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Caution
All technical information and scientific data released by US Government agencies (e.g., NASA, EPA…) are subject to sudden variation because of political expediency.
This caution also extends to the fidelity of the information provided by UN organizations (e.g., FAO, WHO…).
Point of No Return: Unless global energy consumption is reduced immediately to below 60EJ, mechanisms that are destroying the ecosystems including ozone holes, global heating, extreme climatic events... reach the point of no return, overwhelm the life support systems, render most cities uninhabitable by 2015 or earlier.
Animal Killer Sarah Palin Signs on as a Commentator with Fox ‘News’
Former governor of Alaska and the mother of Bristol Palin has joined the Fox ‘News’ Channel as a commentator, reports said.
Oil and Gas Republican Sarah [‘the Lord is coming soon’] Palin, who unsuccessfully ran for the post of vice-president in the 2008 election, and resigned as Alaska governor in July 2009, is hitting the make-believe news network scene.
[Just before this woman shot me, I was alive and well, looking forward to running around with my kids all day.] A video tribute to Sarah Palin at the Republican convention was titled “Mother, Moose Hunter, Maverick.” The word “murderer” was intentionally removed. Photo: AP. Image may be subject to copyright. Click image to enlarge.
Mrs Palin, said to be incapable of stringing a full sentence together, would start as a freshman on the channel [presumably to comment on the sports news,] Australian- owned Fox ‘News,’ said, refusing to divulge financial details of the 3-year deal.
“I am thrilled to be joining the great talent and management team at Fox News,” Mrs Palin said in a statement posted on the network’s website.
“It’s wonderful to be part of a place that so values fair and balanced news.”
“[Mrs Palin] captivated everyone on both sides of the political spectrum”. Fox’s executive vice-president for programming, Bill Shine, said, forgetting to mention Alaska’s Russian speaking neighbors.
“We are excited to add her dynamic voice to the Fox News line-up,” he boasted.
In addition to her commentary chores, Palin would occasionally host a program featuring “inspirational tales involving ordinary Americans.” The Washington Post reported.
Asked how she would qualify as a commentator despite her legendary public displays of total ignorance on political, geographical, environmental, social and parental issues, Mrs Palin is believed to have cited her previous TV experience when she worked part-time as a sports presenter for the KTUU station in Anchorage, Alaska in the 1980s.
When badgered for an opinion, a senior FOX network executive, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, is believed to have said: “Hey Fux! This is all a load of make-believe crock, what did you expect from Crocodile Dundee network?”
Human activity is ultimately responsible for the intensity and frequency of most present-day forest fires like Alaska’s; to call them ‘wildfires,’ therefore, is disingenuous and unintelligent.
Burn Scars Near Confluence of Yukon and Tanana Rivers, Alaska
infrared-enhanced (visible, shortwave-IR, and near-IR) [acquired August 9, 2009]
natural-color [acquired August 9, 2009] Cool, wet weather over the second weekend of August moderated fire activity in interior Alaska. When the skies cleared on August 9, 2009, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured these images. Fires that had been churning out thick clouds of smoke the previous week were quiet; according to the daily situation report from the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center on August 11, 2009, however, the fires were still smoldering.
The top image is an infrared-enhanced view of the area at the confluence of the Tanana River with the Yukon, west of Fairbanks, made from a combination of visible, shortwave-infrared, and near-infrared light. Vegetation is bright green, water is dark blue (nearly black in marsh pools), and burned areas are brick red. The largest fire in the state, the Railbelt Complex, is partially hidden by clouds at image right. The lower image shows a natural-color (photo-like) view of the area. The muddy waters of the two rivers are light brown, and different kinds of vegetation, including spruce forests and muskeg, appear in shades of green. The burned areas are dark brown. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team. Caption by Rebecca Lindsey.
Fires in Interior Alaska [acquired August 3, 2009] Red flag warnings, cautioning residents that weather conditions were dangerously favorable for the rapid growth of wildfires, were in place for much of eastern Alaska on August 3, 2009, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image. Places where the sensor detected actively burning fires are marked with red dots. Hundreds of thousands of acres were burning at the time of this image. The largest fire, the Railbelt Complex, had grown to more than 481,000 acres as of August 4, and the southern perimeter of the fire was active along a 12-mile front, according to the morning situation report from the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center.
The large image provided above is at MODIS’ maximum spatial resolution (level of detail). Twice-daily images of interior Alaska are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team in additional resolutions and formats, including a false-color version that highlights the location of burn scars and georeferenced images that can be used in Google Earth. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team. All captions by Rebecca Lindsey.
Climate change is permanently changing the face of Alaska, Earth
In Alaska, 35 percent forest, climate change is causing irreversible changes including droughts, forest fires, and infestations of tree-killing insects like spruce beetles and spruce budworm moths. In the last 15 years, the spruce beetles, which thrive in warmer climates, have destroyed a total of about 3 million acres (1.21 million hectares) of spruce forest in south-central Alaska.
More Than 1 Million Acres Burning in Interior Alaska
Large wildfires that began in July continued to burn in interior Alaska in the first week of August 2009. These images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite on August 2 show some of the state’s largest blazes and the thick pall of smoke they were creating. The top image is a natural-color (photo-like) view of the area, while the lower image combines visible, shortwave-, and near-infrared light to make burned areas (brick red) stand out better from unburned vegetation (bright green). In this kind of false-color image, the bright pink areas along the perimeters of the fires are often a sign of open flame.
According to the August 3 report from the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center, 483 fires were burning across the state, affecting about 2.4 million acres. The Railbelt Complex was the largest at an estimated 462,298 acres. The Tanana River appears to be creating a natural firebreak at the northern edge of the fire, which is spreading to the south. To the east, the smaller Wood River Fire (107,634 acres) has bright pink spots along both its northern and southern perimeters. Both these fires, as well as the Big Creek Fire (145,652 acres) and Little Black One Fire (292,907 acres) along the Yukon River, were triggered by lightning. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team. Caption by Rebecca Lindsey.
Alaska has experienced an average warming of 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 °F) and about 4.5 °C (8°F) in the inner regions in winter months since the 1960s, the largest regional warming of anywhere in the U.S., according to records.
