Climate Science: Roger Pielke Sr. Research Group News

Comments from a report in a for $ peer reviewed journal.
BUT this supplemental graph of NASA satellite data (via =

American Geophysical Union) is available

        http://www.agu.org/eos_elec/2008/Tedesco_89_13.html

Look at 1999 - 2002/2003 and consider what you may have =

thought in 2002/2003.
Now look at 2002/2003 - 2007/2008 and think what you may =

have concluded if this was the extent of the available data.

Note that 2007/2008 is just a smidgeon higher than 1993/1994 =

and is otherwise substantially lower or very substantially =

lower than all other years - up to over 4 times less than =

some years


       "Surface snowmelt in Antarctica in 2008, as derived =

from spaceborne passive microwave observations at 19.35 =

gigahertz, was 40% below the average of the period =

1987=962007. The melting index (MI, a measure of where melting =

occurred and for how long) in 2008 was the second-smallest =

value in the 1987=962008 period, with 3,465,625 square =

kilometres times days (km2 =D7 days) against the average value =

of 8,407,531 km2 =D7 days (Figure 1a). Melt extent (ME, the =

extent of the area subject to melting) in 2008 set a new =

minimum with 297,500 square kilometres, against an average =

value of approximately 861,812 square kilometres. The 2008 =

updated melting index and melt extent trends over the whole =

continent, as derived from a linear regression approach, =

are =96164,487 km2 =D7 days per year (MI) and =9611,506 square =

kilometres per year (ME), respectively."

http://climatesci.org/2008/04/07/recent-data-on-surface-snowmelt-in-antarct=
ica/

______________

There is much more to all this than meets the eye (of =

course) but it's worth noting that its happening. I remember =

substantial news coverage recently about a major Antarctic =

ice shelf breaking away. I don't recall any coverage at all =

about the Antarctic snowmelt rates.


        Russell =


-- =

http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
View/change your membership options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist