Northwest Passage opens for the third time in recorded history

Discussion in 'Environment' started by Chris, Sep 2, 2010.

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  1. Sep 2, 2010 #1
    Chris
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    Chris Gold Member

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    The Northwest Passage is now open for business. And, as this satellite image composited by the The University of Illinois Cryosphere Today shows, the Northeast Passage is too. Jeff Masters at WunderBlog reports:

    "It is now possible to completely circumnavigate the Arctic Ocean in ice-free waters, and this will probably be the case for at least a month. This year marks the third consecutive year—and the third time in recorded history—that both the Northwest Passage and Northeast Passage have melted free. The Northeast Passage opened for the first time in recorded history in 2005 and the Northwest Passage in 2007.

    Northwest and Northeast Passages Now Open | Mother Jones
     
  2. Sep 2, 2010 #2
    Old Rocks
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  3. Sep 2, 2010 #3
    westwall
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    westwall USMB Mod Staff Member Gold Supporting Member Supporting Member

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    So this is the fourth time its opened in recorded history? If that is true then how come it is CO2 that is causing the warming when clearly there wasn't enough CO2 in the atmosphere the last three times to open it?

    What was the mechanism of warming for the passage to be opened before?
     
    Last edited: Sep 2, 2010
  4. Sep 2, 2010 #4
    RyzinEnagy
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    Solar activity and natural variation from year to year (that doesn't form a long-term trend) could certainly open it up for short periods of time. The problem today is that solar activity is at a minimum yet these things are occurring, and starting to occur consistently.
     
  5. Sep 2, 2010 #5
    Jeremy
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    Jeremy TRANSFER!!!

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    Fucking Discovery Channel. What are they doing to this planet?
     
  6. Sep 2, 2010 #6
    CrusaderFrank
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    CrusaderFrank Diamond Member

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    And this is because of all of that sensitive CO2? But you can't show this in a laboratory because there are too many other variables, amiright?
     
  7. Sep 2, 2010 #7
    RyzinEnagy
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    Can't show what? That CO2 is a greenhouse gas that absorbs heat and warms the Earth? There's plenty of proof for that.
     
  8. Sep 2, 2010 #8
    CrusaderFrank
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    CrusaderFrank Diamond Member

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    That's like saying "paper burns so if we stuff enough of it into a rocket we can reach the Moon"

    It's really low-brow and unscientific.

    No one is disputing that CO2 is a GHG, we're just asking you to show us ONE time in a lab setting how a 200PPM increase does any of the things you say it does.

    Democrats controlled Congress during most of this recent warming period so maybe a Dem Congress is responsible for the Arctic Ice melting.
     
    Last edited: Sep 2, 2010
  9. Sep 2, 2010 #9
    RyzinEnagy
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    RyzinEnagy Member

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    This study shows how a doubling of CO2 from 280ppm to 560ppm increases temperature between 1.5 and 6.5 degrees C, with 3 to 3.5 being the most likely. This study has it between 2.5 to 3.5 degrees. This one has it between 2.3 and 4.1 degrees.
     
  10. Sep 2, 2010 #10
    CrusaderFrank
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    CrusaderFrank Diamond Member

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    I had to skim all three just in the very unlikely event that one was an actual laboratory test using only changes in CO2 as the control.

    Did you read any of them before posting?
     
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