M***@kymhorsell.com
2018-12-05 20:03:17 UTC
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2018-12-06/greenland-ice-sheet-melting-accelerating/10581980>
Greenland's ice sheet melting rate is accelerating, scientists confirm
Nick Kilvert, environment reporter
05 Dec 2018 19:10Z
ABC Science
[image] Ice melts in front of a glacier face.
Researchers used ice-core data spanning more than 350 years. (Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution: Matt Osman)
To say it's been a bad year for climate change news is an understatement.
Key points:
* Greenland melting rate has been up to 5 times greater in last 20
years than pre-industrial rates
* Melting is following an exponential trajectory where small
temperature increases equal much greater melt rates
* The Greenland ice sheet holds enough water to raise sea levels 7 metres
Both the UN Environment and the Intergovtal Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) sounded the alarm over the dire climate trajectory we're
on, and the huge efforts needed to limit warming to 2 degrees Celsius
above pre-industrial levels.
And in June, research published in Nature pointed to a tripling of the
rate of melting of the Antarctic ice sheet over the last 5 years.
Now, new research published in Nature today has confirmed a similar
trend is occurring in the Greenland ice sheet.
Researchers used ice cores to create a 350 year continuous analysis of
the melting rate of ice in central west Greenland.
An ice core is a sample taken from an ice pack with a hollow drill,
revealing a cross-section that effectively looks back in time, a bit
like the rings of a tree.
[image] An ice core viewed from the bottom.
Ice cores like this one revealed the melting rates of Greenland's ice
sheet over 100s of years. (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution:
Sarah Das)
They found that over the last 20 years, the rate of melting has been
as much as 5 times as high as pre-industrial melt rates, and that
the rate of melting is increasing, according to researcher Luke Trusel
from Rowan University in the United States.
"The main conclusion that we found is that it's now melting more in
recent decades than any time in the last 4 centuries, and probably
more than any time in the last 7 to 8 1000 years," Dr
Trusel said.
"That change that we've seen in the last 2 decades is unmistakable."
According to their ice core samples, 2012 was "unambiguously" the most
intense melt year on record in Greenland.
An increased rate of melting was detected in the ice cores beginning
in the mid-1800s, which was around the same time as the onset of
industrial-era Arctic warming.
But it was only during the 1970s that the melting clearly breached the
natural range of variability.
In other words, we expect to see some differences in melting between
years, but during the 1970s that melting occurred on a scale beyond
what could possibly be explained by a fluctuation around a stable
average of ice cover. Over 7 metres of sea-level rise locked in
Greenland ice sheet
Significantly, they've confirmed that the increasing melting rate is
following an exponential trajectory, caused by positive feedbacks like
the albedo effect, according to Dr Trusel.
The albedo effect describes the phenomenon where dark surfaces absorb
more heat than reflective white surfaces like ice and snow.
As ice melts, the darker ground beneath absorbs more energy from the
sun, which causes even more melting - creating a feedback loop.
"The response of the ice sheet to a warming climate is not linear," Dr
Trusel said.
"What that means practically is that, say we have half a degree of
warming today, that would produce twice as much or more melting than
half a degree that occurred sometime in the past."
Most previous research has used satellite observations and computer
modelling to calculate the rate of melting in Greenland.
This new research has allowed scientists to cross-reference their
satellite observations against physical ice cores, according to Dr
Trusel.
"A lot of our understanding of how [the Greenland ice sheet] is
changing today comes from satellite observations, which are excellent
but give only a limited view," he said.
Being able to trace melting rates back 350 years is a particular
strength of this latest research, according to Matt King from UTAS,
who wasn't involved in this study.
"We haven't had a widespread assessment, certainly going back this far
almost to the time of Shakespeare," Prof King said.
"From these type of measurements we can learn a lot about how fast
things are changing in Greenland."
And understanding how fast the ice sheet is melting is crucial for us
to prepare for the impact of rising sea levels in the future,
according to Prof King.
According to this year's IPCC report, warming of between 1.5C and 2C
locks in the eventual total deglaciation of Greenland.
This means that eventually, the Greenland ice sheet will cause oceans
around the world to rise by an average of more than 7 metres.
...
