The sun rises two days early in Greenland, sparking fears that climate change is accelerating
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1346936/The-sun-rises-days-early-Greenland-sparking-fears-climate-change-accelerating.html
By Daily Mail Reporter, 14th January 2011
The sun over Greenland has risen two days early, baffling scientists and sparking fears that Arctic icecaps are melting faster than previously thought.Experts say the sun should have risen over the Arctic nation's most westerly town, Ilulissat, yesterday, ending a month-and-a-half of winter darkness.
But for the first time in history light began creeping over the horizon at around 1pm on Tuesday - 48 hours ahead of the usual date of 13 January.
The mysterious sunrise has confused scientists, although it is believed the most likely explanation is that it is down to the lower height of melting icecaps allowing the sun's light to penetrate through earlier.
He said as the ice sinks, so to does the horizon, creating the illusion that the sun has risen early.
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Don't forget my post! Maybe someone can comment on it? About what Posch said,etc.
ReplyDelete"The idea of a geographical zone was first hypothesized by the ancient Greek scholar Aristotle.[1] He said that the earth was divided into three types of climatic zones, based on their distance from the equator."--Wikipedia
ReplyDeleteFascinating, isn't it, to think Aristotle hypothesized all this, and even understood the concept of the equator? Boggles my mind.
When it comes to things like latitudes, longitudes, equators, Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, etc., these are all things I regret never having learned a thing about.
Just for my own visualization, just to place this westerly town in Greenland, called Ilulissat, I gather the town is located north of the Tropic of Cancer, in the "North Frigid Zone", and Ilulissat appears just a bit outside the Arctic Circle.
You can see the location of Ilulissat here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_Circle
Anyway, my only guess about Thomas Posch's statement, I am thinking he means that on a large geographical scale, the sinking of ice caps would, I would say, create a horizon, so to speak -- if we look at the term horizon as a "view" of something. Like when a large building is demolished, a new space is opened up, and suddenly we have a new view of something that wasn't there before. So their explanation of seeing earlier the light of a sun rise might be due to the lower height of melting ice caps that allow the sun's light to penetrate through earlier, makes sense to me. If you visualize the entire thing as a LARGE geographic expanse.
I found this interesting (from the same link as above) that the Artic Circle is drifting northwards at 49 feet/year.
"The position of the Arctic Circle is not fixed, but directly depends on the Earth's axial tilt, which fluctuates within a margin of 2° over a 40,000 year period, notably due to tidal forces resulting from the orbit of the Moon. The Arctic Circle is currently drifting northwards at a speed of about 15 m (49 ft) per year, see Circle of latitude for more information."
Which blog was that on. Been very busy so I am unable to respond as quickly as I used to, so bear with me.
ReplyDeleteVatic was going to send this to you yesterday,especially after you commenting about the Sun,doing it's weird thing.But like you I have been busy with more than I can handle,after today I hope to have more time to contribute.Brock
ReplyDeleteThis is it Vatic. For comment?
ReplyDelete"The idea of a geographical zone was first hypothesized by the ancient Greek scholar Aristotle.[1] He said that the earth was divided into three types of climatic zones, based on their distance from the equator."--Wikipedia
Fascinating, isn't it, to think Aristotle hypothesized all this, and even understood the concept of the equator? Boggles my mind.
When it comes to things like latitudes, longitudes, equators, Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, etc., these are all things I regret never having learned a thing about.
Just for my own visualization, just to place this westerly town in Greenland, called Ilulissat, I gather the town is located north of the Tropic of Cancer, in the "North Frigid Zone", and Ilulissat appears just a bit outside the Arctic Circle.
You can see the location of Ilulissat here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_Circle
Anyway, my only guess about Thomas Posch's statement, I am thinking he means that on a large geographical scale, the sinking of ice caps would, I would say, create a horizon, so to speak -- if we look at the term horizon as a "view" of something. Like when a large building is demolished, a new space is opened up, and suddenly we have a new view of something that wasn't there before. So their explanation of seeing earlier the light of a sun rise might be due to the lower height of melting ice caps that allow the sun's light to penetrate through earlier, makes sense to me. If you visualize the entire thing as a LARGE geographic expanse.
I found this interesting (from the same link as above) that the Artic Circle is drifting northwards at 49 feet/year.
"The position of the Arctic Circle is not fixed, but directly depends on the Earth's axial tilt, which fluctuates within a margin of 2° over a 40,000 year period, notably due to tidal forces resulting from the orbit of the Moon. The Arctic Circle is currently drifting northwards at a speed of about 15 m (49 ft) per year, see Circle of latitude for more information."