The warmer temperature means Alaska’s peat bogs, which are nearly 14,000 years old, are drying up. Ed Berg, an ecologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, has discovered that shrubs and other plants have been rooting in areas of peat big normally too soggy for woody plants to grow during the last three decades.
As the areas of beetle-infested forest grow, more land is clear-cut and land speculation frenzy grows.
Wetlands are a natural defense mechanism retarding forest fires. The warmer weather and drier forest therefore could lead to more forest fires.
Drying or burning peat bogs, which comprise 50-60 percent carbon, would release additional carbon dioxide, the principal greenhouse gas, to the atmosphere.
An unusual pattern is left by forest fire as seen in this photograph of a mountain in Yoho National Park in British Columbia west of the Alberta border in this August 8, 2005 file picture. REUTERS/Andy Clark. Image may be subject to copyright.
Human activity is ultimately responsible for the intensity and frequency of most present-day forest fires like Alaska’s; to call them ‘wildfires,’ therefore, is disingenuous and unintelligent.
Sarah Palin announced her resignation as Alaska governor in Wasilla. Photo: Robert DeBerry/AP. Image may be subject to copyright.
Sarah Palin has resigned as Alaska’s governor.
“We know we can effect positive change outside government at this moment in time on another scale and actually make a difference for our priorities,” she said.
Palin will transfer authority to her deputy, lieutenant governor Sean Parnell by end of July 2009.
Palin was NOT expected to win the next gubernatorial election in Alaska due in 2010.
BP America, BPXA may be fined $500m for repeated violations
The U.S. government has reportedly filed a civil lawsuit against BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc (BPXA) for violating U.S. clean air and water laws, according to the U.S. Justice Department.
BPXA is accused of illegally discharging at least 260,000 gallons (~ 1 million liters) of crude oil “from its pipelines in Prudhoe Bay onto the North Slope of Alaska during two major oil spills in the spring and summer of 2006.” Reuters reporetd.
According to the suit, BPXA also failed to employ proper spill prevention measures as stipulated by the Clean Water Act.
BP America Tower shadows the Fountain of Eternal Life in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. Image source: outdoor webshots. Image may be subject to copyright.
“We have taken significant steps to ensure that our operations are safe and reliable, and protect the environment,” said a spokesman at BPXA, a wholly owned subsidiary of BP America, a part of UK’s BP Plc.
The lawsuit filed by DOJ on behalf of DOT and EPA seeks
An injunction against future violation by BPXA, requiring the company to take appropriate action to prevent spills
Damages caused by the spills
Maximum possible punitive damages allowed by the law
“The state of Alaska also filed a lawsuit against BP on Tuesday, relating to the 2006 oil spill, but did not specify a proposed fine, ” said the report.
Since 1999, BP America has been found guilty on various negligence charges, or forced to settle for repeated violations including,
Pipeline spill in violation of the Clean Water Act 2007
Fatal fire in 2005 at BP refinery in Texas City
Propane-market manipulations by BP futures traders in 2004
Illegally dumping hazardous waste at its Endicott oil field on the North Slope in 1999
The company has been forced to pay in damages, fines and settlements a total of about $27m so far.
Crater showing rapidly melting glacier and enlarged “ice piston” feature. Picture Date: March 21, 2009. Image Creator: Cyrus Read. Image courtesy of AVO/USGS.
Top vent in the Redoubt summit crater. Picture Date: March 21, 2009. Image Creator: Cyrus Read. Image courtesy of AVO/USGS.
Looking south at the north flank of Redoubt volcano. Ashfall limited to south crater floor, rim, and extending south-southeast. Source of ash is a vent south of the 1990 dome at an elevation of ~8300 ft. (~2, 530m). Picture Date: March 15, 2009 - Image Creator: Heather Bleick. Image courtesy of AVO/USGS.
AVO/USGS Volcanic Activity Notice
Volcano: Redoubt (CAVW #1103-03-)
Current Volcano Alert Level: WARNING
Current Aviation Color Code: RED
Issued: Sunday, March 22, 2009, 11:26 PM AKDT (20090322/0726Z) Source: Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) Notice Number: 2009/A12 Location: N 60 deg 29 min W 152 deg 44 min Elevation: 10197 ft (3,108 m) Area: Cook Inlet-South Central Alaska
Volcanic Activity Summary: The eruption of Mt. Redoubt continues. The height of the eruption cloud is estimated to be 50,000 ft above sea level. Further reports will be issued as more information becomes available.
Recent Observations:
[Volcanic cloud height] The height of the eruption cloud is estimated to be 50,000 ft above sea level. Further reports will be issued as more information becomes available.
[Other volcanic cloud information] Nil
[Mudflow] Mudflows are possible on Drift and Crescent Rivers.
[Ash fall] Ashfall likely in the vicinity of and downwind from the volcano.
Location of Redoubt volcano, in relationship to surrounding towns, roads, and other volcanoes. Image Date: September 26, 2008. Image Creator: Janet Schaefer. Image courtesy of the AVO/ADGGS.
Contacts: Tom Murray, Scientist-in-Charge, USGS
tlmurray@usgs.gov (907) 786-7497
Steve McNutt, Coordinating Scientist, UAF
steve@giseis.alaska.edu (907) 474-7131
Mount Redoubt rises to 3108 m on the west side of Cook Inlet, 170 km SW of Anchorage. Redoubt volcano was constructed over a basement of glacially eroded Mesozoic granitic rocks, seen here in the foreground. The volcano has been very active during the Holocene, producing at least 30 tephra layers in the Cook Inlet basin stratigraphy. A steam plume rises from the summit crater, which is breached to the north, in this view from the NW following its 1989-90 eruption. Iliamna volcano is visible in the left distance. Photo by Christina Neal (U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Volcano Observatory). Caption GVP.
Next Notice: A new VAN will be issued if conditions change significantly or alert levels are modified. While a VAN is in effect, regularly scheduled updates are posted at
http://www.avo.alaska.edu
The Alaska Volcano Observatory is a cooperative program of the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, and the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys.
