Old Faithful, Not So Faithful Anymore?

National Geographic has put up an interesting news post today suggesting that Old Faithful and other Yellowstone geysers may be suffering from some effects of global warming.

A long-term study of Yellowstone National Park’s iconic geysers suggests that dry spells caused by climate change are slowing—and may even stop—the geysers’ clockwork-regular eruptions.

The article then suggests that the timing of eruptions at the famous geysers have slowly grown longer over a short period of time, leading many to believe that global warming is causing a shorter supply of water to the geysers.

It does sound like an interesting concept, doesn’t it?

No one knows for sure what is going on with the geysers of Yellowstone. For years it has been known that these geysers have erupted at a specific time interval day in and day out. Over the course of a set number of years, most visitors to the park would not notice a shift in eruption timings.

When you go to Wikipedia (ahhh, wikipedia. The online encyclopedia famous for not being right. Right?) and look up Old Faithful, there happens to be an interesting bit of information posted in the entry.

Over the years, the length of the interval has increased, which may be the result of earthquakes affecting subterranean water levels. These disruptions have made the earlier mathematical relationship inaccurate, but have in fact made Old Faithful more predictable. With an error of 10 minutes, Old Faithful will erupt 65 minutes after an eruption lasting less than 2.5 minutes or 92 minutes after an eruption lasting more than 2.5 minutes. The reliability of Old Faithful can be attributed to the fact that it is not connected to any other thermal features of the Upper Geyser Basin.

You can clearly see that there are a number of different theories floating around.  Are earthquakes causing the difference, or is it global warming?  Whatever the cause is, one thing is clear:  The Yellowstone geysers’  seem to be a bit off on their timing.

Tip of the hat to the Thinking Outside blog for bringing the original National Geographic piece to my attention.  Nice work.

Dogsledding Ellesmere Island: Will Steger’s Latest Adventure in Global Warming

Legendary Polar explorer, Will Steger, has began yet another adventure–dogsledding the 1,400 miles of Ellesmere Island. Steger, who is 63, will be teaming with 6 other members for his latest adventure that range in age from 21-28. I guess he has to show the ‘young pups’ how it is done;)

ExplorersWeb tells us that Steger will be crossing Ellesmere Island on this dogsledding expedition in an effort to visit some of the further reaches of the polar region, and perhaps even see first hand some of the effects that global warming is having on these harsh climate landscapes.

“There they will follow in the footsteps of
legendary polar explorers and will visit ice shelves that have
collapsed due to global warming and those that are on the brink of
collapse. Crossing fjords, mountain ranges, and sea ice, the Expedition
Team will record the impact global warming has had on the northern
coast of the third largest and northernmost island in the Canadian
Arctic.”

Steger has been pretty good about getting word out on his expeditions and sharing his insights with the rest of the world. Hopefully this will give us all an inside look at what is actually taking place, from someone who is there-and has been there before.

Luckily, as has become customary with these types of adventures, Will Steger will be keeping all of us updated by way of his Expedition Website as he journeys across one of the most desolate and coldest environments in the world. Can’t wait to hear what he has to say as far as Global Warming is concerned, and if you jump to his site–you may just get to hear him say it through his audio dispatches.

Don’t Think Global Warming Could Change Your Life? Check Out This Top 100 List

All of us hear of the rising temperatures, the melting ice, and the possible loss of wildlife due to global warming.  These are some pretty big obstacles when it comes to the effects of global warming, yet many of us are still a bit skeptical.

I have recently ran across a nice list of 100 things that global warming will do to change your life.  This list includes items such as the spread of more mosquitoes and poison ivy, to possibly even ending Baseball as we know it.

It is a pretty intense list of things that perhaps we have not thought of concerning the eventual effects global warming could have on each of us personally.  This list has been put up by The Center for American Progress on the Alternet website.

Like to know why there might be an end to baseball, as we know it, in our near future?  It all has to do with the bat.  The baseball bat used by major league baseball is currently made from the Ash tree–which is currently being endangered by killer beetles that happen to thrive in warm climates.  Bet you never would have thought of that.  I know I didn’t.

Here is another interesting item found on the list that has already occured:  The Opening of the Northwest Passage.  Sometimes it is scary how accurate some of these things can be.  Head on over and check it out, then perhaps you might be able to think of a few ways we can stop this madness.  If you have any good ideas or suggestions, feel free to post them in the forum.

Another Sign of Global Warming? Ice Island Breaks in Half!

A huge chunk of ice that originally broke away from the Ayles Ice Shelf in 1996 has mysteriously split in half.  The word “chunk” is an understatement above.  The piece of ice in question measures 10 miles long and three miles wide, with an average ice depth of 138-148 Feet deep.  That is equivelent to a ten story building!

The chunk of ice has been closely monitored by scientists for the past several years in an effort to study the effects of global warming.  A recent trip to the ice “island” in May offered no clue that the ice was going to split in two.  Some have suggested that it’s southernly path may have led to a quicker destruction. 

