The Warming Earth

[TonyM]

Curious, why is Antarctica such a high secure area? The claims are stated but it is unlikely there is an opportunity for independent confirmation. I recall one of our members working down there ....

O.W.

Most bases are in West Antarctica, due south from Chile. This new discovery was on the opposite side of the continent. Beyond that it is hard to get there and a tough place to work.

There will certainly be additional info coming pretty quickly, since this was a high profile discovery

[Oscar Wilde]

.... since this was a high profile discovery

My point is, you and I cain't charter a boat to deliver us on shore as we'd be intercepted well out to sea. So no first hand report by us to our fellow Tree dwellers that such is in fact the case.

Do ya 'spose all that military activity down there is of some impact on that environment?

Don't ya find it ... peculiar, that the folks soundin the alarm are the ones most guilty of the offending actions and for the foreseeable future will continue to do so but it is wee peasant peepses that will bear whatever burden the offenders dertimine the solution to be?

O.W.

[TonyM]

My point is, you and I cain't charter a boat to deliver us on shore as we'd be intercepted well out to sea. So no first hand report by us to our fellow Tree dwellers that such is in fact the case.

Do ya 'spose all that military activity down there is of some impact on that environment?

Don't ya find it ... peculiar, that the folks soundin the alarm are the ones most guilty of the offending actions and for the foreseeable future will continue to do so but it is wee peasant peepses that will bear whatever burden the offenders dertimine the solution to be?

O.W.

By treaty, Antarctica is demilitarized. Also it is a really big place -- area of 14 million km² (280,000 km² ice-free, 13.72 million km² ice covered). I doubt that anyone patrols the eastern side, but it is pretty hard to get there.

Here are a couple of articles that might interest you --

http://www.nature.com/news/lakes-und...garden-1.15729

http://www.livescience.com/21677-antarctica-facts.html

[TonyM]

West Antarctic Ice Shelf Breaking Up from the Inside Out

Researchers trace the origin of a 2015 iceberg to a crack that formed deep beneath the ice.

https://eos.org/research-spotlights/...the-inside-out

[breezy]

[TonyM]

In addition to being warmest year on record, 2016 also set a record for atmospheric moisture ("precipitable water" or PW in these charts). A symptom of climate change.

[TonyM]

Warming trend continues in waters off Atlantic Canada

Warmer ocean temperatures off Atlantic Canada continued in 2016,
maintaining a trend that started earlier this decade, according to
survey results from Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

On the Scotian Shelf off Nova Scotia, temperatures last year were as
high as three degrees above the 30-year average used to establish
climatic norms.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-s...ence-1.3922876

[Lenno]

GW fer sure! it's warmed up to +8 here!

[rlm1966]

I would really like some global warming down here. I don't like the cold and yet we are going to push record setting numbers the next couple of nights for lows.

[TonyM]

I would really like some global warming down here. I don't like the cold and yet we are going to push record setting numbers the next couple of nights for lows.

Recent daily temps from Barrow, Alaska compared to 30-year normal. Average this year is 12° above normal