URGENT – WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
240 AM AKDT MON MAR 23 2009
SUSITNA VALLEY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF, TALKEETNA, WILLOW, CANTWELL
THE ASHFALL ADVISORY IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM AKDT THIS
MORNING.
REDOUBT VOLCANO AT 60.5N 152.7W HAS ERUPTED SEVERAL TIMES DURING
THE NIGHT. LIGHT ASHFALL HAS ALREADY BEEN REPORTED AT SKWENTNA.
LIGHT ASHFALL IS POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE SUSITNA VALLEY THIS
MORNING.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
AN ASHFALL ADVISORY MEANS THAT ASH WILL BE DEPOSITED IN THE
ADVISORY AREA. PEOPLE IN AREAS OF ASHFALL SHOULD SEAL WINDOWS AND
DOORS. PROTECT ELECTRONICS AND COVER AIR INTAKES AND OPEN WATER
SUPPLIES. MINIMIZE DRIVING. LISTEN TO YOUR RADIO STATION FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION.
Redoubt Ashfall – Current trajectory model. NOAA/NWS FO
Hot smoke and gas were ejected from two new fumaroles that appeared in the snow and ice layer on Alaska’s Redoubt Volcano.
Photo by Chris Waythomas, Alaska Volcano Observatory /U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
The AVO researchers reported that the ice layer surrounding the volcano is melting rapidly because of the hot gasses that are spewing out of the fumaroles. The gases reportedly include carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and sulfur dioxide, which means magma is edging upward. AVO scientists also believe new magma has entered Redoubt, which means that there is strong possibility the volcano will explode in the near future.
The 3,108-meter volcano, considered the 9th most active in the U.S., is about 170 kilometers from Anchorage, Alaska.
AVO report dated 2009-02-03 15:02:56
“Unrest at Redoubt Volcano continues. Seismic activity remains elevated above background. Clear web camera images show no activity at the volcano. An AVO crew is working near the volcano today. They have installed one new seismic station and are presently working on a second installation. AVO is monitoring the volcano 24 hours a day.”
AVO Redoubt Scenarios
Based on their knowledge of Redoubt’s past activities, both historical and from the geologic record, and their analysis of the current episode of unrest, AVO suggests four possible scenarios:
Failed Eruption
ERUPTION SIMILAR TO OR SMALLER THAN 1989-90
Unrest continues to escalate culminating in an eruption that is similar to or smaller than the one that occurred in 1989-90.
Larger [than 1989-90] Explosive Eruption
Flank Collapse
Based on all available monitoring data and AVOs knowledge of the volcano, scenario number two, an eruption similar to or smaller than that of 1989-90, appears to be the most probable outcome at this time. We consider one and three to be somewhat less likely, and scenario four to be much less likely. —AVO
Geologic Summary: Redoubt is a 3108-m-high glacier-covered stratovolcano with a breached summit crater in Lake Clark National Park about 170 km SW of Anchorage. Next to Mount Spurr, Redoubt has been the most active Holocene volcano in the upper Cook Inlet. Collapse of the summit of Redoubt 10,500-13,000 years ago produced a major debris avalanche that reached Cook Inlet. Holocene activity has included the emplacement of a large debris avalanche and clay-rich lahars that dammed Lake Crescent on the south side and reached Cook Inlet about 3500 years ago. Eruptions during the past few centuries have affected only the Drift River drainage on the north. Historical eruptions have originated from a vent at the north end of the 1.8-km-wide breached summit crater. The 1989-90 eruption of Redoubt had severe economic impact on the Cook Inlet region and affected air traffic far beyond the volcano. [Source: GVP]
Redoubt Activity – Color Code ORANGE : Alert Level WATCH
AVO Report on 2009-01-31 at 22:41:24 [Local Time]
Seismicity remained above background. No new episodes of tremor have been detected in the last two hours.
Oblique photo of Redoubt Volcano taken during an observation flight. Fumarolic activity on the north side of the volcano is associated with the most recent unrest at Redoubt Volcano. View from the south. Picture Date: January 30, 2009 AKST – Image Creator: Kristi Wallace – Image courtesy of AVO/USGS
Observers from the gas/observation flight today report continued melting at the summit area. Holes in the ice continue to grow exposing more steaming rock. Volcanic gases continue to be detected. Web camera views are currently dark. EoR
A rapidly growing fumarole
Geologists detected a hole in the glacier covering the north side of the Mount Redoubt volcano on Friday. The hole doubled in size within hours, currently estimated at about several acres in size.
Location of Redoubt volcano, in relationship to surrounding towns, roads, and other volcanoes. Picture Date: September 26, 2008 – Image Creator: Janet Schaefer. Image courtesy of the AVO/ADGGS.
The Alaska Volcano Observatory researchers flew close to Drift Glacier and observed vigorous steam emitted from the hole. They confirmed Saturday the hole was a fumarole which was rapidly growing larger.
Based on the report, an eruption could occur. Redoubt last erupted in 1990.
AVO has been recording minor quakes, however, the frequency of these quakes are lower than the seismic activity that preceded the last two eruptions in 1989 and 1990.
“We’re looking for an increase of seismicity to match the precursor activity, [however,] we haven’t seen that yet.” AVO research geologist Kristi Wallace said.
[Note:A fumarole is an opening in Earth's crust, usually near volcanoes, which emits steam and gases including carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, hydrochloric acid.]
FEWW Forecast: An area within approximately 300-km radius of Anchorage would be one of the seismic zones in Alaska to experience continued intense seismic activity this year possibly including a magnitude MW 7.9 or larger quake close to Anchorage (south of the city, north of Rugged Island).
The temperature at Fairbanks International Airport dropped to -44 degrees (44 below zero) on Sunday, the last day of a continuous 16-day freeze-up, the coldest spell in the last 50 years. By Wednesday, the temperature reached a record high of 44 degrees, dramatically reversing the trend from one extreme to another. The temperature difference of 88 degrees was reached in just three days.
“Incredible,” said meteorologist Rick Thoman at the National Weather Service in Fairbanks. “Is there any other place in the country that can do that?
