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September 15, 2006

Need a breeze?

I don't know about the places where you live but around here summer has been a bit of a roller coaster. Periods of high temperatures alternated with colder and very wet periods. A succession of droughts and floods you could say. In my childhood we had the occasional showers of rain and thunderstorms in summer as well but they did not last for weeks as they seem to do nowadays.

At the moment we go through another period of temperatures near 30 degrees Centrigrade whhile Spain is obviously flooded. I don't mind 30 deg outside in the garden but I do object strongly to having them in my office at noon and for the rest of the afternoon. If you, like me, are in need of a breeze have a look at this picture and see it gently rippling the pattern.

060915_breeze.jpg

I am glad, though, I am not a polar bear. They are really in trouble. American scientists have observed that the permanent ice around the North Pole was suddenly reduced by 14% between 2004 and 2005. In winter however the overall amount seasonal and permanent ice was the same as the year before. The distribution of the ice has changed however. If the seasonal ice melts again in summer this could create vast ice free areas and change live around the North Pole dramatically.

The melting of the ice would contribute to the green house effect because solar radiation would not be reflected from the dark surface of the sea as effectively as it is reflected from the ice surface. Neighbouring oceans could warm up. A good thing is, however, that the water levels would not rise as floating ice displaces exactly the volume it will take as water. Phew! At least the Dutch can relax but Polar bears will have to give survival strategies in summer some serious thought.

Posted by Mausi at September 15, 2006 06:12 PM

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