 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| . |  |
. |
Greenhouse Effect Confirmed By New NASA Ocean Study
The Earth absorbs more solar energy than it emits back into space, causing a heat imbalance that confirms what researchers have long pointed to as the hothouse effect of atmospheric pollution, according to a study published Thursday. "This energy imbalance is the 'smoking gun' that we have been looking for," said James Hansen, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and a lead author in research published online in Science Express. The accumulated energy is likely to bring with it an increase of 0.6 degree Celsius (one degree Fahrenheit) of the Earth's median temperature by the end of the century, the researchers said. An increase of one watt per square meter over 10,000 years would be enough to melt ice equivalent to one kilometer (0.6 mile) of ice cap. Researchers who used satellites, data from ocean buoys and computer models for oceanic study, calculated that the Earth is holding on to 0.85 watts of energy per square meter contributing to the imbalance. No immediate temperature increase is observed, but since the ocean stores heat in its depths, a delay occurs in human-induced, or anthropogenic, climate change. Consequences of the time lag include a likely one degree Fahrenheit increase globally that is "already in the pipeline," researchers said. Even if such human-induced increase of gases in the air was stalled, climate temperature would rise that much over the next 25 years, researchers say. The time lag also allows opportunities to take action that could reduce the scope of climate change before it is fully realized - provided action is taken to reduce climate forcing agents. All rights reserved. � 2005 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse. Related Links TerraDaily Search TerraDaily Subscribe To TerraDaily Express 
GAO: Government's Climate Data Inadequate
Washington DC (UPI) Apr 26, 2005A federal government report suggests the Bush administration is not providing adequate or timely data on the subject of global climate change as required by Congress.
|
|
| |||||||||
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service. |
