Glaciers are not essential. SAY WHAT?

Science and Technology
1
Glaciers are not "essential".
Here is another example of a profound ignorance and disconnect from all our biosphere does for us - or more importantly our society's dependence on her health that Republican/ libertarian "Think Tanks" and Faith Based institution's vociferous efforts to dumb down American have achieve for our country.
https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/glaciers/questions/people.html Do glaciers affect people? Today, glaciers often are tourist attractions in mountainous areas. But glaciers are also a natural resource, and people all over the world use the meltwater that glaciers produce. GLACIERS PROVIDE DRINKING WATER People living in arid climates near mountains often rely on glacial melt for their water for part of the year. Many of the rivers coursing through China, India, and other parts of the Asian continent are fed largely by snowmelt from the Himalaya, but in late summer a significant part of riverflow comes from melting glaciers. In South America, residents of La Paz, Bolivia, rely on glacial melting from a nearby ice cap to provide water during the significant dry spells they sometimes experience. Demand for glacier water has increased in other, perhaps less expected ways, too. Some beverage companies sell bottles of glacial meltwater, and ice cubes made of glacier ice are popular in some specialty drinks. In fact, a Chilean man was arrested in 2012 for stealing five tons of ice from the Jorge Montt Glacier. He had planned to sell the ice to restaurants in the capital, Santiago. GLACIERS IRRIGATE CROPS Over a thousand years ago, farmers in Asia knew that dark colors absorb solar energy. So they spread dark-colored materials such as soil and ashes over snow to promote melting, and this is how they watered their crops during dry periods. Chinese and Russian researchers tried something similar by sprinkling coal dust onto glaciers, hoping that the melting will provide water to the drought-stricken countries of India, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The experiment proved to be too costly, and they have abandoned the idea. But in Ladakh, India, an engineer has successfully created several small, artificial glaciers to provide more water for crops and drinking during seasonal dry periods. These man-made glaciers are situated in areas to catch large amounts of water that would otherwise flow away, and will have temperatures low enough to freeze that water over the winter. Warm summer weather slowly melts these glaciers, releasing a steady supply of water. In Switzerland's Rhone Valley, farmers have irrigated their crops for hundreds of years by channeling meltwater from glaciers to their fields. GLACIERS HELP GENERATE HYDROELECTRIC POWER Scientists and engineers in Norway, central Europe, Canada, New Zealand, and South America have worked together to tap into glacial resources, using electricity that has been generated in part by damming glacial meltwater.
Andean glaciers vanish, add socio-economic strains http://www.focal.ca/en/publications/focalpoint/221-february-2010-dirk-hoffmann Dirk Hoffmann The failure to reach a new binding agreement on emission cuts for carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases at the December 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Copenhagen imperils glaciers worldwide —not only polar ice caps but also tropical glaciers that are located in equatorial mountain ranges. What still remains of the world’s tropical glaciers, more than 95 per cent of which are found in the four Andean countries of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, is doomed to disappear within the next few decades, threatening many livelihoods. The evidence There has been a rapid retreat of all glaciers since 1980 in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru: studies indicate they lost between a half and a third of their volume. … The impacts The accelerated retreat of the Tropical Andes glaciers has devastating regional and local impacts. As natural water storages with regulating functions, over centuries glaciers accumulate precipitation in the form of snow during the wet season and release melted water during the dry season, guaranteeing a minimum ecological stream flow —the necessary amount of water to preserve aquatic life and minimize pollution— in mountain rivers and brooks, and providing farmers, hydro companies or water enterprises with water when it is most needed. Glacier retreat will affect the hydrological cycle and hence carry important consequences in terms of water availability for urban and rural populations, production of hydro energy, conservation of flora and fauna as well as equilibrium of mountain ecosystems. In fact, glaciers play important roles well beyond mountain areas. The Andean glaciers meltdown will have its greatest impact in Peru, where more than 70 per cent of the world’s tropical glaciers are located. In addition, millions of Peruvians live on its semi-desert coastal plains —either in the capital, Lima, or other large cities— and depend almost exclusively on the water captured in the mountains to sustain their livelihoods. Peru will also grapple with important economic strains; for the Río Santa power plant alone, which runs on the heavily-glaciated Cordillera Blanca in northern Peru, a 2006 World Bank study estimates that this meltdown could cost the country anywhere between US$6 and US$72 million. The same study calculates that Peru will have to spend over US$100 million in water supply for the eight million inhabitants of the greater Lima area once glacial melt has come to a halt. In the case of Bolivia, researchers claim that over the last 50 years, half of the glacier area has melted in the Tuni Condoriri catchment area, which provided much of El Alto’s and some of La Paz’ water supply, as reported by the French-led program GREAT ICE (Glaciers et ressources en eau d’altitude — Indicateurs climatiques et environnementaux). In 20 to 30 years’ time, the area will be completely ice-free. Even where global warming is seen as an opportunity to expand agricultural activity to new, higher areas as freezing levels move up —as is happening in some parts of the Apolobamba mountain range in northern Bolivia— new problems arise when rainfall diminishes or when the uphill use of water resources leads to conflict with traditional downhill water users. Ecuador is already bringing water from the wet oriental Andean slopes to its two million inhabitants living in Quito. Not only is such a water diversion scheme very costly, but it has a high potential for conflict as this water will no longer be available in its region of origin; glacier retreat will only reinforce the current strain. Colombia’s glaciers play a less important economic role and thus their retreat will not have a resounding impact on its population but it is nevertheless disquieting to know they are expected to completely disappear by 2020, as recently calculated by Colombian researchers Germán Poveda and Ketty Pineda.
