THE pace at which the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are melting is "accelerating rapidly" and raising the global sea level, according to findings of a study financed by NASA.
The findings suggest that the ice sheets - more so than ice loss from Earth's mountain glaciers and ice caps - have become "the dominant contributor to global sea level rise, much sooner than model forecasts have predicted".
This study, published yesterday, the longest to date examining changes to polar ice sheet mass, combined two decades of monthly satellite measurements with regional atmospheric climate model data to study changes in mass.
"That ice sheets will dominate future sea level rise is not surprising - they hold a lot more ice mass than mountain glaciers," said lead author Eric Rignot, jointly of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of California, Irvine.
"What is surprising is this increased contribution by the ice sheets is already happening," he said.
Under the current trends, he said, sea level is likely to be "significantly higher" than levels projected by the United Nations climate change panel in 2007.
Isabella Velicogna, co-author of the study, told AFP that the ice sheets lose mass by melting or by breaking apart in blocks of ice, which float into the ocean.
"It's related to the warming of the planet but that was not the point of the paper. We just observed the changes," said Velicogna, a professor at UC Irvine. "It's losing mass - much more than was expected many years ago."
The study showed that in 2006, a year in which comparable results for loss from mountain glaciers and ice caps are available, the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets lost enough mass to raise global sea level by an average of 1.3mm per year.
The year-on-year acceleration rate of loss on mountain glaciers and ice caps was three times smaller than that of the ice sheets, the study said.
"The authors conclude that, if current ice sheet melting rates continue for the next four decades, their cumulative loss could raise sea level by 15cm by 2050," the report said.
"When this is added to the predicted sea level contribution of 8cm from glacial ice caps and 9cm from ocean thermal expansion, total sea level rise could reach 12.6 inches (32 centimetres)," it said.
The findings were published the March edition of Geophysical Research Letters.
But for one group of not-so happy campers, doomsday is a lot sooner...May 21 to be precise.
According to the predictions of the Family Radio ministry, on that date a massive earthquake will shake the world apart, littering the ground with 'many dead bodies'.
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The end: members of the Family radio group are sure the end of the world is coming on May 21. They point to complex numerical codes to demonstrate the accuracy of their predictions
Message: Ambassador Sheila Jonas (right) stands in front of her caravan emblazoned with the end of the world message
Those who believe in Jesus will be carried into heaven, while the rest of humanity will endure 153 days of 'death and horror' before the world ends on October 21.
The group of 10 Christians from Oakland have set out across the country in a convoy of caravans to bring the 'awesome' message of impending doom to as many people as possible.
'Project Caravan', as it has become known, is made up of members of the Family Radio network all of who have given up jobs, families and all their possessions to join this final mission.
Calling themselves 'ambassadors', the church members point to baffling biblical codes to demonstrate their reasoning.
Speaking to CNN the group's leader, 89-year-old Harold Camping, is adamant that the date is accurate.
He said: 'I know it's absolutely true, because the Bible is always absolutely true.
'If I were not faithful that would mean that I'm a hypocrite.'
Despite his conviction, Camping has predicted the world would end before - on September 4 1994.
That, he says, was a mistake, a misreading of the biblical codes used to decipher the exact date of the 'rapture'.
In order to get the warning out in time he fudged his calculations, a mistake he maintains he did not make this time.
Visits: A look at where the dooms day caravan tour has been so far. The group now have three separate caravans of around 15 vehicles touring the country
According to the Church's website, there are two 'proofs' that May 21 2011 is the judgement day.
According to them, Noah's great flood occurred in the year 4990 B.C., 'exactly' 7000 years ago.
At the time, God said to Noah he had seven days before the flood would begin.
Taking a passage from 2 Peter 3:8, in which it is said a day for God is like a thousand human years, the church reasoned that seven 'days' equals 7000 human years from the time of the flood,making 2011 the year of the apocalypse.
In its second 'proof' the exact date is revealed by working forward from the exact date of the of the crucifixion - April 1, 33 AD.
According to their reasoning, there are exactly 722,500 days from April 1, 33 A.D. until May 21, 2011 - the alleged day of judgement.
This number can be represented as follows: 5 x 10 x 17 x 5 x 10 x 17 = 722,500.
