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Aerial survey of Antarctica to chart impact of global warming

By Andrew Nusca | October 14, 2009, 12:57 PM PDT

NASA plans to begin an extensive aerial survey of Antarctica on Thursday to better understand the impact of global warming.

That understanding lies in the continent’s ice sheets and glaciers. Operation Ice Bridge will encompass six years of flights, using DC-8 aircraft equipped with laser-mapping instruments, radar that can penetrate ice and gravitational instruments, reports the AFP.

The flights are expected to help scientists predict how changes to Anarctica’s enormous ice sheet will alter (read: rise) sea levels around the world.

Earlier this year, NASA found that the Arctic ice cap was thinning rapidly, more than two feet in four years.

The plane and its crew, as well as some 50 scientists and support personnel, will be based in Punta Arenas, Chile through mid-November. Seventeen flights are planned.

You can follow the mission on its blog or on Twitter.

UPDATE: The flight is delayed “due to a transport strike here in Punta Arenas. There isn’t enough fuel at the airport to fill the DC-8,” according to a recent tweet.

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Andrew Nusca is editor of SmartPlanet.

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mombo2: The global warming scientists do no use the scientific method

Making a prediction based on a hypothesis and then trying to prove that prediction, is good science.

However, when the computer model is deliberately designed and programmed to only produce the results which will "prove" a desired result, is junk science. When the data that would be input into the model was also "selected" and massaged before it went into the model, then that too became another reason to discredit the "science" as "junk science". In fact, every step of the way in the "research" the scientific method was violated.

In fact, the science used was the equivalent to "researchers" trying to prove that a monkey is just as human as, well, a human being. All that I would need is to point at all of the similarities between the two and, voila!, a monkey is the same as a human. So, if a monkey has a mouth and a nose and two ears and a tongue and hair and two legs and two arms and mammary glands, and interacted in groups and hunted for his own food, then the researchers' "computer model" could classify a monkey as the same as a human. Meanwhile, the monkey's inability to communicate verbally and its inability to write and it's inability to use tools to the same extent as a human, and the huge difference in intelligence, were conveniently left out and not even allowed to enter into the equation. In fact, the equation in the computer model wouldn't even allow for any of the known differences between the two species. But, the computer model designed by the researchers would be able to "prove" that monkeys and humans are exactly the same.

Posted by adornoe@...

28th Oct 2009

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RE: Aerial survey of Antarctica to chart impact of global warming

Love it.

Posted by Andrew Mager

14th Oct 2009

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Sounds like they've already decided what the results should be...

The flights are expected to help scientists predict how changes to Anarctica?s enormous ice sheet will alter (read: rise) sea levels around the world.

Earlier this year, NASA found that the Arctic ice cap was thinning rapidly, more than two feet in four years.

Sounds like they've already decided what the results WILL be and now all they have to do is make their "observations" and "research" fit their desired results.

So, they're starting with the premise that "changes to Anarctica?s enormous ice sheet will alter (read: rise ) sea levels around the world."

Why bother with the "research" when they've already decided that "sea levels will rise as a result of changes in Antarctica's ice sheet"?

JUNK SCIENCE! Even if it's coming from NASA. The people working at NASA and with NASA have an agenda, and it's not true science. Their agenda is to get more government funding to conduct more "research" as the one described above.

Posted by adornoe@...

15th Oct 2009

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RE: Aerial survey of Antarctica to chart impact of global warming

Have to agree it's junk science. Just a method of justifying positions and retaining funding and salaries. How about some real science girls?

Posted by I Hate Malware

15th Oct 2009

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RE: Aerial survey of Antarctica to chart impact of global warming

HM- and what kind of research do you think would be valid to determine the reality and extent of global warming? If a detailed examination of the ice is junk science, then I suppose no type of observation whould ever pass mustard with you. Your head is in the sand.

Posted by ewyatt

16th Oct 2009

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ewyatt: Do yourself a favor and re-read the article for the discussion

And then re-read my post.

My post quoted from the article and from what the study is supposed to accomplish. From all indications, they've already decided what the results WILL BE. The only reason for the trip to Antarctica is to pretend that they went there to gather data and perform analysis on their observations. Without the trip, their studies would be more questionable and less "scientific" and not credible. So, they need to go through the motions. But, they don't need to go through so much trouble since they've already decided what the outcome of their research will be. And, if they wanted to do observations of the ice sheets, then they could use satellite photos which will be more detailed than what they'll gather from their close-up visit.

If they were certain of their "science" then they wouldn't have to re-visit it so often. According to reports in the MSM and from Al Gore, the consensus is that "global warming" is a certainty and the "science is settled". So, why waste time in another attempt to lie?

Science for the good of mankind is one thing, but science based on an agenda is nothing but "JUNK SCIENCE". Period!

Posted by adornoe@...

16th Oct 2009

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So, if they actually confirm that the Antarctic sheet is thickening...

...will we hear about that too?

Posted by JohnMcGrew@...

16th Oct 2009

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RE: Aerial survey of Antarctica to chart impact of global warming

adornoe: No, try again!
You carefully used parts of the article text in your choice of context.

It should be perfectly valid to perform research to:

"better understand the impact of global warming" - (I prefer global climate change, personally).
We *do* need to understand impact, whether large or small, of climate warming OR cooling, don't you agree?

"predict how changes to Anarctica?s enormous ice sheet will alter (read: rise) sea levels around the world" - (I wouldn't have inserted the editorial aside, but whatever.)
Don't you think it's reasonable to have a basis for predicting possible change?

Posted by dbell@...

16th Oct 2009

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to adornoe: that is the scientific method.

First, create a hypothesys and then design an experiment to test the hypothesis. If the evidence supports it then you may have a publishible result. If the evidence does not then you may also have a publishable result. To say that the conclusion is already "predicted" simply means you don't understand the logic process that is necessary for any investigation. Even infants use that same logic sequence as they test the world to see how things work. "Hmm. my peas fell to the ground when I pushed them off my high chair. I wonder if the carrots will too..."

Posted by michaelmombourquette

19th Oct 2009

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mombo2: The global warming scientists do no use the scientific method

Posted by adornoe@...

28th Oct 2009

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