German Ship Completes Historic Arctic Expedition (bbc.com) 23
The German Research Vessel Polarstern has sailed back into its home port after completing a remarkable expedition to the Arctic Ocean. The ship spent a year in the polar north, much of it with its engines turned off so it could simply drift in the sea-ice. From a report The point was to study the Arctic climate and how it is changing. And expedition leader, Prof Markus Rex, returned with a warning. "The sea-ice is dying," he said. "The region is at risk. We were able to witness how the ice disappears and in areas where there should have been ice that was many metres thick, and even at the North Pole -- that ice was gone," the Alfred Wegener Institute scientist told a media conference in Bremerhaven on Monday.
RV Polarstern was on station to document this summer's floes shrink to their second lowest ever extent in the modern era. The floating ice withdrew to just under 3.74 million sq km (1.44 million sq miles). The only time this minimum has been beaten in the age of satellites was 2012, when the pack ice was reduced to 3.41 million sq km. The downward trend is about 13% per decade, averaged across the month of September. "This reflects the warming of the Arctic," said Prof Rex. "The ice is disappearing and if in a few decades we have an ice-free Arctic -- this will have a major impact on the climate around the world."
RV Polarstern was on station to document this summer's floes shrink to their second lowest ever extent in the modern era. The floating ice withdrew to just under 3.74 million sq km (1.44 million sq miles). The only time this minimum has been beaten in the age of satellites was 2012, when the pack ice was reduced to 3.41 million sq km. The downward trend is about 13% per decade, averaged across the month of September. "This reflects the warming of the Arctic," said Prof Rex. "The ice is disappearing and if in a few decades we have an ice-free Arctic -- this will have a major impact on the climate around the world."
Military submaries (Score:4, Insightful)
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They probably contribute some data. But not a lot. I am sure the Russians and the Americans especially don't necessarily want to give up where they are or where they have been.
Other Navy vessels may be a bit more open. As it is tough to hide where an aircraft carrier is, so they may be more apt to share some findings.
Re: Military submaries (Score:2)
They can give up the parts of where they have been that have no need to be secret.
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what is the point of posting that wall of text in every thread what do you expect us to do
He's mentally ill.
oh well (Score:2)
Re: oh well (Score:2)
Sure. Now think about the consequences of that.
I don't think you are ready to pay that particular invoice.
I did not know ice was a living organism (Score:1, Redundant)
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Why do they always measure area and never... (Score:2)
Why Germany? (Score:2)
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If you're interested in the project, I would suggest skipping the news article and just reading the project site instead: https://mosaic-expedition.org/ [mosaic-expedition.org]
For starters, it's not "just" Germany, there are 17 participating countries, Germany simply put up the majority of the funding and is leading the expedition. German interest in the Arctic is nothing new: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org], but in this case is also driven by political and economic interests - namely, the opening up of new shipping routes, oil
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Whenever I point out a thawing arctic will open up new opportunities for oil and gas exploration someone always seems to get upset.
Re: Why Germany? (Score:2)
Well, Germany is a much biger exporter.
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Where is Canada in all of this?
The University of Calgary, the University of Manitoba, the University of Victoria and the University of Waterloo are participating in this project.
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Actually, if too much of that ice melts, it could stop ocean currents that currently prevent Northern Europe from turning into a frozen wasteland. So Germany definitely has a stake in this.
That is ~1847km^2 (1200mi^2) by the way. (Score:2)
Or a disc, 2182km (1354mi) in diameter.
Much easier to imagine.
That's not a lot
Russia to become a naval power (Score:2)
Imagine if Russia's northern coast no longer freezes in winter, they could become a significant naval power.
More, if Arctic sea routes become feasible, then cargo ships going between the Atlantic and Pacific can choose the Arctic route instead of Suez Canal or Panama Canal, then Russia's navy will have more influence on global trade.
Oil ships from Middle East can go west from Mediterranean Sea, out to Atlantic, turn north, around Norwegian Sea and go east along Russia, then south through Bering Sea and all
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Imagine if Russia's northern coast no longer freezes in winter, they could become a significant naval power.
A few Tsar Bombas should do the trick...