If you’ve been thinking that your property in Pittsburgh will have an ocean view in a few years, you may be surprised at the results of a new study.
Instead, the NASA-funded study indicates that global warming will have different effects in different parts of the world. Surprisingly, it was found that though some regions will experience glacial melting, others may experience the opposite.
A new NASA-funded study finds that predicted increases in precipitation due to warmer air temperatures from greenhouse gas emissions may actually increase sea ice volume in the Antarctic’s Southern Ocean.
Dylan C. Powell, co-author of the paper and a doctoral candidate at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County:
“However, findings from our simulations suggest a counterintuitive phenomenon. Some of the melt in the Arctic may be offset by increases in sea ice volume in the Antarctic.”
In addition to prior methods, satellite data was utilized for the first time.
The researchers used satellite observations for the first time, specifically from the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager, to assess snow depth on sea ice, and included the satellite observations in their model. As a result, they improved prediction of precipitation rates.
By incorporating satellite observations into this new method, the researchers achieved more stable and realistic precipitation data than the typically variable data found in the polar regions. The paper was published in the June issue of the American Geophysical Union’s Journal of Geophysical Research.,
The linked article explains at some length the process that will result in thicker Anarctic sea ice. Only the final part is below.
Typically, warming of the climate leads to increased melting rates of sea ice cover and increased precipitation rates. However, in the Southern Ocean, with increased precipitation rates and deeper snow, the additional load of snow becomes so heavy that it pushes the Antarctic sea ice below sea level.
This results in even more and even thicker sea ice when the snow refreezes as more ice. Therefore, the paper indicates that some climate processes, like warmer air temperatures increasing the amount of sea ice, may go against what we would normally believe would occur.
Of course, the computer modelling is subject to real world verification.
“We used computer-generated simulations to get this research result. I hope that in the future we’ll be able to verify this result with real data through a long-term ice thickness measurement campaign,” said Powell.
So the message here is that we are never fully cognizant of the results of our actions.
Thanks for reading!
Thanks for posting!!!
It’s always good to hear about negative feedbacks in the climate change arena for a change.
Gotta pump up that albedo.
Interesting – we might end up like mars, with predominantly only one ice cap…
I recently read that with global warming there will be more lake effect snow downwind of the Great Lakes, and there’s also the potential colling effects in Europe from the Gulf Stream shutting down – I wonder if anyone has looked at these effects quantitatively to see how much negative feedback on climate change they might generate for us?
because he’s thought long and hard about this position, he’s talked to others about this position and his buddies at ExxonMobil tell him it’s all good and that those whacky scientists have it all wrong and is basically just a libuhral hoax.
Now, we can all get on with our lives and go… – well we can’t go outside due to pollution, heat and poisons… but we can just get on with our lives.
ACK
Great diary, again, Boran2! Thank you!
But he’s the first place I ever heard that global warming might, in fact, somehow cause or accelerate a new ice age. The Earth Mother has methods to protect herself that we can hardly fathom (though maybe we can someday…) and this may all trigger a mechanism that will counteract our dangerously shortsighted environmental destruction. It’s interesting to see more stories that seem to not refute such possibilities if not outright supporting them.
It’s gonna be an interesting century…