--
Economic effects of climate change in Alaska
Climate change could be costing Alaska around $340-700m a year -
0.6-1.3% of its gross domestic product (GDP). The largest economic
effects are associated with costs to prevent damage, relocate, and
replace infrastructure threatened by permafrost thaw, sea level rise,
and coastal erosion, the research finds. "This significant, but
relatively modest net economic effect for Alaska as a whole obscures
large regional disparities, as rural communities face large projected
costs while more southerly urban residents experience net gains," the
authors say.
-- Weather, Climate, and Society
Maersk pledges to cut carbon emissions to zero by 2050
Richard Milne, Financial Times
On climate, the facts and law are against Trump
Richard L Revesz, New York Times
China to launch renewable power quota system by year-end
David Stanway, Reuters
Australian mining giants 'may be breaking law' by ignoring climate
change risks
Ben Smee, The Guardian
Qatar's OPEC exit signals intensifying energy competition beyond oil
Amy Myers Jaffe, Axios
Hotter world threatens the breadbasket of the US
Gregory Meyer, Financial Times
Why are people still living in the western US with the constant threat
of climate change?
Cally Carswell, Vox
Can we grow more food on less land? We'll have to, a new study finds
Brad Plumer, New York Times
Norway to heavily restrict palm oils linked to deforestation
Josh Gabbatiss, The Independent
The Arctic: we don't know as much about environmental change in the
far north as we'd like to think
Hakin Abdi and Daniel Metcalfe, The Conversation
Heavy rains and hurricanes clear a path for supercharged mold
Erik Vance, Scientific American
Imperial Beach, California, sues fossil-fuel companies over sea-level rise
Sarah Kennedy, Yale Climate Connections
China says 3 regions failed to meet energy efficiency targets last year
David Stanway, Reuters
Labor backs Greens plan to block Coalition from underwriting coal power
Katharine Murphy, The Guardian
'Human-caused' climate change is causing sea levels to rise unevenly
Joe Pinkstone, Mail Online
Collin Allen @command_tab 05 Dec 2018 04:20Z
When you copy the pixels containing "President Donald J. Trump" from one
place in the Flynn filing and overlay them on the redacted headline further
down, it sure fits *perfectly* # pic.twitter.com/oW7v6NALV1
<Loading Image...
>
Twitter Users Hilariously Fill In The Blanks In Heavily Redacted Mueller Docs
HuffPost, 05 Dec 2018 08:51Z
The court filings released by the office of special counsel Robert Mueller
on Tue raised more questions than answers. The heavily redacted document
urge ...
Newsweek @Newsweek 05 Dec 2018 10:11Z
Trump lawyer Giuliani says Mueller team "don't have bupkis" despite Flynn
cooperation bit.ly/2RwcLSx pic.twitter.com/Cki8SokRdN
<Loading Image...
:small>
Barclays customers 'to leave en masse' over tar sands investment
The Guardian, 05 Dec 2018 10:52Z
Thousands of Barclays customers have threatened to switch to another bank
unless it ends investment in pipelines for oil from tar sands, dubbed the
"dirtiest fuel ...
Exclusive: Emails of top NRCC officials stolen in major 2018 hack
POLITICO, 05 Dec 2018
The House GOP campaign arm suffered a major hack during the 2018 midterm
campaigns, exposing 1000s of sensitive emails to an outside intruder, ...
In wake of NRCC hack, Trump's hacking talking point turns awkward
Vox, 05 Dec 2018
President Donald Trump's talking point blaming Democrats for cyberattacks
against them during the 2016 presidential election suddenly became awkward
after ...
The 'holy grail' for cancer diagnostics? Australian researchers claim
breakthrough in new study
USA TODAY, 05 Dec 2018
Australian scientists have developed a simple blood test that they claim can
diagnose cancer in mere minutes by identifying a unique DNA signature
present in ...
University of Queensland team devises universal test for cancer
Medical Device Network, 05 Dec 2018 10:57Z
Researchers at University of Queensland have devised a new diagnostic test
that can identify presence of tumour in the body based on a DNA nanostructure.
Deepwater residents find homes safe amid charred wasteland
ABC News, 05 Dec 2018 11:06Z
Residents of the central Queensland community of Deepwater are relieved
their homes have been saved, but are distraught at the devastation in the
local national park, which has been heavily hit by bushfire.
Arrest warrants issued for top Saudi officials over Khashoggi killing
ABC News, 05 Dec 2018 13:06Z
Istanbul's chief prosecutor files warrants for the arrest of a top aide to
Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler and the deputy head of its foreign
intelligence agency on suspicion of planning the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.