Adiabatic warming of downward moving air produces the warm Chinook wind. Chinook is a Pacific Northwest Indian word meaning ’snow-eater,’ as a strong Chinook can make foot deep snow almost vanish in one day. The snow partly melts and partly evaporates in the dry wind. Chinook winds have been observed to raise winter temperature, often from below −20°C (−4°F) to as high as 10°C to 20°C (50°F to 68°F) for a few hours or days, then temperatures plummet to their base levels. The greatest recorded temperature change in 24 hours was caused by Chinook winds on January 15, 1972, in Loma, Montana; the temperature rose from -48°C (-56°F) to 9°C (49°F), a difference of 105 degrees (source: wikipedia).
“It’s just a spectacular Chinook,” he said.
This spectacular Chinook Arch appeared over Calgary in the late afternoon of January 6, 2003 – during a warm spell when the temperature in the city reached an all-time January record high of 18°C (64°F). Image Credit: CalgaryWikifan. Wikipedia. GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or later versions.
In Nenana, the temperature rose to 54 degrees Thursday morning, another all-time high, Thoman said.
The previous record high at the airport was 43 degrees set in 1981. Also, the temperature at Birch Lake reached a daily record high of 54 ºF.
“There’s July days when it’s not that warm at Birch Lake,” Thoman said.
A Christmas Day oil spill at ConocoPhillips’ Kuparuk oil field in Alaska caused by a ruptured pipeline was deemed one of the biggest-ever spills on the North Slope by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
Ruptured hole in 6 inch flow line. The size of the hole is approximately 3.5 x .25 inches.Date: 12/27-28 . Photo Credit: ADEC
Kuparuk 2U Pad Crude Oil Spill — Jan 5-6, 2008. Photo Credit: ADEC – J. Ebel
About 100,000 gallons of oil-water mix escaped a corroded water-injection pipeline at North America’s second-biggest field, Kuparuk, which can produce up to 150,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
A smaller spill also occurred at BP’s Milne Point field elsewhere on the North Slope three days ago.
Other incidents in the area include spill of oil, gas and other fluids in 2008 at the Kuparuk oil field, and a 200,000-gallon crude oil spill at BP’s Prudhoe Bay oil field in 2006.
North America’s second largest oil field, Kuparuk is owned by a consortium of big oil including ConocoPhillips (the field operator and majority owner), BP the second largest shareholder has about 40 percent, while Chevron and Exxon Mobil own minor shares.
2 trillion tons of ice in Alaska, Antarctica and Greenland melted since 2003, NASA says
About 2 trillion tons of ice in Alaska, Antarctica and Greenland has melted since 2003, NASA scientists say, due to accelerating climate change.
Analyzing data from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, GRACE, in which two orbiting satellites are used to measure the “mass balance” of a glacier, that is the net difference between ice accumulation and ice loss each year, NASA geophysicist Scott Luthcke says the losses are colossal.
“The ice tells us in a very real way how the climate is changing,” said Luthcke. “A few degrees of change [in temperature] can increase the amount of mass loss, and that contributes to sea level rise and changes in ocean current.”
Greenland has lost about 160 gigatons (one billion tons) each year for 5 consecutive years, enough to raise global sea levels about .5 mm per year, according to another NASA researcher, Jay Zwally.
“Every few extra inches of sea level have very significant economic impacts, because they change the sea level, increase flooding and storm damage,” said Zwally. “It’s a warning sign.”
“We’re seeing the impacts of global warming in many areas of our own lives, like agriculture,” he said.
Citing the pine beetle infestation in the forests of Colorado and western Canada [how about Alaska?] he said: “[The pests] were believed to be spreading because the winter was not cold enough to kill them, and that’s destroying forests.”
Sermersuaq (Humboldt) Glacier, Greenland
acquired August 30, 2008 – NASA Earth Observatory
acquired August 30, 2000 – NASA Earth Observatory
Stretching about 90 kilometers across Kane Bassin in the Nares Strait, northwestern Greenland’s Sermersuaq Glacier, also called Humboldt Glacier, is the Northern Hemisphere’s widest tidewater glacier—a glacier that begins on land, but terminates in water. The Sermersuaq is a major source of icebergs in the strait, which connects the Lincoln Sea in the north to Baffin Bay in the south.
This pair of images shows the retreat of the Sermersuaq Glacier between 2000 and 2008. In these natural-color images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite, the approximate terminus of the glacier on August 31, 2000 (bottom image), is traced with a yellow line on an image from August 30, 2008 (top). Although the southern part of the terminus showed little change during the period, significant retreat is visible in the northern part, where a fast-flowing ice stream is located. In both images, the deep blue waters of Kane Bassin are littered with ice, which may include icebergs and sea ice.
Having a “toe” in the water adds complexity to the natural cycle of advance and retreat that a glacier experiences in response to climate changes. The behavior of tidewater glaciers is affected not only by melting and snowfall on land, but also by the shape of the fjord or coastline where the glacier enters the water, the depth of the water, tides, and the thickness of the moraine (a shoal of sediment and rock) that builds up underwater at the tip of the glacier.
Even in the absence of human-caused climate change, tidewater glaciers naturally experience century-long cycles that include phases of rapid retreat. After decades of slow advance, the terminus of the glacier eventually becomes grounded on its own moraine. The shoal can become so thick that it stops icebergs from calving for extended spans of time. The support of the shoal allows the glacier to grow larger than it could if it were free-floating.
A small amount of thinning or retreat at the terminus can trigger a rapid retreat once the glacier—too large to float—is ungrounded from the shoal. The initial thinning or retreat of a tidewater glacier may result from a warming climate, but the extremely rapid retreat thereafter has as much to do with topography and the laws of physics as it does with the current climate.
“The [beluga whale] population is critically endangered.” —Craig Matkin of the North Gulf Oceanic Society
“… we believe that this endangered listing is premature.”—Sarah Palin, the high priestess of ethics, family values, energy and politics [sic.]
“We just aren’t sure that an endangered listing, and all the legal requirements it brings with it, is necessary to assure the health of this population at this time.” —Denby Lloyd, The Alaska Department of Fish and Game commissioner
Much to the annoyance of Gov Sarah [lipstick] Palin and her gang, beluga whales in Alaska was listed as endangered species. Having pressed “for a few years to get more population counts,” Palin called the listing “premature.”
