mspelto’s Recent Comments

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  BBC Coverage

  You have merely to read the first few pages of the summary report and examine the charts contained to see the significance.  The BBC has the most reporting I have seen.  A sobering report indeed.On IPCC synthesis report confirms global warming is a force to be reckoned with posted 1 year, 11 months ago 7 Responses

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  Missing an even more important fact

  Clinton and Gore were out front helping lead the charge internationally on the issue.  No congress wanted no part of it at the time, but as a professional glaciologist for 24 years, I know from internatinal science meetings that we were seen as a leader then.  Today we are seen as being an anchor and it is all about the president in the minds of the international scientists I talk with.

  mspelto

  On Bush is working with a much stronger consensus posted 2 years, 6 months ago 10 Responses

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  Run of river

  This would beyond a doubt add water to the system, with those evaporative losses.  The timing of this addition would be the problem, more water in the spring, less in summer and fall.  Evaluating hydro projects for FERC I occassionally see a run of river project which extracts water from the stream, when flow is large enough to handle the loss,  pipe it for some distance until the river valley has dropped then, have it descend on the turbines like usual, without needing the dam.  Instead of backing up the river with a reservoir to raise it, you just take the water from further upstream and pipe it to your destination, even if it for drinking.  This does not seem like a good idea here, but has merit in places

  mspelto

  On ... before nature does it for us posted 2 years, 6 months ago 6 Responses

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  One in hundred

  Between studies in Alaska and Washington I have observed terminus behavior of 130 glaciers over the last 25 years, one of them is advancing, teh Taku Glacier and 124 are retreating and five have disappeared.   North Cascade Glacier Climate Project

  mspelto

  On 'But the glaciers are not melting'--Except ... they are! posted 2 years, 6 months ago 3 Responses

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  Tip of the Iceberg

  The number of glaciers referenced above is the tip of the iceberg of the number observed. Terminus fluctuations reported to the World Glacier Monitoring Service numbered 546 for the 1995-2000 period.  Terminus behavior reflects mass balance change.  Positive mass balance indicates surplus snowfall over ablation, and leads to advance.  Negative balances result from excess melt and lead to retreat.  The retreat is like jettisoning debt for a glacier.  If it cannot jettison enough debt through time via retreat it will disappear.  In the North Cascades of Washington we observe mass balance on ten glaciers each year and terminus behavior of 47, all 47 have either been retreating or disappeared.  We have also noted that of the 756 glaciers in the North Cascades noted by the USGS based on maps from the 1955-1965 period, 53 have disappeared.  I could go from nation to nation noting the number of glacier observed by myself and fellow glaciologists it is extensive indeed.

  mspelto

  On 'Glaciers have always grown and receded'--A few glaciers melting does not mean global warming posted 2 years, 6 months ago 14 Responses