For any of you that have been on the board a while, you've probably seen my posts when I make my trip every year to Antarctica with my Air National Guard unit . Here's an interesting picture from last week. We use an ice runway in the early part of the season so we can land on wheels. In mid-december we switch to a skiway of packed snow. Well this year the ice runway melted away in a matter of days. I've never seen such a run of sunny warm weather (it's summer here). We had one day to move out it got so bad. There's 18 feet of ice so it's not like we were going to fall thru but look at the mess it made! Global warming.............
Do you keep those big ol' diesel machines in heated garages when not running? I just thought about that - remembering this morning's debacle at our shop. I tried to start our Vermeer trencher, and the oil was so thick, the motor wouldn't turn over. I backed the trailer into the shop to warm up for 2 hours, and it finally started up. It was 19* this morning here....can't imagine how bad it is in Antarctica.
They spend the winter in a semi-cold storage. And we plug them in. We heat the aircraft and equipment with ground heaters. It's mid 30's here today. Usually teens and 20's. Remember it's summer here. The winter now that is a different story................ We fly October to February. Oct-early Nov and late Jan-Feb are bad -30 or worse wind chills to -80. Thats why I'm here now. I usually go for 4-5 weeks. Tough to be gone for Christmas this year.
Global warming is HERE! I don't need my 4-wheel drive in Indiana anymore so i am selling it. 80 thousand actual miles......anyone need a nice one? Peace WildBill
Karl, it looks remarkedly "balmy" down there. And you say you're standing on 18 ft. thick ice? What's considered thin ice in Antarctica? On another note, have you seen pictures of Ken's new ride? You should have heard him trying to "justify" his purchase all the way home. :laugh: Only a few more weeks and you'll be back to the northern hemisphere's great white north! Paul
Hi Paul, 18 feet is the thin ice thats whats called the "annual ice". Below that is 1700 feet of deep blue. Now we're on the skiway "Williams Feild". 25 feet of packed snow over 300 feet of permanent ice. Saw the pictures of Ken's new ride. Doesn't look too bad. We'll have to get it in shape this spring so he can drive to Salem
sorry but if you dont think that global warming is a reality here and now then I can only think ou have your head in the sand. All across the globe right now weather is changing right before our eyes. There is even serious talk now that the gulfstream may just stop which would be catastrophic.. mabe not for those in mid america but for many other parts of the world.. you never know the day after tomorrow movie may not turn out to be such a load of baloney after all. I cant really speak about this without feeling a little hypocritical since I love driving my gas guzzling buick spewing out toxic fumes to add to la's terrible pollution. I too was a non-believer but the sheer weight of evidence of change at an unprecedented rate.. and that includes prehistoric data too, is just too much to ignore now... This just happened... another giant chunk of ice just broke off... http://www.guardian.co.uk/flash/0,5860,671405,00.html
things change, nothing of this earth will last forever.......perhaps the cycles will become more severe and perhaps they will become more mild, but there are cycles, only now we have the technology to record what is actually happening to the atmosphere. that being said, it would take a "ton" of evidence to convince me that the changes we are seeing now are "unprecedented" the only thing that's unprecedented is our ability to capture current data wax poetic on the future oh yeah, and this is interesting http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewSpecial...rts\\\\archive\\\\200412\\\\SPE20041214a.html
maybe.. but the writer of the article or the conference attendees obviously havent been to the maldives recently who are beginning to evacuate the country because it will be submerged within the next few years (last chance to get to stay in one of the most beautiful places on earth..) or been to london where they have had to use the thames barrier (barrier to prevent flooding due to rising sea levels) more and more times in the last few years...
just because there are PEOPLE there now doesn't mean it hasn't happened before.....that's the problem with us humans, we forget that we haven't been around all that long in the whole scheme of things..... not to be a jerk, but i'm guessing the professors and geologists who are questioning the scientific validity of certain global warming reports are a little more versed in this than you....... but there is global warming.....and global cooling....and it more than likely will keep happening for quite some time......not that i'm nostradamus or anything....
Science mostly. We have Ski equiped C-130's that are used to supply different camps as well as move people on and off the ice. The annual ice runway can handle wheeled aircraft, once thats gone it's all skis. Ken Borek operated twin otters with skis as well. Here's a link to the aircraft history. http://www.firebirds.org/ Can't seem to edit my pictures today as I don't have decent software here. They are too big to post. If someone can edit them I'll snap a few today to post.
Hijack the thread???? you guys did that a while ago and turned it into a flame fest. Thanks. I only put Global Warming as an interesting funny title. Dave, Brad or one of the other mods would you lock this thread for me? I'm sick of these guys.
hey r72gs, sorry if I offended you, my whole point on the last post was to say I didn't want it to turn into an argument or a "flame fest" once again sorry. I deleted my posts so you can keep the thread open.
Karl B. - I have a good friend named Karl B. (Bergman) who spent several seasons in Antarctica a few years ago. Now lives in Fairbanks, AK. Anyway, "Hat's Off" to you, that's one unforgiving place! Brr... :beer
