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GliderGuider

(21,088 posts)
Mon Oct 22, 2012, 06:12 PM Oct 2012

Antarctic climate facing 'rapid' changes: chief scientist

Antarctic climate facing 'rapid' changes: chief scientist

The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) told a Senate estimates hearing today "rapid changes" taking place across the icy land mass would have significant impact on global climate.

Changes in ocean flows and shifts in Antarctic ice cap levels were occurring at rates faster than at any other time in history, chief scientist Nick Gales said.

Scientists were detecting major changes in the circulation of deep, dense salty water off Antarctica. This water, which drives the circulation of the world's oceans and in turn climate patterns, was reducing, while becoming warmer and less salty. Meanwhile, parts of the Antarctic ice caps were melting at unprecedented rates.

"The findings around changes in Antarctica and the southern oceans are critically important to driving world climate," Dr Gales said.

You know it's serious when a chief boffin goes out of his way to assure the pols that his boys aren't being "alarmist".

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Antarctic climate facing 'rapid' changes: chief scientist (Original Post) GliderGuider Oct 2012 OP
Sunspots pscot Oct 2012 #1
I think this summer is gonna be one to remember RobertEarl Oct 2012 #2
Probably. AverageJoe90 Oct 2012 #3
Just about everything I've read on climate change, ... CRH Oct 2012 #4
 

RobertEarl

(13,685 posts)
2. I think this summer is gonna be one to remember
Mon Oct 22, 2012, 08:31 PM
Oct 2012

It is spring time in Antarctica. We may be missing an ice shelf or two come fall. Of course what will happen in the S. Pacific is a cooling trend due to the ice melt.

Oh wait, they already are saying the S. Pacific is not warming like they expected. Saw that on the NOAA site the other day. I swear I did! Something about El Nino not coming around.

 

AverageJoe90

(10,745 posts)
3. Probably.
Tue Oct 23, 2012, 12:23 AM
Oct 2012

Of course, whether or not next summer will be as bad....well, as far as probability is concerned, probably not.
But then again, I can also say that although such a repeat isn't at all likely, that doesn't mean it can't happen. Stranger things have happened before: We all remember 2010's Snowmageddon, right? I don't think any of us quite saw that coming.

As for the ice shelves down south........Well, again, who really knows? There is a very small probability that several big ones could fall all at the same general moment in time.

CRH

(1,553 posts)
4. Just about everything I've read on climate change, ...
Tue Oct 23, 2012, 12:53 AM
Oct 2012

and the many different models, are tilted to the consequences for the northern hemisphere. The changes occurring in the southern ocean now, were largely left out of the 2007 IPCC report, because not much research had been completed at that time, and there was a shortage of data. Even the predictions of polar ice were much more definitive for the Arctic and Greenland. The research is just now emerging of the effects in Antarctica and the southern ocean.

A reoccurring theme is concern of the changes in circulation for the worlds oceans. Most all of the models and predictions of how and where the climate will change have been formulated before the data was complete. So how accurate are the predictions for southern hemisphere, for the shifting of the global ocean currents, wind currents, rain patterns, etc.

I'm wondering if half of what was thought to be the likely changes in climate is dependable, and whether the next report will be recognizable as an addition and progression from the first report or rather a revision and admission, that the changing effects just aren't predictable with the climate in flux.

So many scientists, so many areas of study, all in relative infancy of their evolving state, all needing consolidation into an accurate perception of what will happen, where and when. I think we are going to find out how little is known about our evolving dilemma.

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