84 suspected mafia members arrested in raids across 4 European countries
ABC News, 05 Dec 2018 13:50Z
Hundreds of police in Germany, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands launch a
coordinated sting to bring in dozens of members of the 'Ndrangheta criminal
group - a powerful branch of the Italian mafia - while seizing $3.1 mn,
cocaine and ecstasy tablets.
Liberal Party donor issues legal threat to minister over sensitive wetlands
development
ABC News, 06 Dec 2018
The former federal environment minister rejects critical advice from his own
department that a $1.4 bn development on protected wetlands being
proposed by a major Liberal party donor was "clearly unacceptable",
documents obtained under Freedom of Information show.
The Italian town where the air is lethal
ABC News, 06 Dec 2018
Italy's faltering economy and booming corruption problem has cruelled the
opportunity to save a whole city from some of the worst industrial pollution
in Europe.
Researchers confirm Greenland ice sheet melt is accelerating as tipping
point looms
ABC News, 06 Dec 2018
Scientists using ice core samples to examine the rate of melting of the
Greenland ice sheet have confirmed that it's melting up to 5 times faster
than pre-industrial rates, and accelerating.
Snakes ruin traditional Christmas tree preparation
ABC South East NSW, 05 Dec 2018 19:40Z
Staff at a family-run Christmas tree farm are struggling to maintain their
yuletide spirit as an inundation of deadly brown snakes leads to untended
trees and dangers to browsing visitors.
Putin warns of new arms race if US abandons nuclear missiles treaty
ABC News, 05 Dec 2018 19:52Z
Russian President Vladimir Putin warns the United States that if it follows
through on a threat to walk out of a key arms treaty and starts developing
the type of missiles banned by it, Russia will do the same.
Gazprom Nov Gas Flows to Europe down YoY
Natural Gas World, 04 Dec 2018 10:31Z
In Nov, for once, Gazprom decreased its volume sold directly through
Nord Stream (-6.4% vs Oct) to the EU in favour of increased ...
Gazprom PAO
MCX: GAZP - 5 Dec, 10:27 am GMT+3
161.67 RUB -2.53 (1.54%) *** down 1.5% ***
Royal Dutch Shell Plc
ETR: R6C - 5 Dec, 2:47 pm GMT+1
26.59 EUR -0.54 (1.99%) *** down 2% ***
Greenland's ice sheet melting rate is accelerating, scientists confirm
Nick Kilvert, environment reporter
05 Dec 2018 19:10Z
ABC Science
[image] Ice melts in front of a glacier face.
Researchers used ice-core data spanning more than 350 years. (Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution: Matt Osman)
To say it's been a bad year for climate change news is an understatement.
Key points:
* Greenland melting rate has been up to 5 times greater in last 20
years than pre-industrial rates
* Melting is following an exponential trajectory where small
temperature increases equal much greater melt rates
* The Greenland ice sheet holds enough water to raise sea levels 7 metres
Both the UN Environment and the Intergovtal Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) sounded the alarm over the dire climate trajectory we're
on, and the huge efforts needed to limit warming to 2 degrees Celsius
above pre-industrial levels.
And in June, research published in Nature pointed to a tripling of the
rate of melting of the Antarctic ice sheet over the last 5 years.
Now, new research published in Nature today has confirmed a similar
trend is occurring in the Greenland ice sheet.
Researchers used ice cores to create a 350 year continuous analysis of
the melting rate of ice in central west Greenland.
An ice core is a sample taken from an ice pack with a hollow drill,
revealing a cross-section that effectively looks back in time, a bit
like the rings of a tree.
[image] An ice core viewed from the bottom.
Ice cores like this one revealed the melting rates of Greenland's ice
sheet over 100s of years. (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution:
Sarah Das)
They found that over the last 20 years, the rate of melting has been
as much as 5 times as high as pre-industrial melt rates, and that
the rate of melting is increasing, according to researcher Luke Trusel
from Rowan University in the United States.
"The main conclusion that we found is that it's now melting more in
recent decades than any time in the last 4 centuries, and probably
more than any time in the last 7 to 8 1000 years," Dr
Trusel said.
"That change that we've seen in the last 2 decades is unmistakable."
According to their ice core samples, 2012 was "unambiguously" the most
intense melt year on record in Greenland.
An increased rate of melting was detected in the ice cores beginning
in the mid-1800s, which was around the same time as the onset of
industrial-era Arctic warming.
