In the thread where we have examined the visual discrepancies in sea ice report that concerned a number of people, William Chapman of the University of Illinois Champaign/Urbana joined in the discussion today. Mr. Chapman is the man responsible for maintaining the popular Cryosphere Today website, which shows sea ice extent data and visuals for both the Arctic and Antarctic. I asked him a some questions about the website and he graciously responded within the hour.
I asked about the new color scheme and map that had been recently implemented:
Q: What prompted the color scheme change in recent days?
A: I added three new color schemes about 40 days ago (July 11; is that ‘recent’?). I was hoping for more detail in the images “from the satellite perspective” in the images shown on the main page. The AMSR-E data provide more spatial resolution so I switched data sources and color schemes for those home page images. IMPORTANT: The data used for all other timeseries and comparison graphics have stayed the same (SSMI) obviously, to avoid any issues with data inhomogeneity in time. The AMSR-E data source is only used for the high resolution Northern Hemisphere graphics on the main page. I hope to convert the Southern Hemisphere as well over the next month. The AMSR-E is a relatively new platform, so maybe after it has been around for 10-15 years or so, and has a proven track-record, we can switch the timeseries and other data over entirely to that platform. I have included links to the old SSMI images on the main page for those who prefer them or want to compare current conditions to historic conditions (prior to the AMSR-E launch).
The new maps are graphically better, in my opinion, than the older presentation.
But the real surprise came when I asked him about a comment from Al Gore that had been prominently displayed on the Cryosphere today web page for several months. I’ve seen several comments about this appearing to illustrate a potential bias at CT. It went like this:
You’ve heard Al Gore say “The Earth has a fever”? It may also have major tooth decay.
Here is how Mr. Chapman responded:
Q: Why do you have a quote from a politician (Al Gore) on a web page presenting science? This is a question many people have raised.
A: [ I ] didn’t realize it was a concern for many people. All references to Al Gore have been removed.
Kudos to Mr. Chapman for his willingness to consider the issue, and for acting quickly when it was pointed out. You can read the original comment here
Kookie story No. 56823459
!! People eating Oreo cookies causes global warming !!
It’s very important to unscrew them so as to increase cookie albedo.
And don’t even THINK about using dark hair color!
(And, “Stay on the sidewalks. you’re wearing down the earth.”)
Manfred and Bruce : Super writings.
Take a look at the ice north of Baffin Island.
http://igloo.atmos.uiuc.edu/cgi-bin/test/print.sh?fm=08&fd=21&fy=2008&sm=08&sd=23&sy=2008
Even though we have meltings on the Russian side, the freezing has begun quite early on the Canadian side?
There was 2 boats trying to pass the NW passage, right now they most certainly cant!! Does anyone know where they are?
An then his fellow who wanted to row to the north pole in the end of August. I think he needs a newclear powered torpedo submarine to accomplish that.
In the last ten days the Frost ove the North pole have increased the 100% ice area very much:
http://igloo.atmos.uiuc.edu/cgi-bin/test/print.sh?fm=08&fd=13&fy=2008&sm=08&sd=23&sy=2008
thats proberbly why the Cryosphere anomaly curve has flatened for 2008.
For those of you that are interested in the sea ice:
http://www.climateaudit.org/?p=3336#comment-291532
Evan: Today especially agree with you.
surface of ice: it is a problem of entropy.
volume of ice: it is a problem of enthalpy.
“All references to Al Gore have been removed.”
Is it my computer or my understanding of the words, “have been,” that is at fault? When I look at the home page of “Cryosphere Today” today, it includes: “You’ve heard Al Gore comment that the ‘Earth has a fever’? It may also have major tooth decay.”
“All references to Al Gore have been removed.”
If he had his fingers crossed behind his back when he said that, it doesn’t count.
Those are the rules.
May 18, 1987, Three nuclear subs surface at the North Pole, which is surprisingly ice-free. But for some reason, we cannot see the satellite image of that day on the “compare side by side” portion of Cryosphere Today. Does anyone here know why? Looking forward to comments. This might even be a post. I know I am one of the more paranoid ones here, I hope this isn’t history being rewritten.
Here is the picture a little down the page:
http://www.john-daly.com/polar/arctic.htm
Here is the side by side:
http://igloo.atmos.uiuc.edu/cgi-bin/test/print.sh?fm=05&fd=18&fy=1987&sm=08&sd=22&sy=2008
I already tried nearby dates… there are no nearby dates available for viewing.
