Climate Letter #1467

Ice loss from Antarctica is in view as a major cause for worry (The Conversation).  This article was written by three Australian scientists who are involved in the research and know how to clearly explain the many features that make a difference in the way Antarctica’s ice behave.  It starts with the potential weakness of all the ice in West Antarctica “because of its deep interface with the ocean.”

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–Extra comment:  The amount of sea ice surrounding the continent is truly extraordinary, as shown in the image below—apparently larger in area than the continent of Australia during the depths of winter.  Much of it is in a fragmented state around the edges, where pieces can easily break off and float away when wind gusts are high.  Look closely for bits that show up well offshore in the image (along with a small number of islands.)  Those bits have a cooling effect on the surface water as they melt, and the meltwater is bouyant because of low salt content,  sitting on top of warmer (and saltier) water that freely circulates underneath.
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https://climatereanalyzer.org/wx_frames/gfs/ds/gfs_nh-sat6_seaice-snowc-topo_1-day.png

Increasingly heavy rainfall in tropical storms and hurricanes is a symptom of climate change (EcoWatch).  The extra amounts of heat that are present allow more water vapor to be taken out of the ocean body and soon thereafter delivered as rain.  The rates of increase in recent storms are measurable, compared with past events.  “I think we’re at the beginnings of the new normal,” says one scientist.  Studies are showing that the flooding element in hurricanes is altogether more damaging than the wind.
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A new study explains the physical processes that will tend to increase summer drought conditions in parts of the US (Phys.org).  “The findings raise the idea of a self-reinforcing climate loop: as a region’s climate becomes more arid due to climate change, droughts become hotter, further reducing soil moisture.  Overall, these results indicate that strengthened land-atmosphere feedback is a significant physical driver for increasing occurrences of drought-related extreme heatwaves, particularly over the semi-arid and arid regions of the United States.”  The north and northeastern parts of the US do not show this effect.
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Another study looks at all the processes that produces wildfires in California (EurekAlert).  As in the above study, the combination of arid ground and rising air temperature is a salient factor, often the decisive driver.  In support of a frightening theory that has recently emerged, “It suggests that wildfires could grow exponentially in the next 40 years, as temperatures continue to rise.”
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A new study debunks the idea that “green growth” is an adequate solution to climate change (The Ecologist).  The green part is fine, but the real issue concerns the sustainability of today’s continuing rate of economic growth.  “The true cause for concern is the predominant focus among policy-makers on green growth as a panacea, with this focus being based on the flawed assumption that sufficient decoupling can be achieved through increased efficiency without limiting economic production and consumption.”  In other words, the way forward involves serious downscaling, whether business interests—or the public at large—likes it or not.  (I don’t like it either, but I believe the conclusion is absolutely correct, leaving us with a hard choice indeed, and no time left to think about it.)
–Here is a link to the report, which is of highly thorough content and equally extensive Bibliography:
Carl

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