But it was only during the 1970s that the melting clearly breached the
natural range of variability.
In other words, we expect to see some differences in melting between
years, but during the 1970s that melting occurred on a scale beyond
what could possibly be explained by a fluctuation around a stable
average of ice cover. Over 7 metres of sea-level rise locked in
Greenland ice sheet
Significantly, they've confirmed that the increasing melting rate is
following an exponential trajectory, caused by positive feedbacks like
the albedo effect, according to Dr Trusel.
The albedo effect describes the phenomenon where dark surfaces absorb
more heat than reflective white surfaces like ice and snow.
As ice melts, the darker ground beneath absorbs more energy from the
sun, which causes even more melting - creating a feedback loop.
"The response of the ice sheet to a warming climate is not linear," Dr
Trusel said.
"What that means practically is that, say we have half a degree of
warming today, that would produce twice as much or more melting than
half a degree that occurred sometime in the past."
Most previous research has used satellite observations and computer
modelling to calculate the rate of melting in Greenland.
This new research has allowed scientists to cross-reference their
satellite observations against physical ice cores, according to Dr
Trusel.
"A lot of our understanding of how [the Greenland ice sheet] is
changing today comes from satellite observations, which are excellent
but give only a limited view," he said.
Being able to trace melting rates back 350 years is a particular
strength of this latest research, according to Matt King from UTAS,
who wasn't involved in this study.
"We haven't had a widespread assessment, certainly going back this far
almost to the time of Shakespeare," Prof King said.
"From these type of measurements we can learn a lot about how fast
things are changing in Greenland."
And understanding how fast the ice sheet is melting is crucial for us
to prepare for the impact of rising sea levels in the future,
according to Prof King.
According to this year's IPCC report, warming of between 1.5C and 2C
locks in the eventual total deglaciation of Greenland.
This means that eventually, the Greenland ice sheet will cause oceans
around the world to rise by an average of more than 7 metres.
...
--
Economic effects of climate change in Alaska
Climate change could be costing Alaska around $340-700m a year -
0.6-1.3% of its gross domestic product (GDP). The largest economic
effects are associated with costs to prevent damage, relocate, and
replace infrastructure threatened by permafrost thaw, sea level rise,
and coastal erosion, the research finds. "This significant, but
relatively modest net economic effect for Alaska as a whole obscures
large regional disparities, as rural communities face large projected
costs while more southerly urban residents experience net gains," the
authors say.
-- Weather, Climate, and Society
Maersk pledges to cut carbon emissions to zero by 2050
Richard Milne, Financial Times
On climate, the facts and law are against Trump
Richard L Revesz, New York Times
China to launch renewable power quota system by year-end
David Stanway, Reuters
Australian mining giants 'may be breaking law' by ignoring climate
change risks
Ben Smee, The Guardian
Qatar's OPEC exit signals intensifying energy competition beyond oil
Amy Myers Jaffe, Axios
Hotter world threatens the breadbasket of the US
Gregory Meyer, Financial Times
Why are people still living in the western US with the constant threat
of climate change?
Cally Carswell, Vox
Can we grow more food on less land? We'll have to, a new study finds
Brad Plumer, New York Times
Norway to heavily restrict palm oils linked to deforestation
Josh Gabbatiss, The Independent
The Arctic: we don't know as much about environmental change in the
far north as we'd like to think
Hakin Abdi and Daniel Metcalfe, The Conversation
Heavy rains and hurricanes clear a path for supercharged mold
Erik Vance, Scientific American
Imperial Beach, California, sues fossil-fuel companies over sea-level rise
Sarah Kennedy, Yale Climate Connections
China says 3 regions failed to meet energy efficiency targets last year
David Stanway, Reuters
Labor backs Greens plan to block Coalition from underwriting coal power
Katharine Murphy, The Guardian
'Human-caused' climate change is causing sea levels to rise unevenly
Joe Pinkstone, Mail Online
Collin Allen @command_tab 05 Dec 2018 04:20Z
When you copy the pixels containing "President Donald J. Trump" from one
place in the Flynn filing and overlay them on the redacted headline further
down, it sure fits *perfectly* # pic.twitter.com/oW7v6NALV1
<Loading Image...
>Twitter Users Hilariously Fill In The Blanks In Heavily Redacted Mueller Docs
HuffPost, 05 Dec 2018 08:51Z
The court filings released by the office of special counsel Robert Mueller
on Tue raised more questions than answers. The heavily redacted document
urge ...
