UPDATE2: get a load of the hilarious announcement from the expedition, where they claim sea ice is disappearing, see update 2 below.
UPDATE3: A film (now a video) has been found from 1912 showing Mawson landing in ice free Commonwealth Bay in 1912. see update 3 below.
UPDATE4: Bad weather has forced the Aurora Australis to back off from its rescue attempt. See below.
UPDATE5: See my opinion piece on why this is a fiasco
There’s quite an ongoing worldwide fascination over the So much sea ice in Antarctica that a research vessel gets stuck, in summer! episode with the ship Akademik Shokalskiy we first reported on WUWT.
I think it was best summed up by this Tweet:
http://twitter.com/ElBuehn/status/416608616070664192
Now, after the first rescue ship The “Snow Dragon” failed:
Our rescue boat, the Xue Long, has had to turn back because the ice was too thick for it to get through. We're now awaiting Aurora Australis
— Alok Jha (@alokjha) December 27, 2013
Which we see in the distance here…
…all eyes are now on the Aurora Australis, which was trapped in ice for 3 weeks last month.
But, even that ship seems to have trouble picking through the sea ice. here is the webcam from the bow of the Aurora Australis:
![A133631800A[1]](http://wattsupwiththat.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/a133631800a1.jpg)
Link to webcam: http://www.antarctica.gov.au/webcams/aurora
Supposedly, the ice around the Akademik Shokalskiy 3-4 meters thick.
Then there’s the comedy of a scientific research expedition disguised as a junket for activists and reporters, such as this guy, tweeting up a storm from on-board:
The other fellow, Chris Turney, has some science credentials, but also has a propensity for wackadoodle alarmism as we see in this WUWT post: Now it’s 2°C climate change target ‘not safe’
Mostly, it’s a media sponsored event, presumably so they can tell us how terrible things are in Anarctica with melting and such:
WUWT reader “pat” writes at 2013/12/26 at 1:59 pm
seems this expedition was more a BBC/Guardian/ABC CAGW exercise!
18 Dec: Guardian: The Guardian lays claim to Antarctica – in pictures Journalists Alok Jha and Laurence Topham have landed in Antarctica with the 2013 Australasian Antarctic Expedition Documentary filmmaker Laurence Topham lines up a shot from the bows. Photograph: Alok Jha/Guardian…
http://www.theguardian.com/science/antarctica-live/gallery/2013/dec/18/guardian-antarctica-pictures
Guardian: Laurence Topham, documentary filmmaker
In 2007 he worked for Current TV, where he edited over 50 short-form documentaries for terrestrial broadcast…
http://www.theguardian.com/open-weekend/laurence-topham
Guardian: Science: Antarctica live (MASSIVE COVERAGE, NO HINT ABOUT THE SHIP’S CURRENT PREDICAMENT!)
http://www.theguardian.com/science/antarctica-live
26 Dec: BBC: Andrew Luck-Baker: Science continues for trapped Australasian Antarctic expedition Science reporter Andrew Luck-Baker is on board the Russian research vessel Shokalskiy, covering the Australasian Antarctic Expedition 2013 for the BBC World Service programme Discovery…
Tantalisingly, a low band of grey sky to the Northeast suggests clear water lies not so many kilometres away. The grey colour is light reflected from open water. The early Antarctic explorers named this colour phenomenon “water sky” and used it to navigate their route through the treacherous pack ice…
In addition to the Russian crew of 22, the expedition team consists of 18 professional scientists from Australia and New Zealand, and 22 volunteer science assistants. They are members of the public, ranging in age from their 20s to their 70s. They paid to join the scientific adventure…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25519059
25 Nov: ABC Lateline: $1.5 million Australian expedition to Antarctica Professor Chris Turney from the University of NSW is mounting the largest Australian science expeditions to the Antarctic with an 85-person team to try to answer questions about how climate change in the frozen continent might be already shifting weather patterns in Australia.
ABC’s MARGOT O’NEILL: The research stakes are high. Antarctica is one of the great engines driving the world’s oceans, winds and weather, especially in Australia. But there’s ominous signs of climate change.
CHRIS TURNEY: The Southern Hemisphere westerly winds encircle Antarctica, and over the last 20 or 30 years or so, they’ve been pushing further south. Now – so actually in a way it’s almost like Antarctica’s withdrawing itself from the rest of the world…
EMMA ALBERICI: And tomorrow night, in the second part of this special report, could the British Antarctic explorer Robert Scott have lived? We look at how Professor Turney discovered that choosing the right team can be a matter of life and death.
Meanwhile, in the “Spirit of Mawson” Spirit of “never let a good crisis go to waste”, the folks on-board have realized the world is watching, and decided to make a pitch for money at their website, presumably to fund next year’s research media junket:
Mother nature doesn’t seem to care about the comedy either way, as Antarctic sea ice is still over 2 standard deviations above normal.
National Snow & Ice Data Center (NSIDC) – Click the pic to view at source========================================================
UPDATE1: Thanks to Roger Tattersall “Tallbloke” who writes:
I’m amused to see Global Warmist Professor Chris Turney’s expedition to Antarctica to retrace polar explorer Douglas Mawson’s route and replicate measurements has run into a spot of bother.
Here’s an old news report on Mawson’s expedition
It looks like that part of the Antarctic was warmer in Mawson’s day than now. In fact the antarctic is currently colder than it has been for a long time. The high latitudes of the Southern Ocean have been cooling since the 1980′s according to SST data.
====================================================
UPDATE2: You can’t make this stuff up. This is from a news.com.au story covering the incident and the announcement made by the expedition:
Um, no, sea ice isn’t disappearing right now, it is growing in the Arctic and within two standard deviations:
National Snow & Ice Data Center (NSIDC) – click to view at sourceTwo standard deviations above normal in the Antarctic:
National Snow & Ice Data Center (NSIDC) – Click the pic to view at sourceAnd above normal globally:
Cryosphere Today – University of Illinois – Polar Research Group – Click the pic to view at source========================================================
UPDATE3:
A video has been found from 1912 showing Mawson landing in ice free Commonwealth Bay in 1912.
========================================================
UPDATE4: The Times of India reports:
SYDNEY: Bad weather on Monday forced back an Australian icebreaker struggling to reach a scientific expedition ship stranded off Antarctica, while snow and winds have prevented a helicopter rescue, authorities said.
The Aurora Australis made it to within 10 nautical miles of the MV Akademik Shokalskiy, which is stuck in an ice field, before retreating in the face of freezing winds and snow showers.
“Adverse weather conditions have resulted in the Australian Antarctic Division vessel Aurora Australis moving back into open water this afternoon,” the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said.
==========================================================
Related articles
- Rescue near for trapped Antarctic ship (foxnews.com)
- Cracks in ice new hope for stranded Antarctica ship (worldnews.nbcnews.com)
- Chinese icebreaker forced to cut Antarctic rescue attempt short (ctvnews.ca)
- Rescue of icebound Antarctic ship faces setback (foxnews.com)
“I took a glove off to type an email outside at one point and, after my fingers turned white and I lost the ability to move them, I swear they felt hot. ”
Oh my. A weather reporter with no outdoor work experience. He should have noted that warm = good!p, cold = dead.
“The increase in sea ice has freshened the seawater below, so much so that you can almost drink it. ”
From above excerpt from: http://www.news.com.au/national/stricken-russian-ship-mv-akademik-shokalskiy-with-aussie-scientists-aboard-is-playing-the-waiting-game-in-antarctica/story-fncynjr2-1226791671102
Ah, the ice either came from sea water or precipitation. Either way both sources have always been there, and freezing is a rather normal process. Someone please let these “scientists” know.
Clovis Marcus says: @ur momisugly December 30, 2013 at 2:50 am
..The master will be unlikely to be taking any more ships out. His is the final decision on where and when they go.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
When my Father-in-law was a ship master (Merchant Marine WWII) the master HAD to stay with the ship to preserve ownership or the ship was considered ‘Abandoned’ and up for grabs.
Is this still true. Is the master required to stay with the ship?
Re. helicopter rescue: wind in the area
http://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/isobaric/1000hPa/orthographic=170,-60,1500/
enter ship coordinates and zoom in, click on the area wind speed available in both km/h and knots
Quick ….. Somebody get on the phone with Eric Steig and have him crank up the Antarctic warming machine.
Aboard the MK Akademik Shokalskiy on 29 December 2013 Australian Green Party Senator-select Janet Rice has posted on her Facebook page the following:
“As I’ve written previously, the changes we are seeing on this trip can’t be attributed to global warming but they are just the sort of changes that will be expected to occur and occur more often as we continue to warm the planet.”
A clear sign of global warming?
That the group trapped on this ship continue to spout the “globalwarmingclimatechangedisruption…” creed sets the “cause” back more than they can ever fathom. They just don’t seem to realize that there is no credibility in talking about global warming whilst trapped in ice. It is absolutely pathological.
Global Warming Science Boat may be trapped for years in non existent ice: http://stevengoddard.wordpress.com/2013/12/30/global-warming-science-boat-may-be-trapped-for-years-in-non-existent-ice/
Hilarious how the Guardian article linked to this post explains where the thick multi year ice that trapped the ship comes from…… You’ve guessed it.
View from the Solent says: @ur momisugly December 30, 2013 at 4:31 am
… “The master has decided it would be better to get these people off,”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I imagine the master is silently cursing these idiots and wants shed of them.
Nothing like a bunch of reality den!ers partying it up and spinning the situation to make the guy who is responsible, going to loose his career and maybe his life really P.O’d.
Any bets it was Chris Turney who talked him into going on with the expedition when his more sensible self told him to turn back?
…
I have been in situations that were potentially dangerous and had to argue with fools who never realized they or others were close to getting severely injured or killed. It makes you want to reach for a 2X4 to knock some sense into their heads!
Iain Logan at December 29, 2013 at 12:51 pm has a link to a national geographic article at http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/12/131226-russian-ship-stuck-ice-mawson-trek-antarctica/?rptregcta=reg_free_np&rptregcampaign=20131016_rw_membership_r1p_intl_ot_w#finished
Yes, it really does say,
“Let’s remember, the South Pole is essentially on a huge chunk of ice, which means the continent of Antarctica is constantly shifting around and moving. Throw in global warming and ocean currents and you’ve got the recipe for a South Pole that moves about 33 feet (10 meters) per year.”
Someone help me out. Are they really trying to say that ocean currents move the South Pole (and perhaps the continent of Antarctica) around? Is Hank Johnson now working for National Geographic?
Someone please tell me that I am misreading that.
k scott denison says:
December 30, 2013 at 7:08 am
That the group trapped on this ship continue to spout the “globalwarmingclimatechangedisruption…” creed sets the “cause” back more than they can ever fathom. They just don’t seem to realize that there is no credibility in talking about global warming whilst trapped in ice. It is absolutely pathological.
______________________________
That’s about as fine of an example of lying political doublespeak as one is likely to find.
From shipmaster Igor Kiselyov:
It is abundantly clear that logic is not that person’s strong suit.
Alan Robertson says:
December 30, 2013 at 7:14 am
k scott denison says:
December 30, 2013 at 7:08 am
That the group trapped on this ship continue to spout the “globalwarmingclimatechangedisruption…” creed sets the “cause” back more than they can ever fathom. They just don’t seem to realize that there is no credibility in talking about global warming whilst trapped in ice. It is absolutely pathological.
______________________________
That’s about as fine of an example of lying political doublespeak as one is likely to find.
——————————————–
————————————————-
—————————————————-
All Apologies SIL VOUS PLAIT t- I linked the wrong quote!!! I meant to comment on Grant Klokeid’s post- the one prior to Scott Denison’s post-
———————————————
—————————————————–
—————————————————————-
Grant Klokeid says:
December 30, 2013 at 6:59 am
Aboard the MK Akademik Shokalskiy on 29 December 2013 Australian Green Party Senator-select Janet Rice has posted on her Facebook page the following:
“As I’ve written previously, the changes we are seeing on this trip can’t be attributed to global warming but they are just the sort of changes that will be expected to occur and occur more often as we continue to warm the planet.”
then i mess up the formatting- sheesh
Thats gotta hurt. A group of left wing global warming actavists stuck in the ice waiting on a rescue from americans !!!
I guess they found that the climate there truly is “worse than they thought”.
Now it is all up to the CAGW spinmeisters to try to repair the damage this incident has done to the S.S. Warmatanic. I believe I hear an orchestra tuning.
Jason Calley says:
December 30, 2013 at 7:13 am
“Yes, it really does say,
Let’s remember, the South Pole is essentially on a huge chunk of ice, which means the continent of Antarctica is constantly shifting around and moving. Throw in global warming and ocean currents and you’ve got the recipe for a South Pole that moves about 33 feet (10 meters) per year.”
Ah – just because they can get one fact right does not mean they have any comprehension of the context of that fact.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amundsen%E2%80%93Scott_South_Pole_Station
“Because this station is located on a moving glacier, this station is currently being carried towards the South Pole at a rate of about 10 meters (or yards) per year.”
Same sort of people can add 4 to 2 and get 42 rather than 6 (often a problem with some computer programs as well unless care is taken 🙂 ).
Why wasn’t I shocked at politicians involved. It’s their show anyway.
Now one thing is clear. This is only one incident that will be cured with ample spin, as always. But the tactics will change. Eventually the whole warmist ship will turn to a new direction. In the long run, we’ll most probably see the same set of entitled people deciding on science, running their consensus-du-jour, and cutting off everyone else, as always.
I often visit some fringe facets of the Internet that all have one trait in common – as soon as some “truth” becomes inconvenient, it simply vanishes as it was not there. Occasionally archive.org helps but more often not. It may sound stupid at this point, but I’ll make my stash of the warmists’ papers for safekeeping for the times when current propaganda becomes inconvenient. I guess the whole warmist libraries will just vanish.
It would be a pity for quality bull’s rear end products to vanish in vain. Future generations of scientist’s well-being and sanity may benefit from keeping the proof of vanity and incompetence of the entitled lot. I’m 95% sure they’ll manage their way to the top, this way but most probably another, and real science will continue to suffer.
So Janet is saying to expect more ice buildup that is resistant to melting, cooling temperatures, and dangerous icy weather conditions because the planet is warming. And people voted for her? Certainly not because she is intelligent.
BTW, did anyone notice Turney could not spell the name of the ship he was supposed to run? If you believe in bad omens, that one certainly qualifies…
http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2013/s3846720.htm
Funny how these Warmists who hate fossil fuels take a fossil fueled boat trip to the ends of the earth, then need more fossil fueled vehicles to (eventually) rescue them from the sea ice that is supposedly disappearing. Or getting thicker due to “climate change”. Or whatever today’s talking point is.
Here is much higher quality video of the Mawson expedition landing in Commonwealth Bay on January 7, 1912. (note the Russian ship is stuck in 3 metre ice 65 kms away).
http://aso.gov.au/titles/documentaries/antarctic-pioneers/clip2/
Schadenfreude
BLACK PEARL says:
December 30, 2013 at 6:21 am
“Bloody hell !
So how much do you get charged ?
Is it per house hold ?”
18 Euro or 25 USD a month per household. The enormous state media apparatus has in my opinion been created to keep Germany brainwashed, domesticated and quiet after 1945.