“Hopefully the State of Alaska will now work toward protecting the beluga rather than, as with the polar bear, denying the science and suing to overturn the listing,” said Brendan Cummings, the oceans program director for the Center for Biological Diversity.
A beluga whale kisses a 4 yo boy, despite being held in captivity. Photo: Getty Images. Source: SMH. Image may be subject to copyright.
The population fell from about 650 in 1994 to a low of about 280 in 2005, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said.
NOAA says that beluga Whales in the Cook Inlet risk extinction and need strict protections under the Endangered Species Act.
Lower Cook Inlet region in south central Alaska. Credit: Alaska Volcano Observatory.
“In spite of protections already in place, Cook Inlet beluga whales are not recovering,” said James Balsinger at NOAA’s Fisheries Service.
“The science was clear — and it has been for a very long time,” said marine mammal scientist Craig Matkin of the North Gulf Oceanic Society. “The population is critically endangered.”
“The State of Alaska has had serious concerns about the low population of belugas in Cook Inlet for many years,” Palin said after the NOAA decision. “However, we believe that this endangered listing is premature.” [Really?]
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game commissioner, Denby Lloyd, admitted that they had urged NOAA to delay the listing “for a few years to get more population counts.”
“Of course, whenever you have a population of marine mammals that is this low, it is a cause for serious concern … We just aren’t sure that an endangered listing, and all the legal requirements it brings with it, is necessary to assure the health of this population at this time.” Lloyd said.
[Note: There won't be a next time after the population is extinct!]
Beluga Whale. Photo credit: NOAA. The critically endangered Cook Inlet beluga whale population is one of the five distinct populations off Alaska, the only ones in U.S. waters.
“Various industry groups have also fought the listing, which they fear will hamper Cook Inlet oil and gas development, cargo shipping, commercial fishing and major construction projects. Reuters reported.
Conservation groups filed a petition some 9 years ago [March 1999] to list the beluga as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
Location: Western side of Cook Inlet, about 170 km southwest of Anchorage and 82 km east of Kenai, Alaska
Current Volcano Alert Level: NORMAL
Current Aviation Color Code:GREEN
Annotated photo of Redoubt Volcano from the north, including features seen on 27 September, 2008.
Picture Date: September 27, 2008 – Image Creator: Kate Bull – Image courtesy of the AVO/ADGGS. Full Size
What’s up at Redoubt?
Starting September 16, reports of strong hydrogen sulfide odor and loud noises coming from the direction of the volcano were reported. AVO observation flight on September 27 revealed:
A number of fractures and circular openings in the upper Drift glacier for the first time.
Scientist noted a strong hydrogen sulfide odor, but onboard instrumentation recorded no sulfur dioxide.
Fumaroles on top of domes formed in the 1968 and 1990 eruptions showed more vigorous steaming than the last observation in mid-August.
AVO’s seismic network detected no abnormal earthquake activity, despite the earlier reports.
AVO believes Redoubt’s increased fumarolic activity and presence of sulfur odors do not suggest an imminent eruption, despite similar observations being made in the months preceding the 1989-1990 eruption, when seismicity also increased significantly. AVO expects a similar strong increase in seismicity first before an eruption occurs.
Notes:
In the 1989-90 eruption lahar traveling down the Drift River partially inundated the Drift River Oil Terminal facility. Ash plumes produced during the same eruption affected international air traffic with traces of ashfall falling on Anchorage and nearby communities. (AVO)
The extent of Arctic ice is now 10 percent lower than the 1997-2000 period
Arctic sea ice cover shrank to its second-lowest level ever and could set a new low by the and of this year’s melt season. The worst affected area is the Chukchi Sea, home to one of the world’s largest polar bear populations, as well as large oil and gas fields.
Daily Arctic sea ice extent for August 26, 2008, fell below the 2005 minimum, which was 5.32 million square kilometers (2.05 million square miles). The orange line shows the 1979 to 2000 average extent for that day. The black cross indicates the geographic North Pole. Sea Ice Index data. —Credit: National Snow and Ice Data Center.
Arctic sea ice extent has declined 2.06 million sq km since the beginning of August. On August 26 sea ice extent stood at 5.26 million sq km, below the 2005 minimum of 5.32 sq km set on September 21 of that year, the second-lowest extent observed by satellite, said National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) in Boulder, Colorado.
In 2007 the ice cover melt to its lowest recorded minimum of 4.12 million sq km opening the the Northwest Passage for the first time on record.
“No matter where we stand at the end of the melt season it’s just reinforcing this notion that Arctic ice is in its death spiral,” said Mark Serreze, a scientist at NSIDC.
Loss of summer Arctic ice could have far-reaching implications for wildlife, especially the polar bear and walrus, which depend on ice shelves to hunt for food.
With more Arctic ice melting, the bears have to swim farther to find suitable ice shelves for hunting. The longer they swim in open waters, despite being capable swimmers, the more likely they get into trouble. A number of bears are known to have been drowned in the recent years.
A polar bear is seen in the water during an aerial survey off the Alaska coast in this photo taken August 15, 2008. Arctic sea ice shrank to its second-lowest level ever, U.S. scientists said on Wednesday, with particular melting in the Chukchi Sea, where at least 12 polar bears were recently seen swimming far off the Alaskan coast. REUTERS/Geoff York/World Wildlife Fund/Handout.
Interestingly, the state of Alaska is suing the federal government because it says listing polar bears as a threatened species is hurting Alaskan oil and gas exploration and development, commercial fisheries, transportation and tourism. In other words, the polar bears had no right to be there!
“We believe that … decision to list the polar bear was not based on the best scientific and commercial data available,” said Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
Will 2008 also break the standing record low set in 2007? We will know soon—there are still a few weeks left to the end of melt season!
“Beetles take no prisoners, It’s a Mafia-style execution!”
~ Ed Berg, ecologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Alaska has experienced an average warming of 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 °F) and about 4.5 °C (8°F) in the inner regions in winter months since the 1960s, the largest regional warming of anywhere in the U.S., according to records.