2
https://weather.com/science/environment/news/central-asia-glaciers-rapidly-melting-ice-loss-2050 Central Asia's Tien Shan mountain range is home to glaciers that bring water to tens of millions of people, but their future is threatened thanks to warming summer temperatures, according to the results of a new study. Published earlier this week in the scientific journal Nature Geoscience, the study says the glaciers have lost about a quarter of their ice since the early 1960s, and stand to lose as much as half their current ice if current climate trends continue. The Tien Shen glaciers are part of a system known as the "Water Towers of Asia," which also includes the glaciers atop the Himalayas–Hindu Kush, Kunlun Shan and Pamir mountain ranges. Collectively, the glacier-fed rivers within these mountains – which alone are home to some 170 million people – influence the lives of about 40 percent of the world's population.
http://dels.nas.edu/Report/Himalayan-Glaciers-Climate-Change-Water-Resources/13449 Key Messages The meltwater from glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region, which covers eight countries across Asia, supplements several great river systems such as the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra. Scientific evidence shows that most glaciers in the Himalayan region are retreating, leading to concerns that, over time, normal glacier melt will not be able to contribute to the region's water supply each year. Glaciers in the eastern and central regions of the Himalayas appear to be retreating at rates comparable to glaciers in other parts of the world. In the western Himalayas, glaciers are more stable and may even be increasing in size. There is uncertainty in projections of future changes in precipitation, but shifts in the location and intensity of snow and rain could also impact the rate of glacial retreat. Variations in climate; in the timing, amount, and type of precipitation; and in glacial behavior and dynamics across the vast Hindu Kush Himalayan region mean that it is challenging to determine exactly how retreating glaciers will affect water supply in each location. It is likely that the contribution of glacier meltwater to water supply in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region may have been overestimated in the past, for example by not differentiating between the contributions to water supply of meltwater from glaciers and meltwater from snow. Overall, retreating glaciers over the next several decades are unlikely to cause significant changes in water availability at lower elevations, which depend primarily on monsoon rains. However, for high elevation areas, current glacier retreat rates, if they continue, could alter streamflow in some basins. Assuming annual precipitation in the form of snow and freezing rain remains the same, the loss of water stored as glacial ice will likely not change the amount of meltwater that supplements rivers and streams each summer. Glacial meltwater can act as a buffer against the hydrologic impacts of a changing climate, such as drought. Thus, water stored as glacial ice could serve as the Himalayan region's hydrologic insurance. Although retreating glaciers would provide more meltwater in the shorter term as the glacier shrinks, the loss of glacier "insurance" could become problematic over the longer term. Groundwater is an integral part of the Hindu Kush Himalayan region's hydrology, although uncertainties about its contributions to water supply are great. It is clear that groundwater is already being depleted in many areas, with evidence that in the central Ganges Basin, overdraft of groundwater is likely to have an earlier and larger impact on water supplies than foreseeable changes in the supply of glacial meltwater. Social changes such as changing patterns of water use and water management decisions, are likely to have at least as much of an impact on water demand as environmental factors do on water supply. Many of the region's river basins are already water stressed, and this water stress could intensify as populations grow. Water scarcity will likely affect the rural and urban poor most severely, as these groups have the least capacity to move to new locations as needed. It is predicted that the region will become increasingly urbanized as cities expand to absorb migrants in search of economic opportunities. As living standards and populations rise, water use will likely increase—for example, as more people eat diets rich in meat, more water will be needed for agricultural use. The effects of future climate change could further exacerbate water stress. Water resources management and the provision of clean water and sanitation is already a challenge in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region. The adequacy and effectiveness of existing water management institutions, which focus on natural hazards and disaster reduction, provides an indicator of how the region will likely cope with changes in water supply. Although the history of international river disputes suggests that cooperation is more likely than violent conflict, current political disputes in the region could complicate the process of reaching agreements on resource disputes. Changes in the availability of water resources could play an increasing role in political tensions, especially if existing water management institutions do not better account for the social, economic, and ecological complexities of the region. To effectively respond to the effects of climate change, water management systems will need to take account of the social, economic, and ecological complexities of the region. This means it will be important to expand research and monitoring programs to gather more detailed, consistent, and accurate data on demographics, water supply, demand, and scarcity.
3