Newsweek @Newsweek 05 Dec 2018 10:11Z
Trump lawyer Giuliani says Mueller team "don't have bupkis" despite Flynn
cooperation bit.ly/2RwcLSx pic.twitter.com/Cki8SokRdN
<Loading Image...
:small>Barclays customers 'to leave en masse' over tar sands investment
The Guardian, 05 Dec 2018 10:52Z
Thousands of Barclays customers have threatened to switch to another bank
unless it ends investment in pipelines for oil from tar sands, dubbed the
"dirtiest fuel ...
Exclusive: Emails of top NRCC officials stolen in major 2018 hack
POLITICO, 05 Dec 2018
The House GOP campaign arm suffered a major hack during the 2018 midterm
campaigns, exposing 1000s of sensitive emails to an outside intruder, ...
In wake of NRCC hack, Trump's hacking talking point turns awkward
Vox, 05 Dec 2018
President Donald Trump's talking point blaming Democrats for cyberattacks
against them during the 2016 presidential election suddenly became awkward
after ...
The 'holy grail' for cancer diagnostics? Australian researchers claim
breakthrough in new study
USA TODAY, 05 Dec 2018
Australian scientists have developed a simple blood test that they claim can
diagnose cancer in mere minutes by identifying a unique DNA signature
present in ...
University of Queensland team devises universal test for cancer
Medical Device Network, 05 Dec 2018 10:57Z
Researchers at University of Queensland have devised a new diagnostic test
that can identify presence of tumour in the body based on a DNA nanostructure.
Deepwater residents find homes safe amid charred wasteland
ABC News, 05 Dec 2018 11:06Z
Residents of the central Queensland community of Deepwater are relieved
their homes have been saved, but are distraught at the devastation in the
local national park, which has been heavily hit by bushfire.
Arrest warrants issued for top Saudi officials over Khashoggi killing
ABC News, 05 Dec 2018 13:06Z
Istanbul's chief prosecutor files warrants for the arrest of a top aide to
Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler and the deputy head of its foreign
intelligence agency on suspicion of planning the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.
84 suspected mafia members arrested in raids across 4 European countries
ABC News, 05 Dec 2018 13:50Z
Hundreds of police in Germany, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands launch a
coordinated sting to bring in dozens of members of the 'Ndrangheta criminal
group - a powerful branch of the Italian mafia - while seizing $3.1 mn,
cocaine and ecstasy tablets.
Liberal Party donor issues legal threat to minister over sensitive wetlands
development
ABC News, 06 Dec 2018
The former federal environment minister rejects critical advice from his own
department that a $1.4 bn development on protected wetlands being
proposed by a major Liberal party donor was "clearly unacceptable",
documents obtained under Freedom of Information show.
The Italian town where the air is lethal
ABC News, 06 Dec 2018
Italy's faltering economy and booming corruption problem has cruelled the
opportunity to save a whole city from some of the worst industrial pollution
in Europe.
Researchers confirm Greenland ice sheet melt is accelerating as tipping
point looms
ABC News, 06 Dec 2018
Scientists using ice core samples to examine the rate of melting of the
Greenland ice sheet have confirmed that it's melting up to 5 times faster
than pre-industrial rates, and accelerating.
Snakes ruin traditional Christmas tree preparation
ABC South East NSW, 05 Dec 2018 19:40Z
Staff at a family-run Christmas tree farm are struggling to maintain their
yuletide spirit as an inundation of deadly brown snakes leads to untended
trees and dangers to browsing visitors.
Putin warns of new arms race if US abandons nuclear missiles treaty
ABC News, 05 Dec 2018 19:52Z
Russian President Vladimir Putin warns the United States that if it follows
through on a threat to walk out of a key arms treaty and starts developing
the type of missiles banned by it, Russia will do the same.
Gazprom Nov Gas Flows to Europe down YoY
Natural Gas World, 04 Dec 2018 10:31Z
In Nov, for once, Gazprom decreased its volume sold directly through
Nord Stream (-6.4% vs Oct) to the EU in favour of increased ...
Gazprom PAO
MCX: GAZP - 5 Dec, 10:27 am GMT+3
161.67 RUB -2.53 (1.54%) *** down 1.5% ***
Royal Dutch Shell Plc
ETR: R6C - 5 Dec, 2:47 pm GMT+1
26.59 EUR -0.54 (1.99%) *** down 2% ***