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Author Topic: Caves point to thawing of Siberia  (Read 4433 times)

mati

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Caves point to thawing of Siberia
« on: February 23, 2013, 04:17:44 PM »
Just a 1.5 C increase in temperature will  have significant thawing effects in Siberia

http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/news_releases_for_journalists/130221.html

 :(
and so it goes

Gray-Wolf

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Re: Caves point to thawing of Siberia
« Reply #1 on: February 24, 2013, 10:46:10 AM »
We need remember we have already had 0.8c of that rise since the start of the industrial revolution and, over the past 15yrs, have seen a significant change to the northern hemisphere albedo over summer here. I worry that the remaining 0.7c will very quickly be attained as the planet responds to the albedo flip and the extra energy, once employed on ice/snow melt ( that is also free to do other tasks in the climate now) will be plenty enough to drive a small scale 'abrupt climate shift' over the coming decade?

I think folk also need to remember that our carbon cycle has a large portion that is currently hibernating under the two great ice sheets and so any further hike in temp from the loss of the permafrost also attacks these bodies re-animating the carbon there?

I get the feeling that we must entertain the notion that ,over time, we will have brought about the total deglaciation of the planet?
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StuartC

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Re: Caves point to thawing of Siberia
« Reply #2 on: February 26, 2013, 04:43:28 AM »
Gray-Wolf, they were pretty clear in the press-release that they are talking about a 1.5C temperature increase over and above today's 0.8C.  I think the paper is worth taking seriously, and I posted about this in the Cryosphere > Permafrost section:

https://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/index.php/topic,36.msg538.html#msg538
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PhillipS

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Re: Caves point to thawing of Siberia
« Reply #3 on: March 29, 2013, 05:35:48 PM »
From the press release -

"global warming of 1.5°C compared to the pre-industrial period is enough to cause substantial thawing of permafrost far north from its present-day southern limit."

It seems pretty clear to me that they are not talking about an additional increase of 1.5 C over today's temperatures, but rather an increase of 0.7 C over the 0.8 C increase already observed over the instrumental period from pre-industrial times.
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CraigsIsland

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Re: Caves point to thawing of Siberia
« Reply #4 on: March 29, 2013, 06:44:47 PM »
From the press release -

"global warming of 1.5°C compared to the pre-industrial period is enough to cause substantial thawing of permafrost far north from its present-day southern limit."

It seems pretty clear to me that they are not talking about an additional increase of 1.5 C over today's temperatures, but rather an increase of 0.7 C over the 0.8 C increase already observed over the instrumental period from pre-industrial times.

Yeah pretty scary scenario. It won't take much to get that increase.