Scientists are also laying blame to one of the warmest years ever in the arctic.  Recent satelite imagery of the arctic region has revealed that the arctic has set a record for the least amount of ice ever, as far as current records have been kept.

We all know things are warming up at an incredible pace in the North.  The famed Northwest Passage above Canada has now been completely opened for the first time in years.

It is sad how America seemingly refuses to accept that this phenomena should be a concern.  This is just another sign that should be added to the vast reservoir of knowledge suggesting that global warming is moving at an incredible pace.

You may read the full length article concerning the Ayles Ice Shelf over on the BBC News Website.

A special “thanks” for the tip should be noted to The Outside Magazine Blog.

Climate Witness: Ang Tshering Sherpa, Nepal

17 Sep 2007
I am Ang Tshering Sherpa and I was born on 15 November 1953 in a picturesque place called Khumjung village in Solu Khumbu district. It is close to Namche Bazaar, where the tourists visiting the area acclimatize themselves to the altitude before going further. I spent most of my childhood in my birth place and also stayed in Tengboche monastery for 6 years.

It has been more than 35 years that I have been working in mountain tourism sector. Around 25 years back, in 1982, I established Asian Trekking Pvt. Ltd. The company organizes trekking package, mountain expedition to Everest and other activities related with mountain tourism. Over the years, Asian Trekking has grown into one of the biggest operators in Nepal and Tibet in mountain tourism sector We are also general agent of mountain association of China and Tibet and I am Chairman of the company. I am also president of Nepal Mountaineering Association and am honorary Consul of Belgium.

Glacial lakes growing

I have witnessed vast changes in mountain areas, especially in the Everest region. Glaciers are retreating fast and new glacial lakes have formed. When I was a kid, we could easily cross Gokyo Lake with our herd of Yak. We used to cross Lho La pass situated in 6026 meters and took our herd as far as Rumbuk in Tibet. Now, Gokyo Lake has become so huge that it is not possible to cross it with our animals. Besides, the snow has melted which has made it difficult for Yaks to walk on steep rocky mountains and therefore, people had to find an alternative pass. Thus, instead of Lho La Pass (6026), nowadays people use alternative pass called Nangpa Pass (5790).

Over the years, I have seen new glacier lakes form and their size has also increased dangerously. Before 1960, Imja Lake did not even exist and it first appeared in 1962 as a small pond. Now, the lake has become so huge that it could burst anytime. A Similar trend is seen in Nokjumba glacier. Small ponds have started to appear in Nokjumba glacier and it might follow Imja Lake’s trend and grow into dangerously big lake.

I dread thinking about the calamities and possible human loss if these lakes were to burst. About 15 years back, Dikcho Lake burst resulting in huge property loss. Imja Lake is much bigger than Dikcho Lake (about 20 times bigger) and if this lake burst, there will be huge calamity. The lives of people living in the area, their property and cattle are in danger as well as the damage to infrastructure.

Impact on livelihoods

Besides, potential glacier lake outburst, our mountaineering profession is facing problems due to unpredictable weather conditions. About 12-13 years ago, the appropriate season for mountaineering used to be September, October and November. Nowadays, it has shifted to late May because the weather has become unreliable. It snows when it is time to rain and rains when it should snow. This has resulted in an increase in the rate of accidents in mountain expedition.

The snow is melting so fast that it makes it difficult for our profession. A few years back, it used to take around 2 months to melt 5-6 cm of snow whereas nowadays within 6-7 days, about 2 feet of snow melts. This phenomenon is very obvious when we set up our camps. Within few days, we could see the snow around our tent melt and we need to adjust accordingly. The melting of snow also destroys our camping sites and trekking routes.

It is not only our profession that has been highly affected by this phenomenon but glacier melting and rapidly increasing number and size of glacier lakes has put us in a very vulnerable situation. Thinking about potential damage and calamities that might occur in case of glacial lake outburst makes me feel very uncomfortable.

I don’t think local pollution and tourism is the cause for this trend. We hardly receive 600-800 tourism in a year and the number is too small to have such huge impact in our mountain environment. I think it is because of global warming.

According to me, it is time for all of us to act.

The leaders and international people should come up with appropriate policy to deal with this. However, we all should act from our part to address the issue, especially of Imja Lake. It is very essential for us to take immediate measures to reduce the water pressure of the lake and take similar measures like in Tsho-Rolpa. It is very important that water in the lake is drained out so that potential danger is reduced. We also have to keep cautious eyes on new glacier lakes that are forming.

Besides, we need to protect plants and animals of this region. This is our biggest asset and if the environment is destroyed, our tourism business will be highly affected which ultimately affects the livelihood of the people.

Editors Note:  This is a special news release coming from the World Wildlife Federation.  The article has been reprinted in it’s entirety by way of a Creative Commons Liscense.  All photos contained in this article are copyrighted by the World Wildlife Federation, and as such, are not depicted in this article.  To view the accompanying photos, please refer to the original article found HERE.

