Jeff Masters on the Arctic ice loss

[phantom power]

With one third of the Arctic ice cap already gone, and another month of melting to go, we need to consider what effect this will have on weather, climate, and sea level rise. Well, we don't need to worry about sea level rise, since the polar sea ice is already in the ocean, and won't appreciably change sea level when it melts. However, the remarkable melting of the ice cap will likely lead to unusual weather patterns this fall and winter. The lack of sea ice will put much more heat and moisture into the polar atmosphere, affecting the path of the jet stream and the resultant storm tracks. Expect a much-delayed arrival of winter to the Northern Hemisphere again this year, which may lead to further accelerated melting of the ice cap in future years.

http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=764&tstamp=200708

[Tempest]

1. New York already saw the results of the melting ice

59 degrees in NY this week because of a cold front from Canada fueled by the melting ice cooling the ocean currents and pushing south.


Another result of the melting will be increased evaporation over the oceans leading to heavier rainfall in the late summer and fall months. Just like what the midwest is seeing now.

Yet another result will be a changing of the ocean currents from increased flow causing weather patterns to change in many parts of the world. More rain in the desert, less rain in the South American rain forests, etc.

[kestrel91316]

2. More rain in the desert? You PROMISE?????

[NMDemDist2]

3. with the melting so fast in the Arctic, what can we expect this winter at the Antarctic?

should we be looking for a massive melt when the axis is pointed the other way in six months??

[phantom power]

5. I think antarctic ice will destabilize more slowly...

The antarctic ice-sheet is much larger than, say the analogous Greenland ice-sheet (speaking of the land ice, not sea ice), and it sits right over the south pole, whereas Greenland is farther toward the equator.

But, "more slowly" is a relative thing. I'm sure we'll be hearing the phrase "faster than expected" for a long time. Everywhere.

[NMDemDist2]

6. another question, which absorbs heat/light better, water or land?

my thinking is that when the antarctic land mass begins to get exposed, will it absorb heat even faster than the water up north?

[phantom power]

7. land's temp rises faster, but that is because of its lower specific heat.

The albedo of water is like .1 or .2, and it's hard for me to imagine land being much less. (low albedo == absorbs light). It can't possibly be much less, since the absolute minimum is zero.

I think land albedo varies. For instance, white sand has quite a high albedo. It gets hot, but it still reflects a lot of light.

[CabalPowered]

4. The sea temp anomaly map for the past 7 days..