Does shrinking (or even vanishing) polar ice cap = wetter, more sever rain/snow storms?

[havocmom]

Did I remember that theory from way back in school correctly? We know what the 'lake effect' does in regards to providing lots of fuel to any winds going over them for wet storms; I can even see it with the lake near me and the weather pattern beyond it. So, what does a mostly, or completely, open polar ocean mean for the northern continents? More of the same as our beleaguered mid-west has seen or is recent flooding a cake-walk compared with what's in store for us all?

DU Weather Gurus, what say you? Is Rubber Raft Inc. THE stock to buy? Grain soon a thing of the past in America?

Gonna piss off a lot of Republican Status Quo-ers who have been pooh-poohing Global Warming discussions for the past several decades. Sadly, their disappointment at being so wrong will not do much to help the people who have to deal with more sever storms, and those who will be going hungry.

[Warpy]

1. "Global warming" is a misnomer

because what is really happening is that more energy is being retained by a CO2 laden atmosphere instead of being reflected back out into space. That in turn means there will be more energy for storms and wider swings in local climate.

Last year we saw the hurricane band shift south toward Mexico rather than staying in the Caribbean. One year doesn't make a trend, but with the Gulf Stream slowing and threatening to shut down as cold fresh water pours into the ocean from the north, this seems likely to persist.

Unfortunately, as even anyone who has a Sunday supplement level knowledge of climatology (me) knows, what we don't know is encyclopedic and what we do know can be summed up on a postcard.

What we do know is that we seem to be destined to live in interesting times, and severe local microweather will be part of it.

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. It's not really a misnomer; energy = heat

And it is not just the atmosphere, as a warmer average air temperature means that the surface cannot radiate heat as efficiently, resulting in warmer (more energetic, if you like) water and land, which means faster ice melts, slower ice formation, and a profound shift in weather patterns.

But yes, the phrase "global warming" greatly oversimplifies what is happening to the planet.

[The Traveler]

2. Warpy has it right

One of the nice things about a "tipping point" is that it is difficult to predict where ya wind up. Sort of like holding a pencil upright on its point ... let go ... which direction does the pencil point to when it finishes falling?

General things ... more energy for storms and such ... are a pretty safe bet. Detailed predictions about what regions will experience which climate changes are more difficult. What we don't know about this is vast. We have never had a high energy technology based planet wide civilization supporting 6 billion people before ... so we have never done this to the atmosphere before ... so how can we even pretend to know what will happen?

But as Warpy said ... freshening of sea water will tend to slow the Gulf Stream and other currents (simple physics), and warming of waters near Greenland bode ill for the longevity of the glaciers there. And when those melt, sea levels will rise, with all kinds of implications to the global economy as port facilities are swamped.

But there is hope for maritime commerce ... it is possible that shutting down the Gulf Stream will trigger another ice age. :)

[havocmom]

7. My daughter said she wants to go to Ireland

before it freezes over

Yep, some places will get a lot colder and more inconvenient as global 'warming' occurs. Storms WILL get MUCH worse. Some places will get much dryer and some will have more flooding.

The GOP Status Quo-ers mock the term Global Warming on snowy days. Their willful ignorance is showing

[madokie]

4. All I know is my feet are starting to sprout

green leaves from all the rain we've been getting these last several months.

[DailyGrind51]

5. The melted ice has to go somewhere, when it evaporates into the atmosphere,

it comes down as either rain or snow, depending on the prevailing air temperature.

[havocmom]

8. And wind over water picks up more moisture to deposit that wind over ice

Growth industries:
Rubber rafts
Swim fins and snorkels
Pontoons for homes
Rooftop gardens... on boats

What are some more potential growth markets, DUers? We know one thing for sure: the Status Quo is history.

[warrior1]

6. From An Inconvenient Truth

The number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has almost doubled in the last 30 years.

Malaria has spread to higher altitudes in places like the Colombian Andes, 7,000 feet above sea level.

The flow of ice from glaciers in Greenland has more than doubled over the past decade.

At least 279 species of plants and animals are already responding to global warming, moving closer to the poles.

If the warming continues, we can expect catastrophic consequences. Deaths from global warming will double in just 25 years -- to 300,000 people a year.

Global sea levels could rise by more than 20 feet with the loss of shelf ice in Greenland and Antarctica, devastating coastal areas worldwide.

Heat waves will be more frequent and more intense. Droughts and wildfires will occur more often.
The Arctic Ocean could be ice free in summer by 2050.

More than a million species worldwide could be driven to extinction by 2050.


http://www.climatecrisis.net/thescience/

[FirstLight]

9. ..."the Arctic Ocean could be ice free by 2050"

...uh, try 2008

so I guess much of the rest of these predictions are coming ,like, NOW....



I guess in my area, a growth industry could be flash fire blankets for homes....
yeesh!

hold on for an interesting ride!