Greenland Is Getting Darker 174
sciencehabit (1205606) writes "Greenland's white snow is getting darker. Scientists have generally attributed that darkening to larger, slightly less white snow grains caused by warmer temperatures. But researchers have found a new source of darkening taking hold: impurities in the snow. The new darkening effect could easily add 2 centimeters to the projections of 20 cm sea level rise by 2100—and perhaps more if impurity levels grow with time."
"...if impurity levels grow with time." (Score:2, Informative)
Of course they will grow. As snow melts the impurities at the top get added to the impurities deeper in the snow.
The only thing that can reduce it is if the melt water floats/washes the impurities way.
China anyone? (Score:5, Informative)
And yes, the pollution really carries that far. 10-15% of the western America's pollution is from China.
Re: ...if impurity levels grow with time. (Score:4, Informative)
Scientists have generally attributed that darkening to larger, slightly less white snow grains caused by warmer temperatures.
Actually I cannot believe that scientists are that stupid. Maybe they should visit here in Winnipeg Canada where we see this every year from the tonnes of sand they put on our streets in the winter. As warmer temps rise the snow banks go from white piles to brown/grey mud piles and as more snow melts the darker it gets and the faster it melts.
No wonder people doubt climate change when scientists say things like this.
The only thing that can reduce it is if the melt water floats/washes the impurities way.
Actual in 90% of the time this is not the case, we get rain in the spring with the piles of mud and all it does is causes the snow pack to compress more (unless the snow pack is already compressed).
Re:More climate lies (Score:5, Informative)
Try looking up albedo, then performing some calculations to figure out how changes in the albedo changes changes the local temperature. Finally use that change in temperature to figure out how much ice will melt. While your results won't be as good as those produced by experienced research scientists, the basics are well within the grasp of someone with a high school education. Indeed, it is a common exercise for first year students in the physical sciences.
Once you've done that, you'll be better equipped to assess whether or not this is a climate lie.
Re:China anyone? (Score:4, Informative)
BUT, that is not the real problem. The problem is that you far lefties scream that you want America to lower our emissions, while you give nations like China and South Africa a pass on building massive new coal plants. These are plants that will NOT come down for the next 50 years. And most of China's emissions are NOT from old plants. The old ones were small plants. China will be killing those and building new much bigger ones to replace them. And in addition, to replacing the current ones, you will note that China opens 1-2 new ones EACH WEEK. CHina has plans to continue that until 2018, and I am sure that they will not slow that down because of idiots like you that give them a pass.
Why does China do all this? So as to win a cold war against the west. They basically pollute heavily so that their electricity is cheaper. Hell, they have laws that say that western companies that employ chinese will pay a minimum, while their companies have laws that say that they pay a maximum (which is less than the western company).
And before you scream that America has done the largest pollution 'historically', let me point out that the bogus studies only look at emissions from 1904 onwards. Worse, they simply allow the other govs, such as china, to declare how much coal that they burned. Yet, the majority of coal that was burned was NOT in the last 100 years, but more than 1/2 of it was from BEFORE 1900, of which nearly all of that was in Europe through asia.
There is no doubt that the far right is wrong, know that they are wrong, and simply want to move the problem over to others (similar to china).
BUT, you far lefties are just as wrong in that you are seeking to give China a pass without realizing that they are now the most destructive nation going and it will continue for the next 50 years.
Grow up and learn to fucking think.
Re: ...if impurity levels grow with time. (Score:1, Informative)
Well, if you had RTFA instead of being a dork, you would have noted that they're blaming volcanic activity in Iceland as a contributing factor.
Or are you too dumb to read?
Re:20cm of stupidiy (Score:4, Informative)
With all the money that has been spent on global warming/climate change with little to no results do they think the American public will keep pushing billions their way with no results
All that moneyspent on climate change? The fossil fuel industry receives more subsidies than renewables by a wide margin [wikipedia.org] (70% of US energy subsidies goes to fossil fuels).
Maybe if we didn't give the fossil fuel industry hundreds of billions of dollars every year it would be easier to meet emission targets?
Re:China anyone? (Score:4, Informative)
And yes, 10-15% of their pollution (CO2, etc) IS FROM CHINA. I have friends that are doing air pollution work (they developed a number of the sensors) and have determined that more than 5% of the pollution in Colorado is from China.
In addition, these ppl have been to China and did actual measurements without the gov. interferring, BUT, were not allowed to report it to the world (only to them). What they found will be astounding to the world when OCO2 finally launches and starts making measurements. At that time, ppl will find out that China is already close to 50% of CO2 emissions (yes, it is going to rise that much).