within 20 to 30 years, a polar research team said as they presented findings from an expedition led by adventurer Pen Hadow.
It is likely to be largely ice-free during the warmer months within a decade, the experts added.
Veteran polar explorer Hadow and two other Britons went out on the Arctic ice cap for 73 days during the northern spring, taking more than 6,000 measurements and observations of the sea ice.
The raw data they collected from March to May has been analysed, producing some stark predictions about the state of the ice cap.
"The summer ice cover will completely vanish in 20 to 30 years but in less than that it will have considerably retreated," said Professor Peter Wadhams, head of the polar ocean physics group at Britain's prestigious Cambridge University.
"In about 10 years, the Arctic ice will be considered as open sea."
Starting off from northern Canada, Hadow, Martin Hartley and Ann Daniels skied over the ice cap to measure the thickness of the remaining ice, assessing its density and the depth of overlying snow, as well as taking weather and sea temperature readings.
Across their 450-kilometre (290 mile) route, the average thickness of the ice floes was 1.8 metres (six feet), while it was 4.8 metres when incorporating the compressed ridges of ice.
"An average thickness of 1.8 metres is typical of first year ice, which is more vulnerable in the summer. And the multi-year ice is shrinking back more rapidly," said Wadhams.
"It's a concrete example of global change in action.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
It’s going to snow tonight in parts of eastern PA.
October 14th!
In this undated image obatined from www.catlinarcticsurvey.com, British explorers Pen Hadow (R) and Ann Daniels cross a refrozen lead in the North Pole. The Arctic ice cap will disappear completely in summer months within 20 to 30 years, a polar research team said as they presented findings from an expedition led by adventurer Pen Hadow. (AFP/HO/File/Martin Hartley)
‘shovel ready’ are ye? ;-)
B, as in B.
S, as in S.
It looks like the great Northwest passage has finally been discovered. If only the great explorers were alive today, they would be hailed as prophets of global warming and enshrined in the leftist hall of fame.
20 or 30 years ago Florida was going to be under the same artic snowcaps.
An old story, that is disproved by this rapid freezing of the arctic ice cap this summer, earlier than in past years.
It’s always 30 years away. Just long enough to be unprovable.
Moving in on the Twin Cities tonight.
This will be our third measurable snowfall so far this month. Never before in recorded history.
NTSA!
I wonder if I could bet against this in Las Vegas?
Has the alleged ice melting been tracked with overall global temperature changes? Can a spell of warming that ended a decade ago take a while to show up in the Arctic ice, like an echo? Might the polar bears in the meantime find themselves comfortable on more southerly land areas that freeze well? (They are basically white versions of brown bears.) Being able to freely navigate the Arctic for a while might have its advantages for people in the meantime.
lol.
The ice is thicker than normal this summer.
these people know their scam is about up.
Hurry, because Las Vegas may be covered in ice by then!
Weren’t these people touting the coming “Ice Age” 30 years ago? Hmmm... must have lost their funding..... Had to start a new cult....
More open seas to hunt whale!
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