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Melting Away...
September 24 , 2008
Glacier Melting
No one has ever accused me of being a tree hugging environmentalist. And I doubt they ever will. Yes, I recycle (not as much as I could), yes I (occasionally) buy the ‘green’ cleaners for around the home, so on and so on. But, as you know, my passion lies with the ocean- and conserving that, is an issue for me.
One of the issues that has been discussed recently (and not so recently) is the melting of glaciers. To some degree, this is normal, and a part of the earth’s life cycle. But the amount that has been melting is disturbing, to say the least.
Greenland (that big country up ‘near’ the North Pole) holds enough ice to raise global sea levels by 23 feet. Factor in the ice sheets of
Antarctica and the ocean depths would increase over 200 feet! Satellite measurements from space and speed measurements on land confirm that
Greenland 's glaciers are melting and on the move. Because
Antarctica is ‘further’ away from populated industrial centers, the impact there is not as large, but still occurring.
Past history show that glaciers can disappear in a hurry, however, and raise sea levels by more than half an inch a year. No, this doesn’t sound like a lot, but factor in the today’s global warming, and industrialization, and that number can be raised significantly.
Scientists admit ice sheets that melted in the past had an easier path to the sea than the glaciers in Greenland or
Antarctica . "The analogies between those past climates and today aren't strong enough to say anything specific about the rate of sea level rise in the next century," scientists state.
So what does that mean? It means sea levels will rise much more previous predictions, based on both current understanding of glacial melts as well as historical evidence. Scientists admit their predictions are merely guesses. And that should really concern all of us!
Do you have video or photo footage of glaciers or other fantastic sights? Upload them to SplashVision today!
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Mysterious Lights
September 24 , 2008
Sailors on the sea have long told stories of oceans that glow bright as day during the dead of night. For many years, such stories were counted as mere folk lore, along the lines of mermaids and sea dragons. Even Jules Verne recounted the sight in the classic "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."
But now, the sight has been captured by scientists, even tough they really can’t explain what’s happening. Satellites have provided the first pictures of a milky sea and given scientists hope in learning more about the phenomenon.
The images from the Indian Ocean encompass an area about the size of
Connecticut , glowing three nights in a row. The glow was also spotted from a ship in the area.
"The circumstances under which milky seas form is almost entirely unknown," says Steven Miller, a Naval Research Laboratory scientist who led the space-based discovery. "Even the source for the light emission is under debate."
Scientists suspect bioluminescent bacteria are behind the glow. Such creatures produce a continuous glow, rather than the brief, bright flashes of light produced by "dinoflagellate" organims that are seen more commonly lighting up ship wakes and breaking waves.
"The problem with the bacteria hypothesis is that an extremely high concentration of bacteria must exist before they begin to produce light," Miller told LiveScience. "But what could possibly support the occurrence of such a large population?"
One idea, put forward by the lone research vessel to ever encounter a milky sea, is that the bacteria are not free-living, but instead are living off some local supporting "substrate."
The event occurred in 1995 and was finally analyzed and reported last week in the Proceedings of the
National
Academy of Sciences.
The mystery highlights how little scientists know about the ocean. Milky seas appear to be most prevalent in the Indian Ocean, where there are many trade routes, and near .
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Solar Powered Boat
September 24 , 2008
In this day and age of ‘green is better’ and emphasis on alternate energy sources, a solar powered boat out of is making waves! It may be slow, and you won’t get too far, but the designers and builders of the Serpentine Solar Shuttle claim it is the most advanced passenger ferry in the water! It’s maiden voyage was in London’s
Hyde Park in the lake.
At a breakneck speed of roughly 5 miles per hour (hold on to those hats!!!) it’s not exactly made for speed, but with the ability to carry up to 42 passengers, future designs are being created for a faster version that can carry more.
Beginning Saturday, operators will offer one-way tickets for the half-mile cruise at $2.75, per child and $5.50 for adults.
"This is the most technologically advanced shuttle in the world right now," said designer Christoph Behling, who also designed the world's largest solar boat in
Hamburg, .
"It is made of entirely stainless steel which means it never gets old. It will pave the way for future boats and trains and other means of transportation," Behling said.
The Serpentine Shuttle has 27 solar panels on its roof, and the energy generated by the sun is enough to keep the boat running for a distance of 82 miles (give or take). The design of the vessel makes it possible to sail even on overcast days. Saving nearly 5,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, the boat is the first of its kind.
When the ferry is idle, surplus electricity generated by the solar panels will be fed back into the national transmission network.
Designers are working on a 300-passenger solar-powered ferry to run on the
Thames , and hopes it could be ready in 2008. A 60-passenger solar-powered train for London's
Battersea
Park is also in the works.
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