UK, Scotland and Ireland Issuing Stern Warnings to Mountain Climbers

‘Don’t be influenced by the hype that surrounds adventure activities in the 21st century. It is not always best to “go for it”

This is the message that authorities in the UK, Scotland, and Ireland are trying to get out to the younger, inexperienced, thrill seeking crowds that search for meaning in high places.

Authorities are currently passing out cards with climbing precautions and guidelines to members of the mountaineering community as well as university students.

This is all coming about just weeks after the fifth fatality on one of Scotland’s most famed peaks in the Cairngorms.

Authorities are placing the blame in the recent rash of mountain deaths to inexperience, the media’s glamorization of ‘high-risk’ activities, and global warming.

Along with the precautions and guidelines being sent out to the mountaineering communities, a nice little checklist has been assembled as well.

‘What is clear is that some people are going climbing who aren’t as prepared as they should be”

Global Warming is starting to take on a bigger role, especially in the mountainous regions of the world.  Less snow and a faster thaw rate are contributing to more dangerous climbing conditions.  Conditions that inexperieced climbers do not take into consideration before heading out to the wilds.

Tim Walker, principal of Aviemore’s Glenmore Lodge mountain training centre, said: ‘There’s no question that rising temperatures have affected conditions on the hill. If you fall during an ice climb, there are times when the only thing that will stop you hitting the ground is your ice axe. If there has been a good snowfall you get a lot of ice; that means there is plenty for you to put the axe into. But if there is just a dusting of snow - as is often the case during the winters now - the ice axe strikes the rock beneath it and fails to take hold. So you can see how less ice could make things more dangerous.’

The Cairngorms lay claim to being one of the most inhospitable environments in Europe.  Arctic like climbing conditions as well as fast, oncoming blizzards have caught many a climber off guard in the past and many times that climber is ill-prepared to handle the strict, harsh elements being presented.

It is the hope of The Mountaineering Council of Scotland, as well as it’s counterparts in the UK and Ireland to get the warnings out now and hopefully better educate the public on such hazardous endeavors before more tragedy strikes.

The Adventurist: Global Warming or Global Crazies?

I am pretty much in the balance right now.  Everyday we turn on the news and have Global Warming this or that on the television.  People have not only gotten woried, but they have down right freaked out in some instances…

I think at this time there are way more questions than answers.  Until a definate scientific study can prove that this is just not a ‘normal’ cycle that the Earth moves through, then I am not going to worry so much.

The fact of the matter is, I do worry a little bit about the way we are treating the earth and it’s eventual effects.  There is nothing worse than climbing in a little known region, looking around–absorbing the views–then catching a glance of a mangled Mountain Dew can lying on the ground next to your foot.  By the way, Mountain Dew is what I drink, that is why I used it. (And no, the can wasn’t mine.  I don’t drink pop when I am out.)

Interestingly, today there was a headline that caught my eye over on America’s favorite news source, The Drudge Report.  The headline stated that on November 2, 1922 The Washington Post ran an article entitled “Arctic Ocean Getting Warmer, Seals Vanish and Icebergs Melt”.

The article in question was recently discovered in the Library of Congress by a fellow who is doing research on Global Warming.  He ran across a little known fact that 4 of the hottest 10 years ever recorded happened to take place in the 20’s and 30’s.  His mission was to find out what was being said at these times.  It is just kind of interesting how 80 years later–some of these same ideals are being discussed.

great masses of ice have now been replaced by moraines of earth and stones,” and “at many points well-known glaciers have entirely disappeared.

Sound familiar?  Yeah, same here.  This was the twenties. 

I believe that we personally have a duty to clean-up our act.  There is no doubt that we are affecting our planet, our playground–for the generations to come.

How many of us have already switched out our lightbulbs?  I have.  Yet, I still wonder if I done this because of actual belief in global warming or because of the media blitz that continues to put it in our faces.  Just a curious note though regarding the better lightbulbs…on the packaging they never really say what happens to all that poisonous mercury that the bulbs are built with…billions of people saving energy could essentially be billions of people poluting the earth in a new form.

I think for the time being I am going to stick with my Leave No Trace philosphy..not because of global warming or because someone told me to, but because I respect the people that will be following me out in the wilds.

Who wants to look at an old crusty pair of flip-flops lying on the ground next to where you are going to pitch your tent?  I mentioned that just because that is exactly what I found last time I went out camping.  My wife got upset, but for the next two hours…before I pitched the tent…I cleaned the place up a little.  Not only will the people that camp there after me enjoy themselves a bit more in the wild, but obviously, now I didn’t have to look at a pair of crusty looking flip-flops someone left behind.

By the way, if you are wondering what the flip-flops and the cans and the trash has to do with global warming…I really can’t tell you.  Perhaps this isn’t even about global warming.  Perhaps it is just about cleaning up after yourselves you crazy crusted flip-flop flingin junkies.  Those of us who go out into nature to enjoy it, shouldn’t have to play the part of your damn mothers!