Antarctica is Actually Getting Cooler, Here"s Why - http://clapway.com/2015/12/08/antarctica-is-actually-getting-cooler-heres-why123/

The increasing rate of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is cooling parts of Antarctica. Large portions of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet are colder than the upper layers of the atmosphere for most of the year, but observations of this year have given the community some surprising news.

The Surface and Lower Atmosphere of Antarctica Lose More Energy if the Air Contains Greenhouse Gasses

A team of scientists looked at the balance between radiation upward from the surface or the ice sheet against the radiation both upward and downward from the upper levels of the atmosphere through all infrared wavelengths in 2015. The data shows that the surface and lower atmosphere of the region loses more energy space when the air has greenhouse gases.

This Region of Antarctica Experiences Temperature Inversion

The research, published in Geophysical Research Letters, and it suggests that adding more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere in the short term will give way for more energy loss from the surface and lower atmosphere of Antarctica. This is thanks to the high elevation of the region. The East Antarctica Ice Sheet is above 3,000 meters, making it much colder than lower altitudes. Not only that, but the region experiences a phenomenon that meteorologists call ‘temperature inversion’. This is an instance where temperatures in the lowest layers of the atmosphere end up being colder than the layers higher up.

Though greenhouse gases have the same negative effect on all other regions of Antarctica, this adds a layer of complexity to the impact of global warming on our planet. Some regions are benefiting from the increased rainfall and the warming temperatures, but our planet is taking a huge blow from the negative effects. This should not discourage anyone from going greener and looking for cleaner energy alternatives. The research specifies that temperatures are only inverted in the short-term, so the threat of global warming is still imminent.

Antarctica is Actually Getting Cooler, Here"s Why

Scientists report that burning all of the Earth’s #fossilfuels releases #carbon and melts the Antarctic ice shelf, submerging coastal regions worldwide. - http://clapway.com/2015/09/12/burning-fossil-fuels-carbon-melt-antarctica-099/

Scientists reported that burning all of the Earth’s fossil fuels would initiate enough warming to melt the Antarctic ice shelf submerging coastal regions worldwide. New York City and Washington DC would be of the first to go under as sea levels rise.

ANTARCTICA IS NOT LIKE A MELTING ICE CUBE

An international team of scientists led by Ken Caldeira, a researcher at Stanford College’s Carnegie Institute of Science and Ricarda Winkelmann, a professor of climate systems analysis at Potsdam Institute For Climate Impact Research used an up-to-date model of an ice sheet to forecast the impact that fossil fuel burning would have on the Earth in upcoming centuries. Analysis showed that burning the world’s supply of coal, oil, and gas would emit enough carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to melt the Antarctic ice sheet and possibly parts of the larger East Antarctic Ice Sheet.

Scientists say that the sea level could rise 100 feet over next 1000 years. They project that the total rise would be 200 feet once the sheet has fully melted. If you consider that Hurricane Katrina’s highest storm surge was 27.8 feet, these statistics are frightening to hear. London, Paris, New York, Tokyo and other coastal cities would be obliterated. This would also have catastrophic effects on the surrounding ecosystems.

PORTENTOUS FINDS OF THE CARBON STUDY

The study noted that while Antarctica has already begun to melt, the ice sheet’s future mass balance is unknown due to a combination of factors: future emissions of greenhouse gases; atmospheric warming; and oceanic warming that results from atmospheric warming.

Climate policy makers have determined a 2 degree Celsius increase as a target for global warming. According to scientists, if we stay within this target, sea levels will rise only a few meters, which would be manageable.

REDUCING THE WORLD’S CARBON FOOTPRINT

“Our findings show that if we do not want to melt Antarctica, we can’t keep taking fossil fuel carbon out of the ground and just dumping it into the atmosphere as CO2 like we’ve been doing,” Caldeira said.

Often, when we are warned about years-away dangers like the melting of Antarctica, we think, “Well, it’s not going to happen in my lifetime.” A handful of bumper sticker slogans about saving the planet could be inserted here. But let’s just end this discussion by being more mindful of our actions. Turn off the lights when you leave, drink from reusable water bottles instead of plastic, walk or ride a bike whenever possible, and recycle. These are easy, painless habits we can adopt in order to help reduce the world’s carbon footprint.

The research was presented in an article published by Science Advances.

