The Big Al
Meteorologist
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2005
- Messages
- 3,799
- Reaction score
- 10
I just saw Al Gore's movie and I'd like to expand on the idea a little. First of all, the term "global warming" and "climate change" aren't the best names for it. I'd call it AACC (Artifically accelerated climate change). Because that's what it is. We're accellerating the natural process a hundred fold. But the name's not that important.
What is important is the consquences. Al Gore touched on the nothern ice cap melting. However, he didn't go very far into it. Basically he said that the ice caps melting would change the energy absorbtion of the northern polar regions.
My professor told us about this theory circulated through the meteorology schools. Basically, you have to understand water compared to ice.
Ice reflects short wave radiation (visible light) very well and absorbs long wave radiation (infared light) and remmits it very well. This is why ice is able to stay cold.
Water is a completely different substance when it comes to heat. Water absorbs a lot of heat, water holds a lot of heat, and water doesn't let go of that heat easily. So when the north pole is open, the laws of thermodynamics for that region will be completely changed.
The theory goes that the waters will be relatively warm (a degree or two celsius). But the air will become slightly colder because the water wouldn't emit as much long wave radiation as the ice and it's long wave radiation that is absorbed by Carbon Dioxcide and reemitted back to earth. In meteorology class one of the basic ideas we're taught is that the dieal conditions for evaporation is cold air over warm water. The water would evaporate and form moisture laiden clouds. These clouds would then spread over the northern areas of Siberia, Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and nothern Europe. They dump incredible amounts of snow all winter long. They'd dump so much snow that the next summer wouldn't melt it all before the next winter came. So you'd have snow piling up every year until it formed new continental ice caps and begin the first man made ice age. This stage would only take a few decades once the north pole is open. However to see it run it's course, will take thousands of years until the ice shelfs spread back over the pole.
And he talked about the current disruptions and other problems that could arise. The long story short, we're headed into uncharted territory.
What is important is the consquences. Al Gore touched on the nothern ice cap melting. However, he didn't go very far into it. Basically he said that the ice caps melting would change the energy absorbtion of the northern polar regions.
My professor told us about this theory circulated through the meteorology schools. Basically, you have to understand water compared to ice.
Ice reflects short wave radiation (visible light) very well and absorbs long wave radiation (infared light) and remmits it very well. This is why ice is able to stay cold.
Water is a completely different substance when it comes to heat. Water absorbs a lot of heat, water holds a lot of heat, and water doesn't let go of that heat easily. So when the north pole is open, the laws of thermodynamics for that region will be completely changed.
The theory goes that the waters will be relatively warm (a degree or two celsius). But the air will become slightly colder because the water wouldn't emit as much long wave radiation as the ice and it's long wave radiation that is absorbed by Carbon Dioxcide and reemitted back to earth. In meteorology class one of the basic ideas we're taught is that the dieal conditions for evaporation is cold air over warm water. The water would evaporate and form moisture laiden clouds. These clouds would then spread over the northern areas of Siberia, Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and nothern Europe. They dump incredible amounts of snow all winter long. They'd dump so much snow that the next summer wouldn't melt it all before the next winter came. So you'd have snow piling up every year until it formed new continental ice caps and begin the first man made ice age. This stage would only take a few decades once the north pole is open. However to see it run it's course, will take thousands of years until the ice shelfs spread back over the pole.
And he talked about the current disruptions and other problems that could arise. The long story short, we're headed into uncharted territory.