That’s it for this little review of the importance of glaciers, yet another critical underpinning that allows our complex society to exist, but that right-winger-types seem to hold in contempt.

Glaciers and Ice Caps Michael Zemp (lead author, Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Switzerland); Wilfried Haeberli (lead author, Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Switzerland) Contributing Authors for Regional Perspectives and Glacier Hazards: Samjwal Bajracharya Himalayas (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Nepal); Trevor J. Chinn New Zealand (Alpine and Polar Processes, New Zealand); Andrew G. Fountain USA and Canada (Department of Geology, Portland State University, USA); Jon Ove Hagen Norway (Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, Norway); Christian Huggel Glaciers and hazards (Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Switzerland); Andreas Kääb Glaciers and hazards (Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, Norway); Bjørn P. Kaltenborn Himalayas (Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Lillehammer, Norway); Madhav Karki Himalayas (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Nepal); Georg Kaser Tropics (Institute of Geography, University of Innsbruck, Austria); Vladimir M. Kotlyakov Russian Territory (Institute of Geography, Moscow State University, Russia); Christian Lambrechts Africa (Division of Early Warning and Assessment, United Nations Environment Programme, Kenya); Zhongqin Li China (Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China); Bruce F. Molnia Alaska (U.S. Geological Survey, USA); Pradeep Mool Himalayas (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Nepal); Christian Nellemann Himalayas (UNEP/GRID-Arendal, Arendal, Norway); Viktor Novikov Central Asia (UNEP/GRID-Arendal, Arendal, Norway); Galina B. Osipova Russian Territory (Institute of Geography, Moscow State University, Russia); Andrés Rivera South America (Centro de Estudios Científicos, Chile); Basanta Shrestha Himalayas (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Nepal); Felix Svoboda Baffin Island (Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Switzerland); Dmitri G. Tsvetkov Russian Territory (Institute of Geography, Moscow State University, Russia); and Tandong Yao China (Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China)
http://www.unep.org/geo/geo_ice/PDF/GEO_C6_B_LowRes.pdf p127 The perennial ice of glaciers is an important part of the water cycle in cold regions. It represents a storage component with strong effects on river discharge and fresh water supply (66,67). Such effects indeed make high mountain chains ‘water towers’ for many large areas and human habitats. Climatic change will lead to pronounced changes in this system (12). At time scales of tens and hundreds of millennia, the growth and decay of continental ice sheets, large ice caps and glaciers during periodical ice ages profoundly affect the global water cycle (61,68). Within annual cycles of temperature and precipitation, glacial meltwater feeds rivers during the warm/dry season. In the Andes of Peru, the Argentinean Pampas or the Ganzhou Corridor of China, this contribution to river flow is the predominant source of freshwater for large regions surrounding the corresponding mountain areas (69). Meltwater from glacierized mountain chains with rugged topography is also intensively used for hydropower generation (Figure 6B.9). The shrinking and even vanishing of mountain glaciers in scenarios of atmospheric temperature rise is likely to cause both small and large meltwater streams to dry out during hot and dry summers. This drying out may become more frequent at mid-latitudes, where human populations are often dense and the need for fresh water is growing. Earlier snowmelt and perhaps also reduced snow cover from wintertime could result in severe consequences for both ecosystems and related human needs: decreasing river flow, warmer water temperatures, critical conditions for fish and other aquatic forms of life, lower ground-water levels, less soil humidity, drier vegetation, more frequent forest fires, stronger needs for irrigation water, and rising demands for energy (such as air conditioning) coupled with reduced hydropower generation and less river cooling for nuclear power plants. These consequences are all likely to be interconnected and related to growing conflicts of interest. Perhaps the most critical regions will be those where large populations depend on water from glaciers dur- ing the dry season, such as in China and other parts of Asia, including India, together forming the Himalaya-Hindu Kush region (see box on the water towers of Asia), or in the South American Andes (70) (see box on glaciers and water availability in the Andes, in Part 2 of this chapter). But it will also affect mountain ranges which are densely populated and highly developed, such as the European Alps and the regions in the vicinity of its rivers (71,72). Glacier changes, as important and pronounced parts of climate-induced changes in mountain landscapes, are not only the clearest indication of climate change – they also have the potential of having a strong impact on the seasonal availability of fresh water for large, densely populated regions and, hence, on the fundamental basis of ecosystem stability and economic development (56,73). ...
Perhaps our resident troll, will come by and bitch that I'm always linking to educational resources and that I should cut that out, it's not in keeping with his florid imagination...
4