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Death By Carbon: Burning All Fossil Fuels Melt Antarctica

Yet another thing to #LookOutFor in #ClimateChange matters. - http://clapway.com/2015/07/29/climate-change-u-s-coastal-cities-to-flood-frequently-says-triple-threat-study-245/

The variously employed catchphrase “triple threat” is finding new use as a means to describe the multifarious threats of global climate change for 40% of the United States’ population. These three antagonisms are heavy rainfall, storm surges and a general, pernicious rise in sea level along American coastlines. In a study recently published by the journal Nature Climate Change, these coming catastrophes are expected to cause “compound flooding” laying waste to low-lying, highly populated urban spaces encircling the nation.

NEW CORRELATION FOR CLIMATE CHANGE

It’s true that many previous studies have analyzed the correlation between the increase in flood rates and overall sea-level rise, this new study is first to investigate the causal links between primary and secondary effects of climate change in the US.

“When storm surge and heavy precipitation co-occur, the potential for flooding in low-lying coastal areas is often much greater than from either, in isolation,” the published study warns. But, as can be expected, “long-term sea level rise is the main driver for accelerated flooding.”

HISTORICAL CLIMATE CHANGE REVEALS BREAK FROM NATURE’S

The scientists responsible for this study compared recent findings to more dated data, sifting through the dredges of historical ecology to track tide levels and hurricanes. By recognizing the elements involved in simultaneous (or compound) disasters occurred, they found that a significant connection exists between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic coastlines. The kicker here is that this is precisely where today’s compound flooding is increasing in frequency.

NEW YORK CITY’S CLIMATE CHANGE WILL QUICKEN, TOO

E.g., New York City’s risk of flooding from compounded ecological risks has more than doubled in the last 60 years. “If sea levels continued to rise, this would certainly have an effect on storm surges, and storm surges have an effect on compound flooding,” said Thomas Wahl, member of the University of South Florida and lead author of the study.

IT GETS WORSE (AGAIN)

Unfortunately, even if we dodge the bullet of serious sea levels’ rising, severe storms and massive floods will become more frequent, hailing the imminent arrival of major natural disasters in the most populated US cities on the coast, where almost 40% of Americans reside. What’s worse, if sea levels rise more than 20 feet, as per the study’s worst-case scenario, the aftermath will be spectacular. And in this case, that is not a good thing.

A CENTURY OF CHANGE, A SENSE OF COMING DAYS

Since the days of ecological records’ beginnings in 1880, temperatures worldwide have actually increased by 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Additionally, the past century has seen the global average sea level increase by seven whole inches. This is expected to continue and accelerate over the next few decades because Antarctica’s floating ice shelves keep melting. These ice shelves are our only vanguard to glaciers and ice sheets threatening to enter our oceans.

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Climate Change: U.S. Coastal Cities to Flood Frequently, Says "Triple Threat" Study

What Happened to the Terra Nova Expedition? - http://clapway.com/2015/07/24/what-happened-to-the-terra-nova-expedition567/

What happened to Robert Falcon Scott in 1913? His expedition to Antarctica, the Terra Nova, was doomed from the start. Attempting to be the first man to stand on the south pole, Scott led several attempts but each time was pushed back by bad weather. At the same time, several other expeditions were attempting to race to the south pole—the pressure was on. That is, until Robert Falcon Scott announced his next march.

Beardmore Glacier

Beardmore Glacier was a prime route for Scott’s doomed Antarctic Expedition. It was thought to be the best and smoothest pathway through the Central Transantarctic Mountains. What the party didn’t know is that, only a short distance ahead was a rival team using the unknown Axel Heiberg Glacier. That rival team beat the Terra Nova team to the south pole. But what happened to Scott’s party was a perfect storm for disaster.

Left On The Glacier

While running out of rations on their way back to the their relief camp, the Terra Nova expedition was supposed to be relieved by Atkinson’s party. Atkinson was supposed to leave a rationing of supplies at a relief station. Instead, he sent Cherry-Garrard with confusing directions. Although Cherry-Garrard made it to the deposit point, it was too late for Scott’s doomed antarctic expedition. The Terra Nova team was struggling about 70 miles away. The terrible Antarctic weather was making it impossible for anyone to reach Robert Falcon Scott and his team.

Journals and Photos

In 1913, a rescue team was finally deployed that could make it through the harsh weather. But what they found was a small tent with frozen bodies. This is what remained of the Terra Nova, Robert Falcon Scott’s doomed antarctic expedition to the south pole. One of the bodies was identified as Scott himself, and his last journal entry detailed that he was sick, and hoping for the blizzard to clear. The bodies were interred in the ice, and the recent discovery of photographs from their journey has shown a new light on the doomed antarctic expedition.

