Posted on 12/09/2016 12:32:12 PM PST by Lorianne
The fact that over 80 percent of a landmass, more than a fifth the size of the United States, is covered in ice and is still called Greenland has been a source of frequent puzzlement for many, who wonder at the misnomer. And while there is evidence that the worlds largest island (smaller than Australia, which counts as a continent) was greener in the past than it is now, a new study shows Greenland could have been completely ice-free 1.1 million years ago.
In the Pleistocene epoch, which lasted from approximately 2.59 million years ago to 11,700 years ago, there was a period of 280,000 years when there was no ice in Greenland, the study, led by Joerg Schaefer, a paleoclimatologist at Columbia Universitys Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, suggests. According to Schaefer and his co-authors, this period was between 1.4 million and 1.1 million years ago.
(Excerpt) Read more at ibtimes.com ...
“The Name GREENLAND wouldn’t be a SICK Viking joke any more.”
It wasn’t the first time. There was a substantial green zone back then - and, if memory serves, it was larger than the one there today.
It all goes in cycles. Yes, there is climate change. In cycles. The cycles will continue until there is no more Earth, with or without the help of humans.
I think when the Vikings discovered Greenland its climate roughly approximated what they were used to in Scandinavia & the Baltic. This meant it could support some “limited season” crops. After their initial (small!) colonization a long term cooling trend started (Actually I think it was already under way!) eventually forcing the colony to be abandoned roughly at the same time Columbus started his voyages
I'm mostly familiar with Mosel wine, as I lived in Traben-Trarbach during my tour in Germany. The reason why certain areas are in the most demand lies on the slopes the grapes are grown on. Over 2/3 of the grapes grown on the Mosel are on slopes greater than 60 degrees. Due to the sloping, the grapes get more sun. Of course, all the work is done by hand, can't use machinery on that steep a slope.
It's damn hard work.
Then it was good. This time it's bad.
(lib logic kills brain cells)
They're going to have a fun week coming up. 6-7 straight days of snow in the forecast.
[Greenland COULD HAVE BEEN completely ice-free 1.1 million years ago.]
And COULD go that way again.
Expert worthy of reading about? I think not.
Supposedly Iceland got it’s name from one really bad winter when the Vikings were first there.
Anyone ever considered the ice mass covering Greenland? The island, about one-fifth the area of the U.S. is covered by ~684,000 cubic miles of potential fresh water.
Recent analysis of an ice core revealed the total lack of ice present 1.1 million years ago. This brings into question long term stability of the ice pack.
As the loss of the ice cover would raise global sea levels 24 feet, perhaps the Danish government would be interested in remediation action to reduce the burden? Premium bottled glacier water anyone?
This is how Iceland and Greenland got their names.
“There’s a bit of ice here.”
“Okay, it’s Iceland.”
“There’s a bit of green here.”
“Okay, that’s Greenland.”
Then, they went further.
“There’s a grape on this bush, or maybe it’s not a grape, but it tastes okay.”
“Okay, this is Vinland.”
“How about that place with all the tall buildings?”
“Umm, that’s Brooklyn, we’re not gonna land there, trust me on this.”
“During the ice age, Chicago was buried under a mile of ice.”
Actually, there have been FOUR continent-scrubbing ice ages in the last HALF million years, and we’re on the downslope of this inter-glacial period.
Skoal!
OK, here I go. I’m no expert, but this is what I hear. You probably know it, too.
The earth does not orbit the sun in a circle, but has an elliptical orbit. Sometime the earth is closer and sometime farther from the sun. Then the earth itself tilts, so that sometimes the north pole is closer and sometimes the south pole is closer to the sun. Hence climate change.
That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take care of our environment.
Geologist, correct me?
And Ireland was full of ire.
I think about it all the time! I bet the land is flattened pretty bad from all that ice on top.
OH MY GOD!!! Quick!!! call my broker. Sell my ice futures!!!
Lol. :)
I guess Bedrock’s citizens driving ‘Flintmobiles’ caused it!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.