We recently reported that satellites have spotted dangerous cracks in Arctic icebergs, and now we may be discovering WHY this are happening. Can a storm in Alaska, started by global warming, end up breaking apart an iceberg at the opposite end of the earth? The surprising answer is yes.
A severe storm that occurred in the Gulf of Alaska in October 2005 generated an ocean swell that six days later broke apart a giant iceberg floating near the coast of Antarctica, more than 8,300 miles away. Oceanographers have known since the early 1960s that ocean swells can travel half way around the world. But a new study raises the possibility that an increase in storms driven by climate change could affect far-flung parts of the globe.
Geologist Douglas MacAyeal says, “Could global storminess have an influence on the Antarctic ice sheet that had never been thought of?” MacAyeal and his colleague Emile Okal next want to investigate the effects of the 2004 tsunami in Sumatra on another distant iceberg.
These ice cracks are particularly ominous because global warming shows up first at the higher latitudes near the poles. This is because as the earth warms, snow and ice melt, revealing bare land and darker ocean areas, which do not reflect sunlight back into the atmosphere the way the snow and ice that once covered them did, but absorb it instead.
One of the greatest tragedies of the Iraq War may turn out to be that we spent so much energy and money on fighting an unnecessary war abroad, while we should have been concentrating on the climate emergency here at home. Now it may be too late. If we don’t do something soon, the only solution may be prayer.
However, there IS another solution and that’s supporting this web site, which is dedicated to reporting the TRUTH about climate change. There are two ways to do this: shop in our delightful book store and subscribe today (and subscribers SAVE EVEN MORE on our big sale!)
Art credit: gimp-savvy.com
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