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> Global Dimming and Global Warming
Jim Markowich
post May 3 2006, 02:30 AM
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Hi Patty,

Public Television's NOVA just aired a show about the phenomenon of global dimming. It seems that the amount of sunlight reaching the earth has diminished measureably in the past thirty years, because visible atmospheric pollutants have blocked it. This has served to counter the effects of global warming (less sunlight=cooler temperatures). But as methods to combat this pollution have begun to succeed, global warming may accelerate even faster than previously expected!

How will the scientists on board the Healy be measuring the temperatures in the Arctic? Will they be taking air and sea readings? How much historical data is available to compare with their measurements? What do they think about the problem confronting us as we repair the causes of global dimming and thereby possibly speed up global warming?

Regards from balmy New York City,

Jim
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Lee_Cooper
post May 3 2006, 11:27 PM
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Hello, Jim,

I don't want to steal Patty's thunder, so she can feel free to respond to, but we won't be dealing with that specific issue of whether particles and soot and aerosols in the air are blocking sunlight and counteracting global warming.

There are people studying this at Barrow, in far northern Alaska where a lot of arctic atmosphere sampling is done. We will be measuring air temperatures on the ship coninuously and also water temperatures, and that data could be used to track long-term changes with other data that has already been collected.

There are enough ships that have been travelling through the Bering Sea that we have a good idea what the longer term temperature records are in both the water and air are.

Hope that helps.

Lee Cooper

QUOTE(Jim Markowich @ May 3 2006, 02:30 AM) *

Hi Patty,

Public Television's NOVA just aired a show about the phenomenon of global dimming. It seems that the amount of sunlight reaching the earth has diminished measureably in the past thirty years, because visible atmospheric pollutants have blocked it. This has served to counter the effects of global warming (less sunlight=cooler temperatures). But as methods to combat this pollution have begun to succeed, global warming may accelerate even faster than previously expected!

How will the scientists on board the Healy be measuring the temperatures in the Arctic? Will they be taking air and sea readings? How much historical data is available to compare with their measurements? What do they think about the problem confronting us as we repair the causes of global dimming and thereby possibly speed up global warming?

Regards from balmy New York City,

Jim
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post May 4 2006, 01:22 AM
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QUOTE(Lee_Cooper @ May 3 2006, 11:27 PM) *

Hello, Jim,

I don't want to steal Patty's thunder, so she can feel free to respond to, but we won't be dealing with that specific issue of whether particles and soot and aerosols in the air are blocking sunlight and counteracting global warming.

There are people studying this at Barrow, in far northern Alaska where a lot of arctic atmosphere sampling is done. We will be measuring air temperatures on the ship coninuously and also water temperatures, and that data could be used to track long-term changes with other data that has already been collected.

There are enough ships that have been travelling through the Bering Sea that we have a good idea what the longer term temperature records are in both the water and air are.

Hope that helps.

Lee Cooper


Thanks, Lee! Is there any place online where those long-term sea and air temperatures can be seen?

Jim
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