Fastest sea route from Russia to Canada - through North Pole!

[chavvdarrr]

well, just read from russian site (http://rnd.cnews.ru/natur_science/news/line/index_science.shtml?2008/09/02/315621) that according to satelite photos, few days ago there is/was an ice-free route straight through the north pole

 

[AlphaWolf]

It was easier when I could walk it.

 

[Nesh]

What? Global warming opened up a route?

 

[KimB]

What? Global warming opened up a route?

Pretty much, yes. More accurately, sustained higher temperatures have gradually thinned the Arctic ice. Basically, every year the ice melts and reforms, but with the recent increase in temperatures, every year a bit less reforms than melted. Now that we're running into dramatic decreases in sea ice extent, huge portions of the ice that forms is now just single-year ice, which melts very easily.

So it's a nasty feedback effect, where every year it melts more and more, and then the darker color of the water absorbs more sunlight, which makes for even more of an increase in temperatures. It's a vicious cycle.

 

[K.I.L.E.R]

Canada might need to get cosy with the US now.

 

[AlphaWolf]

Canada might need to get cosy with the US now.

Why is that?

 

[eastmen]

Why is that?

Shit rolls down hill . The water level will start rising in the north first i'd imagine thus reducing the land those canucks have up there ?

 

[KimB]

Shit rolls down hill . The water level will start rising in the north first i'd imagine thus reducing the land those canucks have up there ?

Heh, no, not really. The sea level rise will be slow enough that it'll essentially happen everywhere at once. Also, the melting of sea ice doesn't actually affect the water level. Only the melting of land ice does that.

 

[AlphaWolf]

Heh, no, not really. The sea level rise will be slow enough that it'll essentially happen everywhere at once. Also, the melting of sea ice doesn't actually affect the water level. Only the melting of land ice does that.

Well the one will happen with the other eventually as the trend continues. Warmer water therefore warmer earth therefore less land ice.

I'm not sure at what point it would be globally catastrophic, but where I live in Canada, I won't need hip waders until a few billion have already drowned. A lot of major population areas are very close to sea level.

 

[emacs]

The water level will start rising in the north first i'd imagine thus reducing the land those canucks have up there ?

if and only if all of the ice melts instantaneously

 

[KimB]

if and only if all of the ice melts instantaneously

Well, cities don't just get up and move on their own accord.

 

[eastmen]

if and only if all of the ice melts instantaneously

Isn't that largely whats happening. There are glacier lakes forming on the glaciers and at any point they colapse and empty right into the ocean. Some of them are close in size to rhode island. As the ice melts isn't the current theory that it will pick up speed melting and as we loose more and more it will melt ever so faster >? A dump of a few large glacier pools would cause some terrible waves and displacment in the area of the dump.

 

[KimB]

Isn't that largely whats happening. There are glacier lakes forming on the glaciers and at any point they colapse and empty right into the ocean. Some of them are close in size to rhode island. As the ice melts isn't the current theory that it will pick up speed melting and as we loose more and more it will melt ever so faster >? A dump of a few large glacier pools would cause some terrible waves and displacment in the area of the dump.

It may cause some temporary flooding, this is true. But this will be local and, well, temporary. The overall sea level rise will still be fairly gradual.