ExploreOurPla.net

IAC reviewed IPCC Processes and Procedures

noiv — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:36:21 +0000

Due to some glitches e.g. estimates about melting glaciers in the Himalaya region and the areas below sea level in the Netherlands in the latest IPCC Assessment Report – a document of several thousand pages – the InterAcademy Council located in Amsterdam has been asked to review IPCC processes and prodedures. The outcome has been presented to the public today in New York.

“Operating under the public microscope the way IPCC does requires strong leadership, the continued and enthusiastic participation of distinguished scientists, an ability to adapt, and a commitment to openness if the value of these assessments to society is to be maintained,” said Harold T. Shapiro, president emeritus and professor of economics and public affairs at Princeton University in the United States and chair of the committee that wrote the report.

The IAC report makes several recommendations to fortify IPCC’s management structure, including establishing an executive committee to act on the Panel’s behalf and ensure that an ongoing decision-making capability is maintained. To enhance its credibility and independence, the executive committee should include individuals from outside the IPCC or even outside the climate science community. IPCC also should appoint an executive director — with the status of a senior scientist equal to that of the Working Group co-chairs — to lead the Secretariat, handle day-to-day operations, and speak on behalf of the organization. The current position of the IPCC secretary does not carry a level of autonomy or responsibility equivalent to that of executive directors at other organizations, the IAC committee found.

The IAC committee emphasized that in the end the quality of the assessment process and results depends on the quality of the leadership at all levels: “It is only by engaging the energy and expertise of a large cadre of distinguished scholars as well as the thoughtful participation of government representatives that high standards are maintained and that truly authoritative assessments continue to be produced.”

Is the Arctic the new Irak?

noiv — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 13:57:12 +0000

The area north of the Arctic Circle has an estimated 90 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil, 1,670 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable natural gas, and 44 billion barrels of technically recoverable natural gas liquids in 25 geologically defined areas thought to have potential for petroleum. [USGS, 2008-07-23]

Now 2 years later Rick Rozoff compiled on his Anti Nato blog an excellent news collection of Canada’s latest billion dollars worth military efforts to keep its sovereignty respected.

Do you smell an upcoming escalation?

Continue: rickrozoff.wordpress.com

Documentary about Climate Refugees

noiv — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 13:01:15 +0000

The ultimate threat to a country is loosing its ground to the ocean. Whether or not you are convinced of anthropogenic global warming are you ready to give millions of climate refugees a new home? Would you offer a room within your house?

Michael Nash’s film “Climate Refugees” is a compelling look at the millions of humans displaced by disasters arising from incremental and rapid ecological changes to the environment and more frequent extreme weather events such as hurricanes, cyclones, fires and tornadoes.

Continue: climaterefugees.com

Both North West and North East Passage open

noiv — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 11:55:16 +0000

Dr. Jeff Masters writing at Wunderground makes a good point: both passages are open for three years in a row.

While the cherrypickers always have rare historical examples of open passages saying nothing new, now since 2007 we are looking for examples of closed passages in August/September.

Continue: wunderground.com

Danielle and Earl and possibly Fiona

noiv — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 23:55:08 +0000

A full GOES East picture from yesterday 18:45 UTC. Currently a Cat 2 Hurricane, one tropical depression and one pre-depression is in the same Atlantic basin. Fortunately all are far away from making landfall.

970 Trillion Kilowatt of Energy

noiv — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 23:19:25 +0000

Solon SE (“Don’t leave the planet to the stupid”) is a good example, that green technology leads to profit: EBIT of €4.3 million in Q2 2010.

The company is one of the largest manufacturers of solar modules in Europe as well as a supplier of solar system technology for large-scale rooftop and greenfield installations.

The commercial is some years old, but still inspiring.

SCF Baltica took North East Passage in 11 Days

noiv — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:00:37 +0000

According to the Barents Observer the 100 000 tons tanker “Baltica” needed 11 days from Murmansk to Pevek on the Chukotka Peninsula (2500 miles).

Accompaigned by two ice-breakers the vessel arrived yesterday in the East Siberian Sea and final destination is Ningbo in China.

The owner of “Baltica”, says the route from Murmansk to China is just a little more than 7000 sea miles, while the distance along the southern route is more than 12000 miles.

Continue: barentsobserver.com

Hurricane DANIELLE Forecast/Advisory

noiv — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:23:17 +0000

000
WTNT21 KNHC 250831
TCMAT1
HURRICANE DANIELLE FORECAST/ADVISORY NUMBER 15
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL062010
0900 UTC WED AUG 25 2010

THERE ARE NO COASTAL WATCHES OR WARNINGS IN EFFECT.

HURRICANE CENTER LOCATED NEAR 18.8N 51.0W AT 25/0900Z
POSITION ACCURATE WITHIN 25 NM

PRESENT MOVEMENT TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST OR 300 DEGREES AT 15 KT

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE 982 MB
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS 75 KT WITH GUSTS TO 90 KT.
64 KT……. 25NE 15SE 10SW 25NW.
50 KT……. 60NE 45SE 30SW 45NW.
34 KT…….120NE 90SE 60SW 90NW.
12 FT SEAS..210NE 120SE 75SW 150NW.
WINDS AND SEAS VARY GREATLY IN EACH QUADRANT. RADII IN NAUTICAL
MILES ARE THE LARGEST RADII EXPECTED ANYWHERE IN THAT QUADRANT.

REPEAT…CENTER LOCATED NEAR 18.8N 51.0W AT 25/0900Z
AT 25/0600Z CENTER WAS LOCATED NEAR 18.5N 50.3W

FORECAST VALID 25/1800Z 20.1N 52.7W
MAX WIND 70 KT…GUSTS 85 KT.
64 KT… 30NE 25SE 15SW 25NW.
50 KT… 60NE 45SE 30SW 45NW.
34 KT…120NE 90SE 60SW 105NW.

Continue: NHC

Composite of Sea Ice Extent and Radar Image

noiv — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:35:27 +0000

Now that the Arctic sea ice concentration on the Bering Sea side is very irregular, it might be interesting to see the actual extent combined with latest radar image and analyze which areas are close to the 15% threshold.

My first attempt using Gimp is quite successful, however future versions will have a better styling. Both pics are from yesterday – dated 2010-08-23. The extent grapic is from NSIDC and the radar image from the danish DMI.

It is not that easy to read radar images, because of cloud artefacts and reflections. So, concentrate first on identifying structures, e. g. stress lines. Anyway, it does not harm to check against the MODIS images. To provide a starting point, the red letters have the following meanings:

M: multi year ice, very compacted. (>90%)
E: first year ice, compact. (50-70%)
B: area with floes mixed with open water. (30-50%)
D: very diffuse area. (<30%)

Ideas for improvements are welcome in the comment section!

AWI to measure Ice thickness from Plane

noiv — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 14:27:17 +0000

The extent of the sea ice in the Arctic will reach its annual minimum in September. Forecasts indicate that it will not be as low as in 2007, the year of the smallest area covered by sea ice since satellites started recording such data.

Nevertheless, sea ice physicists at the Alfred Wegener Institute are concerned about the long-term equilibrium in the Arctic Ocean. They have indications that the mass of sea ice is dwindling because its thickness is declining.

To substantiate this, they are currently measuring the ice thickness north and east of Greenland using the research aircraft Polar 5. The objective of the roughly one-week campaign is to determine the export of sea ice from the Arctic. Around a third to half of the freshwater export from the Arctic Ocean takes place in this way – a major drive factor in the global ocean current system.

Continue: awi.de