The warmer temperature means Alaska’s peat bogs, which are nearly 14,000 years old, are drying up. Ed Berg, an ecologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, has discovered that shrubs and other plants have been rooting in areas of peat big normally too soggy for woody plants to grow during the last three decades.
Black Spruce taiga, Copper River, Alaska. (Credit: NOAA)
“We’ve got mounds of evidence that an extremely powerful and unprecedented climate-driven change is underway,” said a forest ecologist at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. “It’s not that this might happen, these changes are underway and there are more changes coming.”
In Alaska, 35 percent forest, global warming is causing irreversible changes including droughts, forest fires, and infestations of tree-killing insects like spruce beetles and spruce budworm moths. In the last 15 years, the spruce beetles, which thrive in warmer climates, have destroyed a total of about 3 million acres (1.21 million hectares) of spruce forest in south-central Alaska.
Western Spruce Budworm caterpillar, sixth (final) instar (stage of development). Spruce budworms and relatives are serious pests of conifers. (Credit: David G. Fellini and Jerald E. Dewey, Forest Service of the United States Department of Agriculture.
The Alaskan landscape is covered with dead spruce trees after a major outbreak of spruce bark bettles in the arctic region in this file image. REUTERS/handout
As the areas of beetle-infested forest grow, more land is clear-cut and land speculation frenzy grows.
Wetlands are a natural defense mechanism retarding forest fires. The warmer weather and drier forest therefore could lead to more forest fires.
Drying or burning peat bogs, which comprise 50-60 percent carbon, would release additional carbon dioxide, the principal greenhouse gas, to the atmosphere.
Current Status Report
Tuesday, July 15, 2008 11:49 AM AKDT (19:49 UTC)
OKMOK VOLCANO (CAVW #1101-29-)
53°23′49″ N 168°9′58″ W, Summit Elevation 3520 ft (1073 m)
Current Aviation Color Code: RED
Current Volcano Alert Level: WARNING
Okmok Volcano continues to erupt. Seismicity, though below this weekend’s intensity, has remained steady over the last 24 hours. Satellite data continue to show a long (~250 km) plume moving east; the height of the plume is approximately 30,000 ft above sea level.
The volcano is currently at aviation color code RED and alert level WARNING. All areas immediately around the volcano are considered hazardous. Airborne ash and gas continues to drift with the wind and pose a hazard to aviation in the area. Additional ash fall will occur on Umnak Island and possibly adjacent islands as long as the eruption continues.
OMI image showing the extent of the sulfur dioxide gas cloud from the eruption of Okmok Volcano. The large red mass is from the main explosive phase on 12 July at 21:30 UTC and is at an estimated height of 50,000 ft above sea level. The north-south dimension of this cloud is about 850 miles. Current emissions from the volcano are at a lower altitude of approximately 30,000 to 35,000 feet. Other OMI data (not shown) indicate that volcanic ash is mixed with the sulfur dioxide cloud. Picture Date: July 14, 2008 UTC – Image Creator: Dave Schneider – Data provided through the OMI near-real-time decision support project funded by NASA.
CLEVELAND VOLCANO (CAVW #1101-24-)
52°49′20″ N 169°56′42″ W, Summit Elevation 5676 ft (1730 m)
Current Aviation Color Code: YELLOW
Current Volcano Alert Level: ADVISORY
Satellite and webcam views continue to be cloudy today. AVO has received no reports of eruptive activity at the volcano.
AVO monitors Cleveland Volcano with satellite imagery as weather allows. The lack of a real-time seismic network at Cleveland means that AVO is unable to track local earthquake activity related to volcanic unrest. Short-lived explosions of ash that could exceed 20,000 ft above sea level can occur without warning and may go undetected on satellite imagery. Please see http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Cleveland.php for more information.
Astronaut photograph of May 23, 2006 eruption of Cleveland Volcano. Image Science and Analysis Laboratory, NASA-Johnson Space Center. Original NASA Caption:
At 3:00 p.m. Alaska Daylight Time on May 23, 2006, Flight Engineer Jeff Williams from International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 13 contacted the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) to report that the Cleveland Volcano had produced a plume of ash. Shortly after the activity began, he took this photograph. This picture shows the ash plume moving west-southwest from the volcano’s summit. A bank of fog (upper right) is a common feature around the Aleutian Islands. The event proved to be short-lived; two hours later, the plume had completely detached from the volcano (see image from May 24). The AVO reported that the ash cloud height could have been as high as 6,000 meters (20,000 feet) above sea level.
Cleveland Volcano, situated on the western half of Chuginadak Island, is one of the most active of the volcanoes in the Aleutian Islands, which extend west-southwest from the Alaska mainland. It is a stratovolcano, composed of alternating layers of hardened lava, compacted volcanic ash, and volcanic rocks. At a summit elevation of 1,730 meters, this volcano is the highest in the Islands of the Four Mountains group. Carlisle Island to the north-northwest, another stratovolcano, is also part of this group. Magma that feeds eruptions of ash and lava from the Cleveland Volcano is generated by the northwestward movement of the Pacific Plate beneath the North American Plate. As one tectonic plate moves beneath another—a process called subduction—melting of materials above and within the lower plate produces magma that can eventually move to the surface and erupt through a vent (such as a volcano). Cleveland Volcano claimed the only known eruption-related fatality in the Aleutian Islands, in 1944.
Small explosion at Cleveland volcano on July 20, 2007. This photo, taken from the USFWS research vessel Norseman, shows a small ash cloud rising a few thousand feet above the summit and drifting downwind. This type of intermittent explosive activity is likely characteristic of the current level of unrest at Cleveland. Such small ash clouds can easily go undetected on satellite imagery. Image taken from FWV Tiglax, from NE of Cleveland looking SW. Tana is to the left in the image, Kagamil and Carlisle off the image to the right. Dissipating plume from a small eruptive burst, likely Strombolian, from the summit of Cleveland volcano. Picture Date: July 20, 2007 – Image Creator: Doug Dasher – Image Creator: Max Hoberg – Photo courtesy of School of Fisheries, UAF.