In the rush to claim the south pole, several antarctic teams died or faced extremely perilous moments. And it is generally agreed that Scott himself was eager to beat other teams to the south pole, and would often make hasty decisions. On top of that, the failed attempts to give relief to the Terra Nova expedition only worsened their fate.

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What Happened to the Terra Nova Expedition?

Geothermal Heating Discovered Under Ice Sheets in Antarctica - http://clapway.com/2015/07/12/geothermal-heating-discovered-under-ice-sheets-in-antarctica456/

When one thinks of Antarctica, one generally thinks of blistering cold storms for months on end, penguins, polar bears, huge ice caps, etc. What you generally don’t associate with the continent is secret geothermal heating sources.

In fact, it seems a bit counterintuitive to find such a thing, but that is exactly what happened recently. A National Science Foundation drilling project‘s data, combined with the findings of a team of researchers, shed light onto the phenomenon of heat flow from the Earth to the zone below the ice sheet.

Finding the secret geothermal heating

The find came from when the team was monitoring a borehole on the western side of Antarctica. Temperatures measured were really high, according to the press release by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The team also published their findings in the Science Advances journal on Friday.

Although the temperature was unusually high from this secret geothermal heating, it does not account for the massive loss of ice that has been observed in research, says one researcher on the team. But the heating may account for why the area seems a bit unstable and volatile.

The study was made possible by using previously collected data from the aforementioned drilling project, which was funded by an award from the NSF’s Division of Polar Programs. The section of the NSF is helping to produce more opportunities for research and collect more research on the ice sheet to better understand the unique ecosystem in the harsh environment. But not only that, it helps to understand the landscape better as well.

Other Findings about the polar geothermal heating

The secret heating find also could provide a reason for why there are underground lakes or streams, which may aid in the ice sheet’s speed. However, this was only on the western side and the heat flow is bound to be different on different parts of the ice sheet.

Something else to keep in mind is that this area is also where there is some volcanic activity that also may account for the secret heating. However, there needs to be more research done before anything more conclusive comes up.

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Geothermal Heating Discovered Under Ice Sheets in Antarctica

Scientists Rename Hasselhoff Hairy Crab for Study - http://clapway.com/2015/06/25/scientists-rename-a-hairy-crab-for-study876/

Scientists Interested in Harsh Living Conditions

Scientists renamed a hairy crab, originally found in the freezing waters of the South Ocean at 2000 meters depth. Originally named “The Hoff” to hark back to the oft-topless actor David Hasselhoff, scientists have made the time for the creature to have an official scientific designation as a living object of study.

What is The Hairy Crab’s New Name?

Its new name is kiwa tyleri, after the famous Paul Tyler, a British polar and deep-ocean biologist from Southampton University. Although public perception of the hairy crab is unlikely to change enough to adopt the new name anytime soon, scientists are excited to learn the crab’s habits- its way of not just surviving, but thriving in the harsh conditions of deep-sea pressure, dark and alone amidst other evolving and competing creatures.

What Does Kiwa Tyleri Eat?

Luckily, the hairy crab’s many hairs are home to bacteria, which it harvests to feed itself. The hairs, called satae, are specifically designed to gather enough nutritious bacteria preclude the need for take-out.

How Does the Hairy Crab Survive Down There?

Basically, kiwa tyleri has found its environment’s sweet spot: the creature sticks close to hydrothermal vents to escape the sea floor’s normal temperature of roughly 32 degrees Fahrenheit. These vents form when seawater is sucked in, injected with chemicals and metals, and then in turn blasted out as a new concoction into that frigid abyss. After a short while, some specific kinds of bacteria begin to leech the heat, plant themselves on top of the vents in enough strata to insulate more complex life from heat and supply sustenance, and then voila; an entire ecosystem is born.

But if its uniquely formed environment isn’t cool enough, scientists found that kiwa tyleri’s legs have naturally growing spikes with which to climb the vents. However, the poor miracle of evolution is trapped in a Catch 22, for a few feet in the wrong direction will either roast the guy alive or freeze him into a slow death.

But scientists say kiwa tyleri is not the only recluse in such environs. Several other “yeti crab,” very similar to the hairy critter, await scientists’ qualification.

Scientists think the hairy crab reached such remote areas by journeying along the jagged undersea paths of over ten to twenty million years of activity.

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Scientists Rename Hasselhoff Hairy Crab for Study