Apparently our resident troll does not care about discussing facts.

5
cc - GLACIERS PROVIDE DRINKING WATER
No, we get our drinking water from rain and snow. Only a tiny percentage of that rain and snow lands on a glacier and gets stored there until that rain and snow water finally makes it out of glacial storage.
GLACIERS IRRIGATE CROPS
No, precipitation.
GLACIERS HELP GENERATE HYDROELECTRIC POWER
No, glaciers do not lift water. Evaporation lifts water. Hydroelectric power is the result of the sun evaporating water. We can tap into the the potential energy of lifted water by passing it through turbines as it falls. What a load of horse pucky.
6
cc - glaciers that bring water to tens of millions of people,
No, rain and snow brings water to people. Now, it is true that water storage systems are very useful. Fortunately, human beings have multiple storage systems available. Only a tiny fraction of fresh water for use in the Americas is stored in glaciers at all, much less used by people thereafter.
The meltwater from glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region, which covers eight countries across Asia, supplements several great river systems such as the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra.
And that same water would flow directly if the glaciers were not there. If glaciers melt a few localized regions might need to build a few dams to make a few reservoirs. Glaciers are not even remotely essential.
7

Wow, I just got through mulling over doug’s comments at http://www.centerforinquiry.net/forums/viewthread/18675/#223733
Boy, oh boy talk about case in point.
Perhaps pointless is more to the point.

8

I nominate dusty for that spacecraft to Mars, probably suit him just fine.

9
cc - The shrinking and even vanishing of mountain glaciers in scenarios of atmospheric temperature rise is likely to cause both small and large meltwater streams to dry out during hot and dry summers
Build a dam, duh.
10
DarronS - Apparently our resident troll does not care about discussing facts.
The facts are that glaciers store a tiny percentage of freshwater available to humanity, they produce no water, only serve to regulate it in a very few isolated areas. The little benefit they provide can be had by building a relatively small number of dams. Glaciers are not even remotely essential.
11
cc - I nominate dusty for that spacecraft to Mars, probably suit him just fine.
I think you mean Mars One, the one way trip. Actually I love people, cities, nature, and my freedom. I have no desire to die on mars among just a few others trapped inside a tiny environment. Have you ever been to the Eastern USA? No glaciers, yet the ground is saturated with water, there are thousands upon thousands of lakes, rivers, and springs. No glaciers. Oh but the West, we have glaciers there! 689.1 km2 http://glaciers.research.pdx.edu/states-glaciers What is the area of the contiguous 48 states? 8,080,464.3 km2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contiguous_United_States So, glaciers cover 0.01% of the contiguous USA. How much precipitation do you think can fall on 0.01% of the USA land area? The idea that these glaciers somehow provide any significant volume of water to the USA is idiotic.
12
So, glaciers cover 0.01% of the contiguous USA. How much precipitation do you think can fall on 0.01% of the USA land area? The idea that these glaciers somehow provide any significant volume of water to the USA is idiotic.
It is certainly good that climate is so nationalistic. psik
13
hackr - It is certainly good that climate is so nationalistic.
Fine, cite the continents where glaciers are a major portion of land area, outside of Antarctica, Greenland, and Alaska. What percentage of precipitation in, say, Africa falls on glaciers and is stored in them? Of that tiny, tiny percentage what amount of that precipitation water would somehow be lost to humanity if the glacier was not there? I mean, do you guys sit up at night just grunting and groaning trying to make up non problems to worry about?
14

