Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: cogitator
The NASA study is based on only a few recent years. The Braithwaite study is based upon 50 years and appears more comprehensive since it is in situ and looks at temperature, precipitation, etc. effects on mass balance. The glaciers do not provide undisputed support for the surface temperature network.

The Greenland study is for only one glacier and is not a global indicator.

170 posted on 06/15/2002 6:51:36 AM PDT by Number_Cruncher
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 147 | View Replies ]


To: Number_Cruncher
The NASA study is based on only a few recent years. The Braithwaite study is based upon 50 years and appears more comprehensive since it is in situ and looks at temperature, precipitation, etc. effects on mass balance. The glaciers do not provide undisputed support for the surface temperature network.

Never said that they did. But I think you would probably concede that the response glaciers will have some lag time. I would propose (hoping that an actual researcher might follow up) that the glaciers are now responding to the accelerated warming that has been noted in the surface record since about 1980. I would also propose that the Braithwaite study, because if covers a 1945-1995, is going to be weighted heavily for the no-trend period, so any trend appearing near the end of the record will be hard to detect.

The Greenland study is for only one glacier and is not a global indicator.

It's the second largest ice cap in the world and it's in the high Arctic, where global warming models say the warming will be most intense. I think it bears watching. NASA is set to launch a laser altimeter satellite (Icesat) at the end of the year that is designed primarily to measure ice cap volume and changes. So we'll only have to wait 5 years or so for enough data to indicate a trend... (yawn)

178 posted on 06/17/2002 8:00:29 AM PDT by cogitator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 170 | View Replies ]

To: Number_Cruncher
Just thought you might like to read this:

Glaciers Melting at an Accelerated Pace

191 posted on 07/18/2002 11:45:47 AM PDT by cogitator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 170 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson