Wednesday, August 30, 2006

SUVs 14 million years ago?

"SYRACUSE, N.Y. - A 30-mile maze canyons in Antarctica was carved out of bedrock by the catastrophic draining of subglacial lakes during global warming between 12 million and 14 million years ago, according to university researchers who warn a similar event today could have serious environmental consequences."

Heck, I didn't even know people were burning fossil fuels back then, much less driving Expeditions.

Hodgson, who has written extensively about global warming and its impact on Antarctica, said some lake water discharges are contemporary. One such rapid discharge occurred in 1997-1998 when a one-mile-square lake emptied into two other downstream lakes under the ice sheet over a period of 16 months.

"It is very unlikely that the volume of these discharges would equal those of the Miocene (epoch), when the Labyrinth formed, because the ice sheet then was much more dynamic and temperate and therefore likely contained — and discharged — substantially greater volumes of subglacial meltwater," Hodgson said.

The British scientist said that present day global warming has not had any measured effects on the volume or movement of subglacial meltwater beneath the Antarctic ice sheet 'so it is premature to predict a new era of flooding as a result of global warming."

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Obligatory post

I know it's been a while. Work is hell. Have time to read and comment in the mornings, but not enough to think about a real post. Sorry. Will catch up someday.