Dusty the problem is you’re only aware of a tiny sliver of the big picture, worse you have kidded yourself into being convinced you know all there is.
So, when more details are offered that conflict with your self-certitude, you simply ignore them with flippant dismissal, rather than learning from new information.
Then you simply return to repeating your painfully childish understanding, since that’s all you know.

15
http://www.21stcentech.com/climate-change-impact-major-rivers-asia/ The map above shows how Asia’s rivers rely on Himalayan glaciers to provide much of the water that feeds China, India, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Burma, Nepal, Bhutan and Pakistan. These glaciers are twenty times the size of those found in the European Alps and feed the Ganges, Indus, Mekong, Yangtze, Huang He (Yellow), Brahmaputra (a major branch of the Ganges), Irrawaddy and Salween rivers which provide drinking water and irrigation for 1.5 billion people in nine countries. Before we look at the river basins themselves it is important to understand what exactly scientists are observing in the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau. The eastern and central parts of this area of the world are seeing accelerated melting affecting water sources for rivers draining from that area. While the western areas remain unchanged or are seeing glacier growth so that rivers relying on these sources are unaffected. ...
Oh yeah, not the USA, never mind. (sarc) :smirk:
https://www.wunderground.com/climate/Glaciers.asp#Header1_6 About Glaciers Glaciers exist on all the continents of the world except Australia. Most of the world's glaciers are found near the North and South Poles (for more information about Arctic and Antarctic glaciers, please see our pages on Greenland and Antarctica). A large number of glaciers, however, are found in mid-latitude and tropical regions wherever the right conditions exist. … Glacial retreat world-wide Over the last century, mountain glaciers worldwide have, on average, been decreasing in length and volume (see Figure 2 and links). Some have been disappearing at such a rate that they may completely disappear soon. … Why are glaciers retreating? … Some glaciers are still getting bigger … Anthropogenic or Natural Climate Changes? … Consequences of the disappearance of mid-latitude glaciers There are likely to be significant and widespread consequences of glacial retreat and of the disappearance of glaciers. Many people across the world are dependent upon glaciers for water, energy, and safety. Additionally, many organisms, ecosystems, and ecosystem processes are reliant upon glaciers. Dr. Phil Porter of the University of Hertfordshire sums it up well when he says "There is a short-term danger of too much water coming out… and a greater long-term danger of there not being enough" (McKie, 2005). Reduction in Availability of Freshwater for Consumption Glaciers store about 75% of the world's freshwater. Some mountain cities and the surrounding regions are dependent upon glacier runoff for their freshwater supply (USGS, 2005), such as in South America. The Andes Mountains in South America are home to 70% of the world.s tropical glaciers, which provide water for drinking, agriculture, and hydropower for 30 million people (ESN, 2008). Quito, Ecuador, for example, draws 50% of its water supply from the Antizana and Cotopaxi glacier basins. La Paz, Bolivia draws 30% of its water supply from the same basins (Vergara et al., 2007). However, these glaciers are rapidly dwindling. In some areas of Asia and the Andes increased glacial runoff has translated into more water in the areas' rivers. However, once the glaciers diminish, their hydrologic inputs will disappear as well. Many of the towns in the Andes region have already felt the impacts of water shortages for drinking water and agriculture. In El Alto, Bolivia, Vergara et al. (2007) mention "…water supply is now just about enough to meet demand during dry season." … Ecological Needs … Flooding … Sea level rise ...
16
cc - The map above shows how Asia’s rivers rely on Himalayan glaciers to provide much of the water that feeds China, India, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Burma, Nepal, Bhutan and Pakistan.
And if the glaciers were not there the precipitation in that area would still flow down the rivers. Glaciers do not "provide water". Precipitation is the source of water. In areas that have little precipitation there is little water. Where there is much precipitation there is much water. Glaciers are just a temporary storage feature for a small percentage of precipitation.
Glaciers store about 75% of the world’s freshwater
