Scandinavian nation reverses trend, mirrors results in Alaska, elsewhere.
After years of decline, glaciers in Norway are again growing, reports the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE). The actual magnitude of the growth, which appears to have begun over the last two years, has not yet been quantified, says NVE Senior Engineer Hallgeir Elvehøy.
The flow rate of many glaciers has also declined. Glacier flow ultimately acts to reduce accumulation, as the ice moves to lower, warmer elevations.
The original trend had been fairly rapid decline since the year 2000.
The developments were originally reported by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK).
DailyTech has previously reported on the growth in Alaskan glaciers, reversing a 250-year trend of loss. Some glaciers in Canada, California, and New Zealand are also growing, as the result of both colder temperatures and increased snowfall.
Ed Josberger, a glaciologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, says the growth is “a bit of an anomaly”, but not to be unexpected.
Despite the recent growth, most glaciers in the nation are still smaller than they were in 1982. However, Elvehøy says that the glaciers were even smaller during the ‘Medieval Warm Period’ of the Viking Era, prior to around the year 1350.
Not all Norwegian glaciers appear to be affected, most notably those in the Jotenheimen region of Southern Norway.
Pierre Gosselin (02:00:20) :
Pierre, this is the most compelling reason for my skepticism about AGW. I don’t care for the way the advocates treat skeptics, particularly the ones with scientific credentials.
Hey, jeez, let’s hear it for the Baby Ice.
Seems that the passage between Iceland and Greenland will be closing prety soon.
http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/
The animation is impressive too.
Can somebody comment on the following?
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2008/11/28/nwest-vessel.html
The Canadian Coast Guard has confirmed that in a major first, a commercial ship travelled through the Northwest Passage this fall to deliver supplies to communities in western Nunavut.
The MV Camilla Desgagnés, owned by Desgagnés Transarctik Inc., transported cargo from Montreal to the hamlets of Cambridge Bay, Kugluktuk, Gjoa Haven and Taloyoak in September.
“We did have a commercial cargo vessel that did the first scheduled run from Montreal, up through the eastern Arctic, through the Northwest Passage to deliver cargo to communities in the west,” Brian LeBlanc of the Canadian Coast Guard told CBC News.
“That was the first — that I’m aware of anyway — commercial cargo delivery from the east through the Northwest Passage.”….
Rayes, who was on the vessel during its trip through the Northwest Passage, said the company informed the coast guard, which put an icebreaker on standby.
“They were ready to be there for us if we called them, but I didn’t see one cube of ice,” he said.
LeBlanc on CBC.ca: “That was the first — that I’m aware of anyway — commercial cargo delivery from the east through the Northwest Passage….”
I came across with an article online somewhere months ago where it said the Passage has been open before and fairly recently – in 1905 and beginning of 1940’s.
Now a quick 2-minute search resulted in this – a quote from an article from last year:
“…the Canadian government on Monday ordered a Canadian coast guard icebreaker laden with scientists, the Amundsen, to make a detailed survey of the route. The ship is named after the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, the first person to travel the passage in 1905, who made the journey in a wooden sailboat.” http://www.studentnewsdaily.com/daily-news-article/northwest_passage_open_for_business/
Rayes on CBC.ca: “They were ready to be there for us if we called them, but I didn’t see one cube of ice,” he said.”
Now, I had some Scotch too last night and I sware, I didn’t see one cube of ice either…;)
Cheers!
To Philip_B,
thanks for that link to our West Coast (New Zealand) galaciers. I’ve been looking for something like that for awhile. Try this excellent photographic web site composed by a glacier gude at Franz Josef Glacier, Blair Campbell. A superb photographic record of glacial advance.
http://icebalance.googlepages.com/advancingice
During the year New Zealand glaciologists cited the continuing retreat of the major glaciers on the eastern side of the Southern Alps (Tasman Glacier in particular) as more evidence of global warming. I found it intrguing that they didn’t make a mention of the advancing pair of glaciers on the western slopes of the Southern Alps.
Galcial advance for the west coast glaciers in particular is dependent upon the following conditions; 1. Winds coming predominantly from the south west and 2. Dry, cool conditions to inhibit melting. These conditions have been very strong again recently. Severe rainfalls (the rain turns to snow at that altitude – over 2,000m) at the top of the neves for both Franz Josef & Fox galciers have been the norm this past southern spring.
Glaciologists tell us that it takes approx. 5 years for the heavy rainfalls to manifest themselves as surges/advances at the terminal face. FJ and Fox have been advancing at a rate of 3 metres per day in recent times. I need to find out more on the rainfall of the past 5 years down on the lower west coast of the South Island to see whether or not to expect a continuance of the current advance. My guess is that we will definitely see futher advance in 2013 at least.
BTW, they measure their rainfall by the metre down on The Coast, not the mm! I plan to get back down there next March (the southern autumn & winter are the best times to visit) and try to take some more photos from the positions that I used in 1984, 89 and 2001. The viewing platform I used in 1984 is now buried under ice.
The anecdotal evidence from around the world, and mentioned above, coincides with weather events down here in New Zealand as well over the past 5 years. For me the most significant events were the arrival of icebergs off the Canterbury (east coast South Island) for the first time in around 75 years. There were regular recordings of similar events from the 1890’s until the early 1930’s.
Straight away this was given as an example of global warming. Antarctica was melting and here was the proof. This immediately ignored the fact that this type of thing had occurred often in the past when the world was supposedly colder. My contention is that sea-surface temperatures had dropped sufficiently off the SE coast of New Zealand to sustain large icebergs. Just put an ice cube in warm water and see how long it lasts.
Another local event of similar signifigance was the occurence this past southern winter of avalanches in the Tararua Ranges (mean height 1,500m or 5,000 ft) also for the first time since the late 1920’s. In fact there are no mountain trampers alive who can remember seeing avalanches in these mountains. Prior to this year the average snowfalls in these mountains were around 1m. This year the average has ranged from 2 – 3m. The Tararuas are the only mountains, outside of the large volcanoes, in the North Island to show signs of glaciation from the last Ice Age.
It appears to me that some weather situations around the world are similar to those experienced in the late 1920’s and the early 1930’s without being identical. Does anyone else see these similarities in their neck of the woods?
Cheers
Ian