Image of Herbert (left-most volcano), Carlisle (upper volcano) and Mount Cleveland (stratovolcano with small steam plume). Mission: ISS001 Roll: E Frame: 5962 Mission ID on the Film or image: ISS01 Country or Geographic Name: USA-ALASKA Features: ISLANDS OF FOUR MTS.,SMK Center Point Latitude: 53.0 Center Point Longitude: -170.0 – Picture Date: January 01, 2001 00:11:15 GMT – Image courtesy of the Image Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center.
Location of Cleveland volcano and other Aleutian volcanoes with respect to nearby cities and towns.
Picture Date: February 06, 2006 – Image Creator: Janet Schaefer – Image courtesy of the AVO/ADGGS.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
John Power, Acting Scientist-in-Charge, USGS
jpower@usgs.gov, (907)786-7497
Steve McNutt, Coordinating Scientist, UAFGI
steve@giseis.alaska.edu (907)978-5458
Volcano Alert Levels
Normal
Volcano is in typical background, noneruptive state or, after a change from a higher level, volcanic activity has ceased and volcano has returned to noneruptive background state.
Advisory
Volcano is exhibiting signs of elevated unrest above known background level or, after a change from a higher level, volcanic activity has decreased significantly but continues to be closely monitored for possible renewed increase.
Watch
Volcano is exhibiting heightened or escalating unrest with increased potential of eruption, timeframe uncertain, OR eruption is underway but poses limited hazards.
Warning
Hazardous eruption is imminent, underway, or suspected.
The earth’s most active seismic feature, the circum-Pacific seismic belt, brushes Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, where more earthquakes occur than in the other 49 States combined. More than 80 percent of the planet’s tremors occur in the circum-Pacific belt, and about six percent of the large, shallow earthquakes are in the Alaska area, where as many as 4,000 earthquake at various depths are detected in a year.Excerpt from USGS.
Worldwide Earthquakes 2000 – 2008 [as of July 14, 2008] – Image: USGS
A strong explosive eruption is underway at Okmok Volcano
AVO/USGS Volcanic Activity Notice
2008-07-14 16:26:51 – [2008-07-15 00:26:51UTC]
Information Statement Summary
A strong explosive eruption is underway at Okmok Volcano on Umnak Island in the eastern Aleutians.The volcano is currently at aviation color code RED and alert level WARNING. All areas immediately around the volcano are considered hazardous. Airborne ash and gas continues to drift with the wind and pose a hazard to aviation in the area. Additional ash fall will occur on Umnak Island and possibly adjacent islands as long as the eruption continues.
Image of the eruption of Okmok, taken Sunday, July 13, 2008, by flight attendant Kelly Reeves during Alaska Airlines flights 160 and 161. Picture Date: July 13, 2008 Image Creator: Kelly Reeves – Image courtesy of Alaska Airlines.
Latest OKMOK VOLCANO Status Report
Alaska Volcano Observatory
Current Status Report
Monday, July 14, 2008 12:39 PM AKDT (20:39 UTC)
OKMOK VOLCANO (CAVW #1101-29-)
53°23′49″ N 168°9′58″ W, Summit Elevation 3520 ft (1073 m)
Current Aviation Color Code: RED
Current Volcano Alert Level: WARNING
The eruption at Okmok continues based on ongoing seismic activity. Satellite observations indicate ash emissions continue reaching altitudes of 30,000 – 35,000 ft asl. Satellite observations also indicate a thermal anomaly in the western portion of the caldera (in the vicinity of Cone D.). There is currently an NWS ash fall advisory in effect for the Eastern Aleutian zone, including Nikolski and Unalaska/Dutch Harbor. Satellite data shows an ash plume extending towards the southeast at an estimated height of 30,000 – 35,000 ft (~9 – 11 km) above sea level.
Okmok Caldera as viewed from an Alaska Airlines jet in early June, 2007. Okmok caldera is a nearly circular, 500- to 800-m-deep, 8- to 10-km-diameter collapse crater that truncates an older volcanic edifice. The current caldera formed about 2000 years ago. Since then, numerous eruptions from vents on the floor of the caldera have produced a variety of cones, craters, lava flows, and other volcanic features. As of March, 2008, Okmok last erupted in 1997 and is one of the most active of volcanoes in the Aleutians. Picture Date: June 07, 2007 – Image Creator: Cyrus Read – Image courtesy of AVO/USGS.
Reports indicate no ash fall in Unalaska/Dutch Harbor since Saturday, July 12. There is currently an NWS ash fall advisory in effect for the Eastern Aleutian zone, including Nikolski and Unalaska/Dutch Harbor.
Ash fall is expected to continue downwind of the volcano including over marine areas in the North Pacific. Areas in the immediate vicinity of the volcano on Umnak Island should be avoided, particularly the Crater Creek drainage northeast of the caldera.
Ash clouds are drifting southeast of the volcano and poses a risk to aircraft in the vicinity. The current estimated ash cloud height for the ash is 30,000 – 35,000 ft asl (~9 – 11 km) above sea level.
Ballistics may impact the areas around the caldera rim.
Historical eruptions of Okmok have typically produced lava flows, however at this time we cannot confirm that a lava flow has been produced.
Okmok Volcano is located on the northeast end of Umnak Island in the eastern Aleutians about 65 miles southwest of Unalaska/Dutch Harbor. The volcano consists of a 6-mile-wide circular caldera or crater about 1600 feet deep that formed about 2000 years ago. Okmok has been frequently active in historical times producing ash clouds often accompanied by lava flows within the caldera. The most recent eruption occurred in 1997 and produced ash clouds and a lava flow that traveled about 5 miles across the caldera floor.
See http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Okmok.php for more information.
