Permafrost line recedes 130 km in 50 years

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.relationsmedias.ulaval.ca/comm/2010/fevrier/frontiere-pergelisol-recule-130-ans-2511.html?an=1

Permafrost line recedes 130 km in 50 years

Quebec City, February 17, 2010–The southern limit of permanently frozen ground, or permafrost, is now 130 kilometers further north than it was 50 years ago in the James Bay region, according to two researchers from the Department of Biology at Université Laval. In a recent issue of the scientific journal Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, Serge Payette and Simon Thibault suggest that, if the trend continues, permafrost in the region will completely disappear in the near future.

The researchers measured the retreat of the permafrost border by observing hummocks known as “palsas,” which form naturally over ice contained in the soil of northern peat bogs. Conditions in these mounds are conducive to the development of distinct vegetation—lichen, shrubs, and black spruce—that make them easy to spot in the field.

In an initial survey in 2004, the researchers examined seven bogs located between the 51st and 53rd parallels. They noted at that time that only two of the bogs contained palsas, whereas aerial photos taken in 1957 showed palsas present in all of the bogs. A second assessment in 2005 revealed that the number of palsas present in these two bogs had decreased over the course of one year by 86% and 90% respectively.

Helicopter flyovers between the 51st and 55th parallels also revealed that the palsas are in an advanced state of deterioration over the entire James Bay area.

While climate change is the most probable explanation for this phenomenon, the lack of long term climatic data for the area makes it impossible for the researchers to officially confirm this. Professor Payette notes, however, that the average annual temperature of the northern sites he has studied for over 20 years has increased by 2 degrees Celsius. “If this trend keeps up, what is left of the palsas in the James Bay bogs will disappear altogether in the near future, and it is likely that the permafrost will suffer the same fate,” concludes the researcher affiliated to the Centre d’études nordiques.

...

[hatrack]

1. Uh. Wow.

Damn.

[OKIsItJustMe]

2. It's all kind of fascinating

Kind of like a deer, fascinated by oncoming headlights.

[tinrobot]

3. Hey, but Lake Erie froze over...

So, this can't possibly be true.

:sarcasm:

[OKIsItJustMe]

4. You know, I heard something about that recently

I guess you're probably right. By now, the permafrost has probably all come back.

[GliderGuider]

5. But somebody said it's not significant.

So I've stopped worrying about it.

[beardown]

6. Another factor joins the dark side.

First the oceans, then the ice caps, and now the permafrost. The cabal of ass scientists (sorry, using a term from a different thread) and Earth factors that are lying to us about global warming just duped another member into joining their socialist, commie, fascist plot to deprive us of our SUV's and winter heat.

It's getting so you just can't trust any environment factors to tell the truth anymore.

Just to save some of the deniers the trouble of piling on here ---

So where should the level of permafrost be?

What's wrong with moving the permafrost back? We'll be able to dig more gardens.

The permafrost didn't exist when the Earth was in it's molten stage and man had nothing to do with that receding so we don't have anything to do with this one.

[tabatha]

7. Yeah, man had nothing to do with Earth in its molten stage

and man had nothing to do with the organisms that pumped O2 into the atmosphere, so that man could evolve into a science-denying cabal, and kill all the O2 pumping organisms and, as a result, himself.

[tinrobot]

9. True, permafrost didn't exist when the Earth was in it's molten stage

You're very astute. I wouldn't have thought about that.

Are you advocating that we melt the entire planet?

[tabatha]

11. Incomprehensible post.

[OKIsItJustMe]

12. I swear, we need an :irony: tag

Hey folks, I think you're both taking posts seriously which were meant ironically.

[tabatha]

14. Yes, please, an irony tag.

I could not make out whether it was irony or serious --- which, I guess, says something about both.

[Nihil]

17. The "dark side" indeed.

More dark ocean instead of light ice.

More dark rotting ground instead of permafrost-bound storage.

More black body absorption rather than reflection into space.

Why does the planet hate the consumers' freedom?

[Another Bill C.]

8. A typical debate here

http://www.topix.net/forum/source/twincities-pioneer-press/TRVQVHDG60VUKEP24

[tabatha]

10. Unfortunately, most of the comments are so mindless

with so many dishonest summaries, that it hurts my head to read the "debate".

[amborin]

13. won't this also trigger the "methane burp?" really bad news!

[OKIsItJustMe]

15. Well... theoretically, it may be increasing methane emissions

I shy away from the word "burp" as it seems like an instantaneous sort of thing, which (arguably) from a geological perspective, it may be. However, from a human perspective, it would likely extend over many many years.

[Elmore Furth]

16. A world map by NOAA shows significant warming this winter despite cooler North America and Europe

Climate does not equal local weather, despite climate-change deniers.


http://www.lincolnweather.org/January2010-global-temperatures.html

http://wwfblogs.org/climate/content/noaa-global-temps-jan2010