Reader View from the Solent writes:
Global warming shifts the Earth’s poles. North Pole heads for Greenland
“Global warming is changing the location of Earth’s geographic poles, according to a study in Geophysical Research Letters1.
Researchers at the University of Texas, Austin, report that increased melting of the Greenland ice sheet — and to a lesser extent, ice loss in other parts of the globe — have helped to shift the North Pole several centimetres east each year since 2005.
“There was a big change,” says geophysicist and lead author Jianli Chen. ”
Between 1982 and 2005, the pole drifted southeast towards northern Labrador, Canada, at a rate of about 2 milliarcseconds — or roughly 6 centimetres — per year. But in 2005, the pole changed course and began galloping east towards Greenland at a rate of more than 7 milliarcseconds per year. (which amounts to 21cm or ~8 1/4″- Anthony)
Scientists have long known that the locations of Earth’s geographic poles are not fixed. Over the course of the year, they shift seasonally as Earth’s distributions of snow, rain and humidity change. “Usually [the shift] is circular, with a wobble,” says Chen.
But underlying the seasonal motion is a yearly motion that is thought to be driven in part by continental drift. It was the change in that motion that caught the attention of Chen and his colleagues, who used data collected by NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) to determine whether ice loss had shifted and accelerated the yearly polar drift.
GRACE’s twin probes measure changes in Earth’s gravity field, which can be used to track shifts in the distribution of water and ice. Chen’s team used GRACE data to model how melting ice caps affect Earth’s mass distribution. They found that recent accelerated ice loss and associated sea-level rise accounted for more than 90% of the post-2005 polar shift.
More at:
http://www.nature.com/news/polar-wander-linked-to-climate-change-1.12994
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With global warming introducing that extra wobble, it is easy to create a model to project what effect global warming will have on the Earth in the future. /sarc – Anthony
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Wow! Just when I thought I’ve seen and heard everything about AGW! Unbelievable what some of these so called climate scientists will do to sidle up to the government teat!
Precession, nutation, true polar wander – the earth’s axis has many motions all occurring simultaneously. Most are cyclic and driven by either the simple mechanics of solid bodies or by continental drift or differential rotation of the various parts. The folly here is ths unspoken assumption that such motions may be reliably extrapolated in a straight line.
“… have helped to shift the North Pole several centimetres east each year since 2005.”
Geeezzz, what’s big deal?
One DK9 could solve this problem. Just bulldoze those several centimeters back.
😉
As an alumnus of The University of Texas at Austin, I cringe at this latest bit from there.
This is the same university that was awarded the first non-government Cray supercomputer, and conducts many other actually useful research projects.
Roger Sowell,
BS Chemical Engineering 1977
I’m more concerned about the reducing strength of the magnetic poles than the natural wobble of the physical one. It’s not as if we’re going to fall off 🙂
Anthony’s ‘model’ is amusing. It brings back nostalgic memory of the book ‘The Hab Theory’.
But related to the reducing magnetic fields of the Magnetic Poles, I’d like to know:
What was the impact of solar particles being redirected by the earth’s magnetic field? Did that warm the core? Warm the atmosphere? Prevent the atmosphere from being warmed? What is the effect of the reduction on atmospheric temperature?
If anyone here can answer those questions, could you please give me a summary of the answers, and a link to the data?
Last year we were told the magnetic pole was heading for Russia. So what’s up with that??
“Ever since the magnetic north pole was first discovered in 1831, geologists have been tracking its progress. Unlike true north (which is marked by the Earth’s axis), magnetic north is constantly on the move due to changes in the planet’s molten core, which contains iron. Throughout most of recorded history, the pole has been positioned at or around Canada’s icy Ellesmere Island, but if it keeps moving at its current rate, it won’t be long before it sits above Russia instead. ”
http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.greatdreams.com/solar/magnetic-north-pole.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.greatdreams.com/solar/changing_sun.htm&h=530&w=633&sz=15&tbnid=wWagcpuvIJLbKM:&tbnh=84&tbnw=100&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dnorth%2Bmagnetic%2Bpole%2Bshift%2Bmap%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=north+magnetic+pole+shift+map&usg=__HvU1LT6cJBXdVM7P07k2GqvFRSM=&docid=USV6pVtbP5JOSM&sa=X&ei=67aTUfTbLMno0wHK2YFo&ved=0CEEQ9QEwBA&dur=4225
pat says: “What is the deal with climatology? Do only those not ready for real science endeavor enter the field?”
Only field that will have them, being it has unlimited Taxpayer funding.
Want to see science in climatology like real science in private sector? Tie GW funding to creation of practical energy solutions instead of paying for bell ringing Alarmism.
Did you know man-made global warming pulls the moon further closer to the earth? As you know, the moon orbits around the earth and orbit speeds and distances must be very precise. Heat causes air to expand and because of global warming the earth’s atmosphere has never been larger. This causes the moon to be slightly closer to the earth which, in turn, disrupts the delicate orbit the moon has with the earth. The moon helps regulate tides and the earth’s tilt. By getting closer to the earth, high tides will be higher and low tides lower which will greatly affect the coastal ecosystem. And when the earth’s tilt is shortened because the moon is closer to the earth this will affect seasons. Summer will not be as hot but winter will not be as cold which will cause ice caps the melt further aggravating the extreme tides. But because there is no friction in space the moon’s velocity stays the same which will eventually cause the moon to escape the orbit of the earth. The earth’s tilt will be then be unregulated causing planet to be inhospitable for all life except for a few months in a year. The part of the planet with the sun facing it will have extreme heat whereas the part away from the sun will have extreme cold. This will result in more extreme storms. Really, the pull from the earth on the moon is worse than we thought. We must act now before the moon’s distance reaches that critical point where it will be too late. The modals show that this will happen between 50 and 75 years from now.
