DOE awards $1M for Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Studies
Sunmaxx: Taking Sun to the Max with Solar Thermal!
EPA's New Emission Rules Finally Getting Implemented - Aimed at Large Scale Polluters
Accuracy of Oil Spill Flow Data Challenged
SolarReserve Solar Thermal Plant To Use Molten Salt
Redstack uses Salinity Differences to Generate Electricity
BP Purchasing Kevin Costner’s Oil Clean-Up Machines
Scientists Develop Self-Repairing Concrete
Non-Polluting Refrigerant Technology Coming Soon to a Refrigerator Near You
New Nanotech Device performs Desalination at a fraction of the cost
Oregon Closer to Generating Energy from Ocean Waves
Hawaii uses Cold Ocean Water for Air Conditioning
Tiny Water Bubbles may aid in Fighting Global Warming
Supreme Court Rulings Cripple Clean Water Enforcement
Sperm Whale Feces Helps Reduce Global Warming
Newly Freed Iceberg Could Still Waters Threatening Oxygen Levels Necessary to Support Underwater Life
What would happen if the ocean’s currents stopped flowing? If we’re lucky, that question will only be answered by Hollywood script writers or best-selling novelists. But what if we’re not? And what could cause such a thing anyway?
On February 12th or 13th, 2010, the B9B iceberg, which broke free in 1987, dislodged another monstrous iceberg from the Mertz Glacier Tongue. The newly freed iceberg covers 985 square miles and is 1300 feet thick. Now the two icebergs are drifting around the Southern Ocean and are expected to do so for many years.
The Southern Ocean is home to the Mertz Glacier Polynya. Polynyas, warm areas of water surrounded by ice, are responsible for the production of sea ice and the generation of ocean currents. When salt water freezes, much of the salt is left behind and a heavy brine forms and sinks to the bottom of the ocean. This dense water then flows from the Southern Ocean, carrying heat, nutrients, and gases including oxygen throughout the ocean basins of the world.
Unfortunately, if these thick icebergs drift over the Mertz Glacier Polynya, the production of sea ice and the dense brine water will cease, slowing the ocean currents, and preventing the nutrients and oxygen necessary to support life from flowing. While scientists are unsure if the iceberg broke away because of global warming, they can’t rule it out. According to Glaciologist Benoit Legresy, "obviously when there is warmer water, these ice tongues will become more fragile."
Recommended for Further Reading:
- DOE awards $1M for Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Studies
- Sunmaxx: Taking Sun to the Max with Solar Thermal!
- EPA's New Emission Rules Finally Getting Implemented - Aimed at Large Scale Polluters
- Accuracy of Oil Spill Flow Data Challenged
- SolarReserve Solar Thermal Plant To Use Molten Salt
- Redstack uses Salinity Differences to Generate Electricity
- BP Purchasing Kevin Costner’s Oil Clean-Up Machines
- Scientists Develop Self-Repairing Concrete
- Non-Polluting Refrigerant Technology Coming Soon to a Refrigerator Near You
- New Nanotech Device performs Desalination at a fraction of the cost
- Oregon Closer to Generating Energy from Ocean Waves
- Hawaii uses Cold Ocean Water for Air Conditioning
- Tiny Water Bubbles may aid in Fighting Global Warming
- Supreme Court Rulings Cripple Clean Water Enforcement
- Sperm Whale Feces Helps Reduce Global Warming
Newly Freed Iceberg Could Still Waters Threatening Oxygen Levels... http://t.co/8NddhCcI #eco #cleantech #greenbuilding #renewableenergy
Newly Freed Iceberg Could Still Waters Threatening Oxygen Levels... http://t.co/8NdhPcdC #eco #cleantech #greenbuilding #renewableenergy
Newly Freed Iceberg Could Still Waters Threatening Oxygen Levels... http://t.co/8NdhPcdC #eco #cleantech #greenbuilding #renewableenergy
Newly Freed Iceberg Could Still Waters Threatening Oxygen Levels... http://bit.ly/drqEWS #eco #cleantech #greenbuilding #renewableenergy
Rising Sea Levels Endanger Life Near Coastal Regions http://bit.ly/bJTsyr #eco #cleantech #greenbuilding #renewableenergy
RT @buildaroo: Rising sea levels due to #globalwarming - danger 2 coastal regions http://bit.ly/bJTsyr #environment #eco #globalwarming...
[...] flow, Antarctic glaciers stretch and move. An iceberg the size of Rhode Island colliding with the Mertz Glacier on Antarctica’s surface in February has been described as large, but not [...]