Posted on 03/30/2006 4:58:23 PM PST by haole
A new theory to explain global warming was revealed at a meeting at the University of Leicester (UK) and is being considered for publication in the journal "Science First Hand". The controversial theory has nothing to do with burning fossil fuels and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.
According to Vladimir Shaidurov of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the apparent rise in average global temperature recorded by scientists over the last hundred years or so could be due to atmospheric changes that are not connected to human emissions of carbon dioxide from the burning of natural gas and oil. Shaidurov explained how changes in the amount of ice crystals at high altitude could damage the layer of thin, high altitude clouds found in the mesosphere that reduce the amount of warming solar radiation reaching the earth's surface.
Shaidurov has used a detailed analysis of the mean temperature change by year for the last 140 years and explains that there was a slight decrease in temperature until the early twentieth century. This flies in the face of current global warming theories that blame a rise in temperature on rising carbon dioxide emissions since the start of the industrial revolution. Shaidurov, however, suggests that the rise, which began between 1906 and 1909, could have had a very different cause, which he believes was the massive Tunguska Event, which rocked a remote part of Siberia, northwest of Lake Baikal on the 30th June 1908.
The Tunguska Event, sometimes known as the Tungus Meteorite is thought to have resulted from an asteroid or comet entering the earth's atmosphere and exploding. The event released as much energy as fifteen one-megaton atomic bombs. As well as blasting an enormous amount of dust into the atmosphere, felling 60 million trees over an area of more than 2000 square kilometres. Shaidurov suggests that this explosion would have caused "considerable stirring of the high layers of atmosphere and change its structure." Such meteoric disruption was the trigger for the subsequent rise in global temperatures.
Global warming is thought to be caused by the "greenhouse effect". Energy from the sun reaches the earth's surface and warms it, without the greenhouse effect most of this energy is then lost as the heat radiates back into space. However, the presence of so-called greenhouse gases at high altitude absorb much of this energy and then radiate a proportion back towards the earth's surface. Causing temperatures to rise.
Many natural gases and some of those released by conventional power stations, vehicle and aircraft exhausts act as greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide, natural gas, or methane, and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are all potent greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide and methane are found naturally in the atmosphere, but it is the gradual rise in levels of these gases since the industrial revolution, and in particular the beginning of the twentieth century, that scientists have blamed for the gradual rise in recorded global temperature. Attempts to reverse global warming, such as the Kyoto Protocol, have centred on controlling and even reducing CO2 emissions.
However, the most potent greenhouse gas is water, explains Shaidurov and it is this compound on which his study focuses. According to Shaidurov, only small changes in the atmospheric levels of water, in the form of vapour and ice crystals can contribute to significant changes to the temperature of the earth's surface, which far outweighs the effects of carbon dioxide and other gases released by human activities. Just a rise of 1% of water vapour could raise the global average temperature of Earth's surface more then 4 degrees Celsius.
The role of water vapour in controlling our planet's temperature was hinted at almost 150 years ago by Irish scientist John Tyndall. Tyndall, who also provided an explanation as to why the sky is blue, explained the problem: "The strongest radiant heat absorber, is the most important gas controlling Earth's temperature. Without water vapour, he wrote, the Earth's surface would be 'held fast in the iron grip of frost'." Thin clouds at high altitude allow sunlight to reach the earth's surface, but reflect back radiated heat, acting as an insulating greenhouse layer.
Water vapour levels are even less within our control than CO2 levels. According to Andrew E. Dessler of the Texas A & M University writing in 'The Science and Politics of Global Climate Change', "Human activities do not control all greenhouse gases, however. The most powerful greenhouse gas in the atmosphere is water vapour, he says, "Human activities have little direct control over its atmospheric abundance, which is controlled instead by the worldwide balance between evaporation from the oceans and precipitation."
As such, Shaidurov has concluded that only an enormous natural phenomenon, such as an asteroid or comet impact or airburst, could seriously disturb atmospheric water levels, destroying persistent so-called 'silver', or noctilucent, clouds composed of ice crystals in the high altitude mesosphere (50 to 85km). The Tunguska Event was just such an event, and coincides with the period of time during which global temperatures appear to have been rising the most steadily - the twentieth century. There are many hypothetical mechanisms of how this mesosphere catastrophe might have occurred, and future research is needed to provide a definitive answer.
