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Title: NASA Ice Satellite Maps Profound Polar Thinning Post by: DazzaMc on October 09, 2009, 03:53:59 pm NASA Ice Satellite Maps Profound Polar Thinning
Researchers have used NASA's Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) to compose the most comprehensive picture of changing glaciers along the coast of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. The new elevation maps show that all latitudes of the Greenland ice sheet are affected by dynamic thinning - the loss of ice due to accelerated ice flow to the ocean. The maps also show surprising, extensive thinning in Antarctica, affecting the ice sheet far inland. The study, led by Hamish Pritchard of the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge, England, was published September 24 in Nature. ICESat's precise laser altimetry instrument, launched in 2003, has provided a high-density web of elevation measurements repeated year after year across the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. With the dense coverage, the research team could distinguish which changes were caused by fast-flowing ice and which had other causes, such as melt. The maps confirm that the profound ice sheet thinning of recent years stems from fast-flowing glaciers that empty into the sea. This was particularly the case in West Antarctica, where the Pine Island Glacier was found to be thinning between 2003 and 2007 by as much as 6 meters per year. In Greenland, fast-flowing glaciers were shown to thin by an average of nearly 0.9 meters per year. http://www.terradaily.com/reports/NASA_Ice_Satellite_Maps_Profound_Polar_Thinning_999.html Title: Re: NASA Ice Satellite Maps Profound Polar Thinning Post by: robman on October 09, 2009, 07:21:41 pm the most comprehensive picture of changing glaciers along the coast of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets.
This infers that this is a map which is far more accurate than previous maps, and new to boot. So how can they make any comparison to older, less accurate maps? Title: Re: NASA Ice Satellite Maps Profound Polar Thinning Post by: DazzaMc on October 09, 2009, 07:42:51 pm Ok - I can see your point - "accurate" I think is a key word in your post.
So... if there were 2-3 "accurate" pictures showing the same end 'result' you would change your tone? ;) Title: Re: NASA Ice Satellite Maps Profound Polar Thinning Post by: robman on October 09, 2009, 09:16:42 pm After about 500 years of data from the same method of measurement, a trend might begin to appear...
Title: Re: NASA Ice Satellite Maps Profound Polar Thinning Post by: DazzaMc on October 10, 2009, 01:28:57 pm I think much less than that - I think 5-10 years and you'd start to get a handle on it.
In 500 years time (and at this rate) there will be little left to measure! :) Title: Re: NASA Ice Satellite Maps Profound Polar Thinning Post by: robman on October 12, 2009, 07:16:56 pm 5-10 years to recognise a trend in climate cycles that run for thousands of years??
Not very scientific.. Title: Re: NASA Ice Satellite Maps Profound Polar Thinning Post by: Sir Blodsnogger on October 29, 2009, 04:10:20 am As expected another dazza the duffer statement that has no bearing on reality. Pull your head in dazza |