Saturday, May 7, 2011

Acceleration of Artic Ice Melting

A new report by the international Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program, or AMAP, concludes that Arctic ice is melting faster than expected and could raise the average global sea level by as much as five feet this century.

The report says that Arctic temperatures in the past six years were the highest since 1880.  The report also says that its authors also found evidence that feedback loops have started.  A feedback loop occurs when warming of the earth's atmosphere causing an effect, such as melting of ice sheets, which results in more absorption of heat by the earth's oceans, which results in further warming of the earth's atmosphere, which results in further melting of ice sheets, etc.

Scientists fear that once started, it will be difficult to impossible to stop feedback loops.

Click here for a news story with further details on the latest report.

John Howley
Woodbridge, New Jersey

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