Source: University of Leicester
Styrofoam is a trade name of the Dow Chemical company. Styrofoam is extruded polystyrene. There is NO water used in the production of Styrofoam. There is some water (steam) used to produce expdanded polystyrene (bead board) but none in extruded polystyrene (Styrofoam).
I'm thinking about marketing a "detector" for that.
giggle.
I just know there would be people that would buy it.....
LOL. Are you seriously analyzing that post for technical correctness ?
He must work(ed) for Dow.
I have delivered some freight to Dow and I can tell you as a matter of fact that I saw an employee ingesting DHMO out of some sort of DHMO projection unit, so it must be used in the production to some extent.
I know a Dow executive and when I was at his house I know for a fact that DHMO was used in the preparation of my food.
;-)
It's especially curious that the leftist scum that propogate the "humans are the problem" approach know (KNOW!) that an asteroid (which many scientists believe hit the Gulf of Mexico/Yucatan Pen. area) was the cause of a "global event" that led to significantly lower global temperatures and the extinction of the dinosaurs.
It's a very real possiblity that a meteor or asteroid caused a notable amount of damage to the atmosphere. It's particular amusing that the "no nukes" crowd always cites damage to the earth's atmostphere (caused by testing and what not), but when presented the KNOWN event that is comparable to a mega nuclear bomb, they can't seem to fathom that it was that event, not my Jeep, that has triggered a warming trend.
And, that would be discounting some of the more recent studies that conclude that the Sun (the very star that warms this planet to begin with) is burning at it's hottest in the last 8,000 years.
Anyone with the most elementary understanding of physics can tell you if distance is constant and radiating heat increases, then core temperatures around that heat source will also rise.
As I have pointed out on several threads, you don't even need to "understand" any physics to discern this fact.
All you need is a slow burning fire, 4-5 logs and some lighter fluid. Stand 4 feet from the fire. Now throw the 4-5 logs on and pour on the fluid. Now, stand there.
What was the result? Well, outside of the very distinct possiblity of missing eyebrows, you will be hotter. There simply no way around that.
Now, back to Sun-Earth warming and apply the same. Sun burns hotter = Earth's core temperature will heat up. And, when the core temperature heats up, it is very likely to lead to other reactions (Newton and all).
And, if scientists are indeed alarmed, then maybe it is both of these theories and not my Jeep. Eh?
It is found in baby bottles. Yes, festus, tiny children baby bottles. Think of it!
I wonder if any of it can still be found in the river that runs through our city. (you know, the one they attempt to dye green -excuse me- lighter green, every year)
I really doubt there's any in that ditch. I've been by there and frankly I'd be surprised.
Now that I think about it though there might be some that hasn't yet evaporated from that little incident with the Dave Matthews Band's tour bus and that sight seeing cruise ;-)
No..no..no..no
Those guys really know what they are talking about...especially when they say things like, "the evidence is irrefutable...", "there can be no other conclusion!"
I'm not sure about everyone else but when I hear words like that, I just quit thinking.
No sense in questioning authority like that!
back to Jerry Springer and Oprah................
It's nothing to laugh about. Did you know that everyone who is exposed to even a small amount of Dihydro Monoxide eventually dies?
it is also responsible for the deaths in the mud slides in the philippines, and katrina.
it is amazing that they blamed freon, a very heavy molecule, for destroying the ozone layer. even the worst hurricane, could not launch chlroflouro-etc up into the ozone belt.
also, the amount of crap thrown into the atmosphere by Mt pinaturbo several years ago, was well over anything man could have done in several hundred years.....
it is amazing that they blamed freon, a very heavy molecule, for destroying the ozone layer. even the worst hurricane, could not launch chlroflouro-etc up into the ozone belt.
also, the amount of crap thrown into the atmosphere by Mt pinaturbo several years ago, was well over anything man could have done in several hundred years.....
Budt the vegies still claim it's all due to cow farts!
How does one measure climate changes over thousands of years?
It blew down how many trees? About 20 kt worth? Hmmmm.
interesting. listworthy?
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.