Kapitan Dranitsyn
Scientists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks International Arctic Research Center this fall documented that recent surges of warm water from the North Atlantic Ocean continue to pulse into the Arctic Ocean and are moving toward Alaska and the Canadian Basin. Scientists made the observations this fall during an oceanographic cruise aboard the Russian icebreaker Kapitan Dranitsyn as part of the Nansen and Amundsen Basins Observational Systems program.
Information gathered by the NABOS program, as well as from other international programs, has shown that, during the last decade, the movement of warm water into the Arctic Ocean has increased. And the readings from this fall’s cruise show unprecedented warmth in some areas.
That finding indicates that the warm water is moving further and further into the Arctic, he said, which could increase the overall temperature of the Arctic Ocean. While the causes of the influx of warm water will require further study, the observations from the NABOS project suggest that the Arctic Ocean is moving toward a warmer state, a change that could have global implications.
Ocean temperature in the Arctic is important because it may affect the amount of sea ice in the region. Scientists believe that arctic sea ice cover plays a major role in the global climate, as ice reflects more of the sun’s heat than open water.
The NABOS project…is a collaboration among six nations. It will contribute to the upcoming International Polar Year…a two-year event beginning in March 2007 focusing research efforts on the Earth’s polar regions.
I wonder which politicians will read their reports? I wonder if politicians will read their reports?
Well at least from this it looks like they are keeping an open mind as to the cause of this influx of warmer water. That gives them credibility in my book.
The fact that they have a two year event called the Polar Year is another matter entirely.
That’s the way the movie “The Day After Tomorrow” started; sensor buoys moored in the North Atlantic started blinking red. Might be time to load the wagons and head for Mexico.
UAF does a lot of good work. I’m not surprised to see a decent study come out of that school.
Gig — Google IGY and it will give you a hint.
It’s French people in Quebec! They are pissing in the Atlantic and thus are worming it up!
Moss,
A year is a year. If they are going to name a period that longer or shorter than one Earth orbit of the sun something they need to call it something other than a year.
Gig — I was only pointing out the history behind the name. I listened to all the shucking and jiving over this name 50 years ago. Now, I get to hear it all over again.
Victor — uh, ever study geography? Must be some fierce plumbing on those Quebecois if they can pee in the Atlantic!
meh
So what’s stopping them from peeing in the Atlantic? Or maybe I should say Northern Atlantique…
They’re right there south of Greenland. By the way, good name for the future! Who knew that it will turn from white to green so fast?
Let’s see… they could pee in the Hudson Bay which spills into the Labrador Sea. I guess I thought Labrador Sea is part of the Atlantic.
Or they could hold it and walk over the other side and release into the Gulf of St Lawrence. This is Atlantic… or not?
WARNING!
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