Thanks,
Mike Bryant
Micajah,
Maybe you need to refresh it…
[…] Cryosphere Today Makes Changes – Improves product, drops Gore comment In the thread where we have examined the visual discrepancies in sea ice report that concerned a number of people, […] […]
Mike Bryant (16:22:41),
Excellent John Daly link! It totally refutes the alarmist point of view.
Frank Lansner (13:24:59) :
” There was[were] 2 boats trying to pass the NW passage, right now they most certainly can[‘]t!! Does anyone know where they are?”
The Berrimilla made it through. Their blog requires some reading between the lines, but offers a perspective one just can’t get from CryoSphere.
http://awberrimilla.blogspot.com/
They aren’t out of the
woodsbergs yet, so it’s still interesting reading.” An[d] then his fellow who wanted to row to the north pole in the end of August. I think he needs a n[u]clear powered torpedo submarine to accomplish that.”
Not much is getting posted, see http://polardefenseproject.org/blog/
Smokey,
Where is the satellite picture?
If one might interject with a historical reference: SSN-578 Skate surfaced at the very wet looking North Pole 17th March 1959. Please check the 5th photograph down. The 14th photograph will show two submarines surfaced at the North Pole (USS Skate and USS Seadragon). This would tend to indicate that an ice free North Pole is nothing new or to be concerned about.
Thankyou Ric Werne, yes take this quote from their blog:
“I have gotten many calls from different adventures wanting to make the NW crossing or the Bering Strait crossing. For most I strongly advise them to stay away.”
Another thing is, when looking at the ice development around north Baffin Island, if they just got through the 1-2 days it was possible, they have been extreeeemly lucky!
But you say they are not through yet? Where are they?
K.R. Frank
FatBigot: “Asked the question: “does a cricket ball swing more in humid air than in dry air?” all known tests and principles will deliver a clear negative answer.”
How about this known principle – dry air is heavier than moist air. Could that help explain it?
Ah, I thought so. I’m just beginning to get over a severe bout of flu, else I’d explain why this is.
(Hint: Search basic Gas Laws that have been around centuries.)
An then his fellow who wanted to row to the north pole in the end of August. I think he needs a newclear powered torpedo submarine to accomplish that.
Lewis Pugh is scheduled to depart Wed., the 27th. His last entry in the expedition journal, dated Aug. 8th and titled “Time or Distance” concerns the physical and mental challenge of the undertaking. He’ll be starting from the island of Svalbard, just north of Norway, about 1200 km from the NP, and he’s figuring it will take about 2 weeks, assuming he makes it all the way.
I’m wondering if he may be reconsidering, which would be the wise thing to do.
Frank L/ Denmark (22:59:24) :
“But you say they are not through yet? Where are they?”
I said they made it through the NW passage, but they were in an area with icebergs. (And Orcas, and polar bears swimming after them.) Icebergs you can sail around, sea ice you get stuck in.
From their latest position, they’re between Hudson’s Bay and the Baffin Sea or whatever the water between Newfoundland and Greenland is.
The Gore comment is still there.
REPLY: No it’s gone, you have a cache issue with your browser of some sorts I think.
Oh, well. I cleared my “cache” by deleting temporary files, just as the instructions for IE7 say; and I clicked to “refresh”; but this is still there:
You’ve heard Al Gore comment that the “Earth has a fever”? It may also have major tooth decay. The 40Mb animation at the le ft shows the dramatic loss of multiyear sea ice over the past year. Multiyear sea ice is old er and generally thicker ice – sea ice that has survived at least one melt season (shown in brighter white).
Maybe I should just wait for it to melt away.
Reply: Hold down the Shift key and click refresh~charles the moderator
Tried “shift” plus “refresh” and tried Microsoft’s “control” plus “f5”. I can see it downloading multiple files as it refreshes everything — but Al Gore is still there. Thanks for the tip — I had never heard of either the shift or the control keys being used to force a refresh that is supposed to bypass the cache. I’m sure the Al Gore bit will melt away eventually, since it has for you and others.
You’re not the only one trying to get Al Gore to melt away.
“You’re not the only one trying to get Al Gore to melt away.”
Unless Al has lost weight, then his and 65% of the American people’s bodies (including mine) are betting on cooler weather.
Fernando: Well put.
For those of you that are interested in the sea ice:
http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/
Thanks, Nevin, for those graphics. I opened a new window for both sea ice graphs in the page to compare them, and noticed that one curved down at a sharper angle than the other, during the same time period.
Someone is obviously diddling with the graphs.
Oh, and: YAY! Post #100!
REPLY: I looked at both of these in detail today, thinking the same thing, and after magnifying them, decided they were showing the same thing, but looked different due to scale and line smoothing differences. – Anthony