| Forum Home | ||||
| PC World Chat | ||||
| Thread ID: 93391 | 2008-09-14 20:15:00 | Franz Josef Glacier | Roscoe (6288) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 705182 | 2008-09-14 20:15:00 | Have you ever been to see the Franz Josef Glacier and/or the Fox Glacier? When I was there in 2000 I was most interested to see, on the viewing platform, some photographs of the glacier taken over (about) the last 80 years . The photographs show the glacier in various stages of advance and retreat . It was quite surprising to see the valley with almost no ice and snow at all . So is it, as has been recently reported on the news, that Franz Josef Glacier is retreating because of global warming, or is it - as has happened in the past - just a natural cycle? The facts show that it advances and retreats depending on how much snow falls on the mountain above . While I am not denying global warming, I doubt if that is what's causing the latest retreat of Franz Josef . . wikipedia . org/wiki/Franz_Josef_Glacier" target="_blank">en . wikipedia . org |
Roscoe (6288) | ||
| 705183 | 2008-09-14 21:19:00 | Yes, I have been to both the Franz and Fox glaciers. We are frequent visitors to the South Island and that is a beautiful area. On one visit, if we had wanted to climb on to the Franz we would have had to walk for miles over very stoney ground just to get to the base. A few years later it had advanced tremendously. We climbed into our hob-nail boots and walked about half an hour to get to the glacier and have a guided climb. An amazing and unforgettable experience. I know it does advance and retreat. I also heard a spokesperson from NIWA discussing that this morning, not just one particular reason. However, I don't deny global warming, either. But it is not the sole cause of the natural cycle. Just my :2cents: worth. |
Marnie (4574) | ||
| 705184 | 2008-09-14 22:03:00 | Yes I was last there in 1995. I have some photos I might be able to scan and post if anyone is interested. NZ Herald story today. www.nzherald.co.nz :) |
Trev (427) | ||
| 705185 | 2008-09-14 22:21:00 | Its more what happens in The Indian ocean, thats where most of our weather is formed. It rolls westward across Aussie and the Tassie. I would guess if the glaciers were advancing the global warming theoryists would say nothing |
prefect (6291) | ||
| 705186 | 2008-09-14 22:24:00 | Yes I was last there in 1995. I have some photos I might be able to scan and post if anyone is interested. NZ Herald story today. www.nzherald.co.nz :) I went down to Franz Josef Glacier 3 years ago :drool |
Matty cars (14154) | ||
| 705187 | 2008-09-14 22:27:00 | I have had this explained to me some years ago, but am not sure I can write it sensibly - please bear with me! I understand that the glaciers in Westland are not retreating like the ones on the east. There is (as you have found out from Wikipedia) a naturally occurring cycle of advance and retreat for the western glaciers, and it depends on how much snow is dumped in the neve whether it advances, retreats, slows down, speeds up. I understand that the Fox and Franz have been advancing for some years. When I asked my informant why they are advancing, if there is global warming going on, he explained that it is uncertain what effect global warming will have on these glaciers. Paradoxically, there could be more snow for the Fox and Franz neves because with global warming there could be more weather coming from the quarter that drops snow in Westland, and weather systems could be coming through further south (I think that is what he said!), hence more precipitation in the form of snow up there. A similar thing is happening in the Antarctic - the ice shelves around the Antarctic Peninsula (south of Cape Horn) are breaking up and the temperatures are rising, whereas around the Ross Sea the opposite is happening. Apparently you can attribute both of these events to global warming. |
John H (8) | ||
| 705188 | 2008-09-14 22:31:00 | BTW, we go over to the Coast a lot cos our grandkids live there . This year seems to have been a biggie for snow on the Coast, in which case there will be more to feed the glaciers . That is what you have to take into account when thinking about this - glacier advances reflect heavy snow years some years ago; the advance isn't immediate, so what they have received in the neve this year will show up some years in the future . When you are looking at advances and retreats you are looking at history . |
John H (8) | ||
| 705189 | 2008-09-14 22:38:00 | I would guess if the glaciers were advancing the global warming theoryists would say nothing Exactly! That happens in so many other controversial subjects (GE for example) where some people only tell you the side of the story that suits their theory and conveniently forget to tell you the other side.:annoyed: |
Roscoe (6288) | ||
| 705190 | 2008-09-14 22:46:00 | what effect global warming will have on these glaciers. Paradoxically, there could be more snow for the Fox and Franz neves because with global warming there could be more weather coming from the quarter that drops snow in Westland, and weather systems could be coming through further south (I think that is what he said!), hence more precipitation in the form of snow up there. A similar thing is happening in the Antarctic - the ice shelves around the Antarctic Peninsula (south of Cape Horn) are breaking up and the temperatures are rising, whereas around the Ross Sea the opposite is happening. Apparently you can attribute both of these events to global warming. Right. The planet has had periods of ice ages and periods of warmer than we have now. The whole Global Warming argument is that people and their machines etc are causing the planet to warm rapidly. Fans of this idea attribute everything to it. |
pctek (84) | ||
| 705191 | 2008-09-14 23:02:00 | Right. The planet has had periods of ice ages and periods of warmer than we have now. The whole Global Warming argument is that people and their machines etc are causing the planet to warm rapidly. Fans of this idea attribute everything to it. Yes, but are you feeling lucky, punk? I can imagine global warming deniers a few years hence saying "I wish we had done something then - too late now - wail". Flat earth mentality never goes away. |
John H (8) | ||
| 1 2 | |||||