Exponential

[Tigertown]

For so long, we have heard the year 2100 referred to as the time frame that we, or our offspring would really start to pay for our part in global warming. A fraction of a degree per year increase in the mean temperature for the planet over the pre-industrial average was expected. But now, with the emphasis on self sustaining feedback loops, many scientists and especially mathematicians believe we are no longer looking at a linear function but a polynomial one. They believe that global warming is not just speeding up, but that the acceleration itself is also accelerating. This is important, because if it is true, things are going to change, not over lifetimes, but very fast. The last three years are lending a lot of credence to this theory, but we will know for certain soon enough.

[Laurent]

That was discussed already in the limb of the archive.

There is a good video of Albert Bartlett a bit long, you can find something shorter.
http://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/index.php?action=post;quote=67954;topic=741.0;last_msg=72288

[abbottisgone]

Tigertown,

Global Temperature stats may be confirming this idea but sea ice stats- pertaining to the last 3 years only that is- don't seem to exactly corroborate that same idea.

Glacier statistics might but I don't know much about them apart from apparently there not being enough of them.

Is there any way you can put what you've got to say in the form of a question?

[Tigertown]

It has been many years since I studied science and math on a collegiate level. I don't remember much. I barely remember that in engineering, like a circuit design, if you wanted to control a spike, you could use a damper or capacitor or so forth. Could it be that the sea ice,along with glaciers and ice sheets are the few dampers we have that are keeping this whole thing from really spiraling out of control? It seems the oceans are starting to reject any storing of additional heat. Oops, gotta go, another surprise thunderstorm just came up out of nowhere. We are getting them daily now,it seems.