On Sun, 17 Feb 2013 11:37:10 -0500, T. Keating <
tkus...@ktcnslt.com>
wrote:
>On Sun, 17 Feb 2013 01:44:25 -0500, emoneyjoe <
emon...@iglou.com> wrote:
>
>>On Sat, 16 Feb 2013 15:01:50 -0500, T. Keating <
tkus...@ktcnslt.com>
>>wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>Arctic Death Spiral Bombshell: CryoSat-2 Confirms Sea Ice Volume Has Collapsed
>>>
>>>By Joe Romm on Feb 14, 2013 at 6:28 pm
>>>
>>>
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/02/14/1594211/death-spiral-bombshell-cryosat-2-confirms-arctic-sea-ice-volume-has-collapsed/
>>>
>>>"The sharp drop in Arctic sea ice area has been matched by a harder-to-see, but equally
>>>sharp, drop in sea ice thickness. The combined result has been a collapse in total sea ice
>>>volume — to one fifth of its level in 1980."
>>>
>>>Even worse, the PEAK spring time arctic ice volume, is now approaching the Minimum ice
>>>volume seen in 1979(Sept).. I.E. April sea ice volume max (2012) ~= Nov min (1979),
>>
>> Wasn't most Arctic sea ice fresh water ice
>>and snow pack on the old ice?
>
>The sea water freezing process releases a significant amount of salt solution, this denser
>brine solution sinks and helps to maintain the ocean circulation patterns.
>
>As far as old ice.. that's mostly gone now.. just 20% remaining, soon it will be all gone.
>
>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_ice
>
>
http://nsidc.org/cryosphere/seaice/characteristics/brine_salinity.html
>"Salinity and Brine"
All of which seems to ignore the ice formed
by snow on top of any ice.
>"When frazil ice crystals form, salt accumulates into droplets called brine, which are
>typically expelled back into the ocean. This raises the salinity of the near-surface
>water. Some brine droplets become trapped in pockets between the ice crystals. These
>droplets are saline, whereas the ice around them is not. The brine remains in a liquid
>state because much cooler temperatures would be required for it to freeze. At this stage,
>the sea ice has a high salt content. Over time, the brine drains out, leaving air pockets,
>and the salinity of the sea ice decreases. Brine can move out of sea ice in diferent ways:
>Aided by gravity, the brine migrates downward through holes and channels in the ice,
>eventually emptying back into the ocean."
Does that say there is more salt in sea ice
than in sea water?
>> Is there some reason to think that the
>>volume should stay the same in between
>>ice ages?
>
>It was until mankind showed up and started putting large amounts of CO2 into the
>atmosphere..
Really? Is that what melted the mile
of ice on Canada and northwest Europe?
>> Unless salt water can freeze easily
>>or there is lots of glaciers spitting ice,
>
>It does freeze under the right conditions, but it doesn't form thick ice bergs.
Because the water is close to zero C.
>>there is no way for ice to recover even
>>if the temperatures stay below freezing.
>
>It would recover it conditions weren't so warm..
>The problem is that the water coming up from the equator has more energy(warmer)..
Then it is the Gulf Stream and other
air and water circulation (that could
continue even if there was no warming).
>> Have you seen a good discussion of
>>the Arctic sea ice conditions and how
>>much of the ice is fresh water ice?
>>
>> Aren't all icebergs fresh water ice?
>>Isn't a lot of the ice left from the last ice age?
>
>Fresh water Iceberg's that you seek are calved from land based glaciers..
Don't try to claim that all ice on the
Arctic Ocean is frozen sea water.
Any melting now is small potatoes
compared to what went on 18,000
years ago.
What caused the fast melting then?
One of the references above lists
first year ice as being up to 2 meters
thick. I can't believe that ice that
thick can melt in one summer.