(End sarcasm.)
Question – are the poles moving or is the mantle slipping over the molten core or both. The atmosphere slips, the mantle slips a tiny bit, the core spins faster than the mantle – I don’t see much accounting for what impacts this has on the environment and the only research I have seen is on earthquakes from around 2005 where they suggested similar wave forms emanating from the core might be related to earthquakes, and I haven’t seen anything since. Guess AGW caught the wave. 😉
Mike says:
May 15, 2013 at 9:33 am
Is that really statistically significant?
Depends on how much tax payer money you trying to stea…..errrrr….get in a grant
Add this to Brignell’s list. http://www.numberwatch.co.uk/warmlist.htm
Something else to put on my worry list. I’ll reserve 2:00 PM -4:15 PM, May 16, 2023, so that I can give it proper attention and we may have a better idea of just how much melting results in how much polar movement and the button sorters will have time to sort out all the other things that may contribute.
Wayne Delbeke says: “Unlike true north (which is marked by the Earth’s axis), magnetic north is constantly on the move …”
Which way is true actual real North? Earth axis North, Magnetic North, Polar star North, North Pole (aka Santa), GPS satellite North, Geographic map North, Global Warming North (position varies by latest F.U.D.).
It was Larsen B wot did it
Now that they come to mention it, we defrosted our large upright fridge-freezer last week and got rid of a lot of unwanted ice. This explains why, when we went in to the kitchen the next day, all the fridge magnets had moved in a south-easterly direction..
Did they really get paid to tell us that the magnetic pole has shifted just over 3 metres during the last 31 years.
1982 to 2005 = 23 years x 6 cm’s = 1.38 metres (1 yd 18 in) South Easterly.
2005 to 2013 = 8 years x 21 cm’s = 1.68 metres (1 yd 30 in) Easterly.
Total Distance 3.06 metres (3 yd 12 in)
We are concerned that by 2044 (in 31 years time), at the same rate of calculation used by the University of Texas, all our fridge magnets will have travelled just over 3 metres towards the back door. Astonishing. And it’s all our fault.
ftp://ftp.csr.utexas.edu/pub/ggfc/papers/2013GL056164_preprint.pdf
Did anyone notice them saying just how much mass was lost by Greenland?
The AGW insanity goes on. Only phyiscal force applied to the insane will stop them
The Earth’s wobble is a natural physical phenomenon that has been postulated for centuries – Newton predicted the effect, and it was confirmed by Chandler in 1891. Although the premise that the melting ice sheets will affect the wobble because it redistributes the mass of the crust is correct, the misuse of this effect to heighten the alarm of AGW ignores the facts that normal tectonic movement, and indeed, the tidal movement of the oceans, contributes a far greater shifting of mass – next you’ll be hearing about how the melting of the glaciers and ice sheets, due to AGW, is slowing down the rotation of the Earth and increasing the rate of AGW.
Oops – appears they may have been talking about the axial north pole, my mistake, but I wonder what is new about this, I thought this was a well known phenomenon like precession? So, what of the several hundred variables did they determine was the driver? I’m going to wobble on this one (British term for a walk out or wildcat strike). Pun intended. Plus it fits with certain dictionary definitions:
-When a child is learning to ride his bike for the first time and is moving unsteadily forward, this is an example of when the child wobbles. (EARTH AXIS WOBBLE)
-When you are nervous and your voice shakes, this is an example of when your voice wobbles.
-When a politician says different things and changes his mind multiple times on an issue, this is an example of when he wobbles.
hum says:
May 15, 2013 at 9:46 am
Leif, what is north of the north pole?
Polaris…
GRACE – perhaps the worst ever NASA experiment.
I’m open to other proposals …
Global warming. Is there nothing it can’t do?
North pole doesn’t move, its location is always 90.N, 0E, it is the rest that moves around it 🙂
next you’ll be hearing about how the melting of the glaciers and ice sheets, due to AGW, is slowing down the rotation of the Earth and increasing the rate of AGW.
Well.The Earth’s rotation has slowed down.According to atomic clocks(I want one)The day on earth is…ready….1.7 milliseconds longer than they were a century ago. Must have been all the cow/horse flatulence.
So is global-warming maybe also to blame for the “wind rushing down the plain”? I guess it’s worse than we thought. Again.
Yes. The north geographic pole is the intersection of the axis of rotation with the figure of the Earth and the south geographic pole is the intersection of the axis of rotation with the figure of the Earth.
The intrepid authors did not check the south geographic pole position through time to support their hypothesis ! A serious omission and fatal flaw. Ha ha.
The paper is yet another example of what gets ‘passed’ by GRL and other JGR journals these days. This paper is dead before arrival !