The church then argues that numbers in the bible have special meanings, with the number 5 signifying atonement or redemption, the number 10 signifying 'completeness' and the number 17 equalling heaven.
'Ambassador' Sheila Jonas, another of the Family Radio faithful, spoke of her joy at joining the not-so merry band of travellers.
She said: 'I'm in it until the end.This is so serious, I can't believe I'm here.
She will not however talk about her past because: 'There is no other story. ... we are to warn the people. Nothing else matters.'
Collection: The family radio faithful pose in front of their convoy of caravans.
Travelling in a convoy of five caravans, the doom-mongers are adamant that Jesus is coming in three months.
And for anyone harbouring doubts over the accuracy of the prediction, the group has a cast iron answer - 'the Bible guarantees it'.
With T-shirts and banners declaring the 'Awesome News' that Judgement Day is coming, the first convoy of five caravans set off in October last year.
They have now been joined by two other convoys, all travelling to different parts of the country spreading their message.
The oldest believer on the convoy, 75-year-old Gallegos from Utah, is similar to the rest of the church members.
In order to join the trip he had to leave behind a wife of 53 years and be away from his10 children and their families.
Others have left empty houses, sold antiques, disposed of art collections or given up cars and other expensive items to join the road trip of doom.
And as if the end of the world is not bad enough, there is one final bitter pill as we approach the apocalypse.
Apparently no one from Family Radio is sure what to do to guarantee a place in heaven.
God, they say, has already predetermined the roughly two to three percent of those who will be saved come May 21.
Sadly for the rest of us all we can do is wait until the end comes. Again.
NLAST WATER DUMP: At the end of the day on March 8th, a strange curlicue-shaped comet appeared in the twilight skies of Europe. It was space shuttle Discovery performing a dump of waste water. Crystals of flash-frozen urine and other substances glistened in the sunlight, putting on an impressive show. Click on the image to view of a movie of the event recorded by Jens Hackmann of Weikersheim, Germany:
Discovery is circling Earth just a few more times before it lands--and retires--at the Kennedy Space Center on March 9th. If it's dark where you live, you might be able to see Discovery one last time. Check the Simple Satellite Tracker or your smartphoneto find out when to look.
These dramatic images show how floods could devastate major cities across Britain leaving thousands of homes underwater if no flood defences were put in place.
The centres of London, Birmingham, Cardiff and Liverpool would be completely submerged with properties wrecked and businesses shutdown in the event of major flooding.
Extraordinary photographs of the devastation flooding could cause were released by the Environment Agency today to warn of the dangers of natural disasters.
Water disaster: Images shows how flooding could hit east London in a dramatic image released by the Environment Agency. Landmarks hit by flooding would include the O2 arena, the base of One Canada Square, the Canary Wharf tower, and Tower Bridge
Major rehearsals for a possible disaster are to begin involving 10,000 people as Government tests how they, the emergency services and communities will respond.
£1.8million is being spent on the test exercises which will involve ten government departments and utility companies in what ministers say isthe 'largest civil defence exercise ever' in Britain.
Over the next week Exercise Watermark will test how agencies deal with flash flooding, overflowing rivers, a reservoir threatening to burst and even a North Sea tidal surge in different parts of the country.
The 'dry runs' were recommended by Sir Michael Pitt when he carried out an official review into flooding in 2007 which hit parts of Yorkshire, the Midlands and the West Country.
Ministers will take part in mock emergency Cobra meetings and 'local resilience forums', which include police, fire and rescue services, local authorities and public bodies, will test their response to a potential disaster.
Five water companies and nearly all electricity providers will also be checking they are prepared for flooding.
In Lincolnshire, Sutton on Sea residents and pupils at a primary school will be evacuated while at Tattershall Country Park people will be rescued from roof tops, submerged vehicles and caravans using boats and helicopters.
Underwater: Projected flooding picture shows the centre of Manchester almost completely underwater
Wales underwater: Environment Agency image of where flooding could strike in Cardiff if there were no flood defences
Even Prince William could be involved as RAF helicopters are used as part of planned live water rescues which include saving people from the top of a submerged bus, at Bala Lake, in Wales.
