Posted on 09/01/2015 7:21:29 AM PDT by ilovesarah2012
A bitterly cold Alaskan summer has had surprising results. For the first time in the area's recorded history, area glaciers have begun to expand, rather than shrink. Summer temperatures, which were some 3 degrees below average, allowed record levels of winter snow to remain much longer, leading to the increase in glacial mass.
"In mid-June, I was surprised to see snow still at sea level in Prince William Sound", said glaciologist Bruce Molnia. "In general, the weather this summer was the worst I have seen in at least 20 years".
"On the Juneau Icefield, there was still 20 feet of new snow on the surface [in] late July. At Bering Glacier, a landslide I am studying [did] not become snow free until early August."
Molnia, who works for the US Geological Survey, said it's been a "long time" since area glaciers have seen a positive mass balance -- an increase in the total amount of ice they contain.
Since 1946, the USGS has maintained a research project measuring the state of Alaskan glaciers. This year saw records broken for most snow buildup. It was also the first time since any records began being that the glaciers did not shrink during the summer months.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailytech.com ...
D’OH!
So, it’s gonna be one of THOSE days...
thanks
Make that 13 million to one.
Closer to 0.04% these days, which makes it 0.0004 as a fraction of 100%!
Yes, almost nothing.
The Russians.
Some light reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_America
Russian trappers and traders were adventurous to say the least.
Mother Nature’s fault.
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