Thermohaline Circulation and Global Warming

As sea ice forms the salt water around it becomes both more saline (saltier) and consequently more dense. This in turn causes it to sink due to gravity. This runs the thermohaline circulation of the world's oceans. Where does this heavier water sink? The North Atlantic Ocean. As I said, this occurs as sea ice is forming.

So, what happens as both sea ice and land bound glacier ice melts? Simple. The ocean water decreases in salinity and density. It sinks more and more slowly as newly melted freshwater flows into the ocean. This also slows and may even stop altogether the thermohaline circulation. Whether it actually reverses entirely is a more extreme situation which is possible and unclear in its implications. Very likely this also forces the location of the sinking saltier water to shift away from the inflowing freshwater.

What can we expect from the slowing and stoppage of this thermohaline circulation? It will obviously alter this circulation of the ocean waters - at least the salt content. Desalination is also a consequence of this influx of freshwater. Harvesting of glacial ice and locating it into man-made reservoirs would have helped ease this problem and likely many others as well. But it seems that those who could most benefit from such a solution are more interested in other matters. I guess the global warming and its after effects is going to be a really big learning experience for us worldwide.

No Isostatic Rebound for Us

Isostatic rebound is unlikely to happen because the vast majority of the land bound ice is already melted in the Arctic. Sea ice is all that's left. I was under the impression that there was still a great deal of land bound ice. I was wrong. Other than permafrost and Greenland, we're literally going under. A great deal more of the remaining sea ice will likely melt away by the end of this summer. If there were still land glaciers up north putting pressure on the North American continental plate, then isostatic rebound might have been likely. Unfortunately, that is not going to happen.

Unexpected happenings are holding me back on much of my research and other scientific interests. At least I am getting some other necessary tasks done and out of the way while I wait for these happenings to pass. This will open up more free time later for further science stuff. Until my next post...Tally ho!

Nuclear Energy is NOT Green

I recently read an article about how many folks are arguing for nuclear power to fix the global warming issue. Since when is nuclear energy clean and Earth friendly?! It is hazardous to our health and deadly dangerous. I guess contaminating the planet with radioactive particles is preferable to upping the gas mileage on vehicles. The greenhouse gases are naturally occurring and the planet and its environment can compensate - though inconveniently for us. The earth cannot do the same with radioactive materials.

We can do a great deal of research and come up with other energy sources. In fact, the research is already being done. Wind power, solar power, geothermal, etc. Nobody can monopolize the wind, sun, or Earth. It all comes down to two things - laziness and greed. The people of Earth are too damn lazy to do what they KNOW will help alleviate the global warming problem. They just don't want to be bothered.

There are SUV's out there that are hybrids. Why don't I see more folks driving them - especially given the tax breaks we get for the extra cost?! More people could ride public transportation. Of course, except in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where greedy politicians cut the service. I'm sure they are getting some sort of kickback for stabbing their voters in the backs.

We vote jerks into office who care nothing about this planet and prove it. But still, we continue to renew their leases on their positions. They are public servants and they are not doing their jobs and can be fired - but we're too lazy to do that. We're too damn lazy to do what we know must be done. So we doom our future generations to live and die in a radioactive wasteland.

A KT Check-in

I've started reading on the KT Event, just to get some perspective on what different things were actually happening at the close of the Cretaceous. From the images I've seen of the ash layer, there is a very clear and distinct difference above and below the line. Even though the DVP was already erupting causing a slow die-off, it is not as noticeable as the KT layer. Besides, the gradual nature of the DVP extinctions would give time enough for animals and plants to adapt, evolve, and migrate - leaving survivors. Also, those furthest from the eruption would be less affected.

We cannot rule out the impact - or series of impacts, if that was the case - since they were the final killing strike. The KT layer thickens towards Mexico. This is obvious. How the Shiva impact works into the equation other than speeding up the Indian continent, is not yet clear. The Shiva impact is unlikely the cause of the upwarping of the Moho. That is an important piece of the puzzle and very specific. If Chicxulub and Shiva were of the same impact event, that only gives us a clue as to what hit us and adds more dynamics to the KT Event. Shiva just adds to the excitement.

As for the DVP, we can compare it to other major eruptions. I read something about the Toba eruption about 75,000 years ago. It is supposedly the largest eruption of the Quaternary but with no known major extinctions or other major problems brought about by it. A comparison might be in order between the Deccans and Toba and might just shed some light on the DVP part of the equation. Just some thoughts. Until later...

Some Info on the Deccans

It is unclear from my preliminary research reading whether the Deccan Traps were erupting in this extreme way prior to the collision. It seems that the massive eruption may have already been going on for some time starting a slow die off of Late Cretaceous fauna caused by global warming as an after effect of the eruption.

One interesting piece of evidence is the Shiva crater - apparently another impact crater of the west coast of India and at the KT Boundary. That's two craters in the same time frame - relatively speaking. Could the collision have been a multi-impact event like the one that hit Jupiter a few years ago? Other than it being described as large, the Shiva crater's dimensions are not mentioned in detail. Is it larger than Chicxulub or smaller? Did both impacts occur together or with a long time period between?

Even with the Deccans erupting prior to impact, the global warming effect would take place over an extended period of time. Most animals and other organisms would surely have had time to adapt or move to better territories. Those most directly and immediately affected would be those living in the region of the Deccan Traps.

Much to think about and more to learn...

A Deccan Update

Just wanted to pop in and give an update. As I mentioned earlier, I have decided to try out my new strategy on the Deccan Traps issue. So far, I have some preliminary research resources to read as well as a couple professional journal articles. One article is about the age of a mantle plume source; the other is about major events at the end of the Cretaceous. I also did a quick brainstorming session a few days ago. Now I just added what I like to call a zero draft, less detailed than a full rough draft. As a matter of fact, this one is only one page long and bereft of any conclusions or even a single mention of the KT Boundary or the collision associated with it. However, I have also drawn up an outline to give me some direction and a focus and mentions more detail about the collision and boundary layer.

One important detail regarding this writing is going to be determining the evidence of the collision from that of the eruption. There is likely a distinct difference between the two, as far as evidence is concerned. This ought to make it clear which event took place first. Relative dating shows the Deccan Traps eruption took place some time after the impact. As I mentioned in an earlier post, it seems that most scientists are avoiding linking the two events in any way. Maybe they are afraid to lose credibility or that no one would take them seriously. Actually, I can see a good sound reason for this, as well. By holding off on linking the two events until more evidence is gathered and studied and more is known about each event, they are building up credible evidence to support a theory that definitely links the two.

Until next time...

Night Pigeons Evolving in Pittsburgh

I observed something a bit unusual last night. I have noticed that some pigeons have taken to nighttime flying and roaming about on city streets. Last night I paid a bit more attention. What I noticed was the bird's coloring. Not the usual light grey with darker patches. This one was nearly all black - with some gray on its tail feathers and on the undersides of its wings while flying. This is probably to protect it from night predators like birds of prey and bats - though I don't think the local bats get big enough to kill a pigeon. A lighter colored pigeon would be more noticeable at night and at higher risk. They are not coming out in great numbers - only a daring few - taking advantage of the lighted streets and plenty of food to be found. They're developing their own new niche. It's something interesting to watch develop. I just love evolution in action!