Environment Minister Richard Benyon said: 'More extreme weather and rising sea levels mean we have to be prepared to deal with the impact of a major flood.
'Exercise Watermark will be Britain's biggest ever emergency exercise and provide a unique opportunity for us to test our responses.'
Mr Benyon insisted the exercise was not taking funding away from flood defences, which suffered cuts under the spending review, as the money came from a separate protected pot for emergency planning.
And he said the flood budget had been protected 'way in excess' of other areas of funding as it was a priority of Government.
He said ministers had ambitions to protect an extra 145,000 homes from flooding over the next four to five years. Small measures such as raising curbs or putting in low walls could protect households from surface water flooding which caused much of the damage in 2007.
Surface water maps which estimate where water would collect in the event of flash flooding are being developed across the country.
Liverpool: River is a potential flood risk - although the city will not be as badly affected as the likes of London or Cardiff
Parts of Nottingham city centre underwater after the river bursts its banks
The Environment Minister also announced more than £800,000 in grants to emergency services, charities and other groups to buy flood rescue equipment and training, as part of a £2million fund to improve the response to floods across England and Wales.
The grants include boats and equipment for fire and rescue services and St John Ambulance and equipment and training for the RSPCA.
Environment Agency chairman Lord Chris Smith said: 'Exercise Watermark will test the plans that Government, the Environment Agency, local authorities and communities have put in place since the devastating floods of 2007. It will help protect lives and homes against future floods.'
He added: 'One in six properties in England and Wales is at risk from flooding. I urge everyone in that position to sign up to receive free Environment Agency flood warnings.'
Flooding disaster: The Houses of Parliament and major landmarks across the capital are underwater in this previously released simulation image
It seems like record-breaking snowfalls are becoming old hat in Vermont these days. What gives?
An extremely snowy Main Street in Burlington on Monday, March 7, 2011. The city was socked with two feet of snow the biggest March storm on record.
As of mid-afternoon Monday, the National Weather Service office in South Burlington measured 24.3 inches of new snow, making the storm that began Sunday the largest March snowstorm on record. Click here for a huge selection of Free Press photos of the giant snowstorm.
In recent years, there have been a lot more records around here:
—Burlington’s biggest snowstorm, 33.1 inches, was recorded in January, 2010.
— The city’s biggest 24 hour snowfall, 24 inches, came during the Valentine’s Day blizzard of 2007.
—Eight of the city’s biggest 20 snowstorms have happened since 2000.
—Three of Burlington’s snowiest five winters, including this one, have happened since 2000.
—Fifteen of the past 20 winters in Burlington had above average snowfall.
Believe it or not, there’s the chance that all this snow here and elsewhere in the nation is related to global warming, according to the New York Times and other media sources.
Cars are buried in a Burlington parking lot after two feet of snow socked the city Sunday and Monday.
That sounds ludicrous, I know. How could frigid, heavy snowstorms have anything to do with global warming?
As the world warms up, the atmosphere can hold more water. Warmer air can hold on to more moisture than cold air.
All that moisture stuck up in the air has to come down to earth eventually, and it does so during storms.
If there’s more moisture in the air than there used to be, it’s possible that in some parts of the world, the storms would tend to be bigger and produce more precipitation than they used to. Many climatologists say the northeastern United States would get wetter in a warming world.
It can still get plenty cold in Vermont, with or without global warming, so some of that heavier precipitation can come down as snow. This also might be true for recent snowy winters in the eastern United States.
Though almost all climate scientists say the world is warming, there is definitely less agreement on whether there is a connection between snowstorms and climate change.
After all, a few snowstorms in Burlington, Vermont tell you almost nothing about what’s going on with the whole world’s climate. The scientists who say there might be a snowstorm/warming connection say the situation just loads the dice. It makes big snowstorms more likely here, but not guaranteed.
Other scientists say they think the snowstorms have nothing to do with global warming. It might be related to shifts in weather patterns brought on by natural cycles, or just flukes.
The bottom line is, the fact that global warming in general causes bigger storms might, just might, be setting Vermont up for bigger snowstorms. The evidence is tantalyzing, but it’s clear nobody has proven the connection yet.
This clearly needs more smart people to study this situation more.
, Irvine.
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