Volcano: Okmok (CAVW #1101-29-)
Current Volcano Alert Level: WARNING
Current Aviation Color Code: RED
Steaming Cleveland volcano on July 27, 2007, its steep, slopes mantled by grey debris ejected from the summit crater during recent explosions. Even the snow patches on Tana, an older volcano on the eastern portion of Chuginadak Island about 12 km (7 mi) east, are slightly grey with a dusting of what is probably Cleveland ash. The prominent peak on the horizon is 7051-ft-tall Vsevidof volcano on southwestern Umnak Island. Picture Date: July 27, 2007 06:35:00 – Image Creator: Power, John. Credit: Andrew Rose and Maritime Helicopters
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Issued: Saturday, July 12, 2008, 9:28 PM AKDT (20080712/0528Z)
Source: Alaska Volcano Observatory
Location: N 53 deg 23 min W 168 deg 9 min
Elevation: 3520 ft (1073 m) -
Area: Aleutians Alaska
Volcanic Activity Summary: A strong explosive eruption began at approximately 1943 Z (11:43 AM ADT) and continues at this time based on high levels of seismicity recorded on the AVO seismic network. Seismicity reached a peak at about 2200 Z (2:00 PM ADT) and has been gradually declining since. The main mass of the ash cloud is at least 35,000 feet above sea level and is moving generally southeast from the volcano, with lesser amounts of ash moving eastward. Ash fall has been reported on eastern Umnak Island and in Unalaska/Dutch Harbor.
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AVHRR Thermal IR (Channel 4) satellite image at 00:15 UTC on July 13, 2008 of ash cloud from Okmok eruption cloud. – Picture Date: July 13, 2008 – Image Creator: Webley, Peter – Image courtesy of the AVO/UAF-GI
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Recent Observations:
[Volcanic cloud height] The ash cloud is reaching in excess of 35,000 ft above sea level. Light winds appear to be carrying the ash cloud to the southeast and east at this time.
[Ash fall] Ash fall was reported soon after the eruption onset at Fort Glenn 7 miles southeast of the volcano. Ash fall began at Unalaska/Dutch Harbor at 3:45 pm ADT and is reportedly tapering off. Preliminary reports indicate only a light dusting has fallen so far.
[Other observations] U.S. Coast Guard aircraft in the area reported ash to at least 35,000 feet at 0130 Z on 13 July (5:30 PM ADT 12 July).
Location of Okmok volcano and other Aleutian volcanoes with respect to nearby cities and towns.
Picture Date: May 16, 2006 – Image Creator: Schaefer, Janet – Image courtesy of the AVO/ADGGS.
Hazard Analysis:
[General hazards] Ash fall is expected to continue downwind of the volcano including over marine areas in the North Pacific. Areas in the immediate vicinity of the volcano on Umnak Island should be avoided, particularly the Crater Creek drainage northeast of the caldera.
[Ash cloud] An ash cloud is drifting southeast and east of the volcano and poses a risk to aircraft in the vicinity. The estimated cloud height for the ash cloud is in excess of 35,000 ft above sea level.
[Ballistics] Ballistics may impact the areas around the caldera rim.
[Lava flow/dome] Historical eruptions of Okmok have typically produced lava flows, however at this time we cannot confirm that a lava flow has been produced.
Mission: ISS002 Roll: 715 Frame: 2 Mission ID on the Film or image: ISS002 Country or Geographic Name: USA-ALASKA Features: UMNAK ISLAND, VOLCANO Center Point Latitude: 53.5 Center Point Longitude: -168.5 * Picture Date: 2001 * Image Creator: Image Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center. Image courtesy of the Image Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center. Image Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center. Earth Sciences and Image Analysis, NASA-Johnson Space Center. 25 Mar. 2005. “Astronaut Photography of Earth – Display Record.”
Remarks: Okmok Volcano is located on the northeast end of Umnak Island in the eastern Aleutians about 65 miles southwest of Unalaska/Dutch Harbor. The volcano consists of a 6-mile-wide circular caldera or crater about 1600 feet deep that formed about 2000 years ago. Okmok has been frequently active in historical times producing ash clouds often accompanied by lava flows within the caldera. The most recent eruption occurred in 1997 and produced ash clouds and a lava flow that traveled about 5 miles across the caldera floor.
More information: http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Okmok.php Related Links:
The fast melting Arctic sea ice will cause inland temperatures to rise, according to a new study, releasing more greenhouse gases in Alaska, Canada and Russia, and more severely affecting the ecosystems
The Arctic sea ice shrank to 30 percent below its annual retreat levels and another record melt is forecast for 2008.
Siberians call this a “drunken forest.” Permafrost (long-frozen soil) in its natural state holds the trees upright. If permafrost melts, as in the photo, the soil becomes loose and can no longer provide a solid foundation for the trees, which tip over and lean randomly. NASA Photo. Kochechum River, Evenkiyskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia; 66°20′N 99°00′E
As we traveled down river, I saw what the Siberians call a “drunken forest”. This area is permafrost, where the soil stays firmly frozen year round. Larch grows well here, but their roots are shallow. When permafrost melts, the trees lose their footing and tilt to the side. I guess the trees look like a drunk trying to walk home, tilted at crazy angles. It is a curious sight, but it is also a clear sign that the temperature in that spot has been warm enough to melt the permafrost. — Weblog of Dr. Jon Ranson in Siberia.
“Our climate model suggests that rapid ice loss is not necessarily a surprise,” said David Lawrence of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, one of the study authors.
“When you get certain conditions in the Arctic—thin ice, a lot of first-year ice (as opposed to older, sturdier ice)—that you can get a situation where … you get a rapid and steady loss over a period of five to 10 years,” Lawrence said.
In a period of rapid ice loss, autumn temperatures on the Arctic coasts of Alaska, Canada and Russia could rise by about 5 °C, the study’s climate model revealed.
Last year’s temperatures from August to October over land in the western Arctic were In the unusually warm autumn of 2007 the western Arctic temperatures rose by about 2 °C above the average recorded temperatures for the previous 28 years. As the sea ice melted rapidly, the scientists discovered, Arctic land warmed three and a half times faster than the rate predicted by most climate models. Simulations show that the warmer ocean temperatures can affect inland areas as far as 1,500km away.
Where permafrost is already at risk, for example, in central Alaska, warmer ocean temperatures are causing a quicker permafrost thaw. Thawed clumps of permafrost soil are already collapsing in parts of Alaska causing highways to buckle, houses to tilt and trees to tip over at random angles [a phenomenon which Siberians call "drunken forests."]
“There’s an interconnectedness about the Arctic,” Lawrence said. “When sea ice retreats and retreats very rapidly it impacts other parts of the system, like warming temperatures over land. And warming temperatures over land can also accelerate the degradation of permafrost, particularly permafrost that’s warm right now.”