In Antarctica, Greenland, and remote polar regions. Glacial storage of fresh water for human consumption is a tiny percentage of such freshwater. "75%" is just irrelevant hyperbolic dishonesty by statistics manipulation.
However, these glaciers are rapidly dwindling.
So what? The rain and the snow that falls on the mountains will still feed the rivers without the glaciers just as it does in the vast majority of the inhabited world where there are no glaciers.
However, once the glaciers diminish, their hydrologic inputs will disappear as well.
Stupid statement. If there was no precipitation yet there is melting then the glacier would have disappeared ages ago. Glaciers grow and shrink as there is either more or less precipitation landing on them as compared to melt runoff. This is high school physics. If the glacier melts completely then the precipitation will feed the rivers directly, either as rain runoff or snowpack melt. Duh. In all the endless hyperbolic bullshit you guys keep wringing your hands about there is one small sliver of truth. For a very few isolated mountain people who live in marginal precipitation conditions there will be more variability in water supply. For 99.9% of us, glaciers are not even remotely essential.
17
If the glacier melts completely then the precipitation will feed the rivers directly, either as rain runoff or snowpack melt. Duh.
Since you're being a smartass I'll return in kind. Anyone with half a brain can think about this for two seconds and figure out that if glaciers melt completely coastal cities worldwide will be underwater, displacing hundreds of millions, if not billions, of people. This is so blindingly obvious that only someone willingly ignorant of reality could argue otherwise. Your smug ignorance does not change this.
18
just irrelevant hyperbolic dishonesty by statistics manipulation.
However, these glaciers are rapidly dwindling.
So what? The rain and the snow that falls on the mountains will still feed the rivers without the glaciers just as it does in the vast majority of the inhabited world where there are no glaciers.
However, once the glaciers diminish, their hydrologic inputs will disappear as well.
Stupid statement. If there was no precipitation yet there is melting then the glacier would have disappeared ages ago. Glaciers grow and shrink as there is either more or less precipitation landing on them as compared to melt runoff. This is high school physics. If the glacier melts completely then the precipitation will feed the rivers directly, either as rain runoff or snowpack melt. Duh. In all the endless hyperbolic bullshit you guys keep wringing your hands about there is one small sliver of truth.
Talk about endless hyperbolic bullshit based on a sliver of understanding. Oh yeah, the less one understands the more self-certain they can be. My Bad.
Recent Glacier Retreat and Changes in Streamflow in the North Cascades(That would be in the USA) Mauri S. Pelto, Director Founded 1983 Nichols College, Dudley, MA https://www.nichols.edu/departments/glacier/glacier.htm Glacier Runoff: The North Cascades currently support approximately 700 glaciers. These glaciers store as much water as all of the states lakes, rivers, and reservoirs combined, and 25% of the North Cascade region's total summer water supply. These are natural reservoirs that yield the most water during the driest period late summer. As glaciers retreat the size of the reservoir shrinks and so does the available runoff. The complete melting of the Lewis Glacier resulted in a 75% decline in late summer streamflow at Lewis Lake. The North Cascade Glaciers release approximately 230 billion gallons of water during the summer. This water is nearly fully utilized for irrigation, salmon fisheries and power generation. With recent warming in the area glacier have been retreating. Many of these glaciers feed the Columbia River system. In the Baker Lake Basin glaciers provide critical water runoff. The difference in a hydrograph for glacier versus non-glacier basins is illustrated below. Glacier Peak flow occurs when non glacier flow is approaching minimum values. The importance of glaciers is noted below for specific basins. ...
19
DarroS - If glaciers melt completely coastal cities worldwide will be underwater
Finally a factually true statement from you guys, took you long enough. But that has not been the argument up to this point, as valid as this new argument of yours is. The argument thus far has been that glaciers in inhabited zones somehow provide water for people, which they clearly do not. As a conditional statement, your conclusion is inescapable in this new point. But glaciers are not melting globally, only some are melting and the most important land ice we have in avoiding sea level rise is actually growing and thus causing sea levels to drop! This is an unexpected result of warming, apparently. It seems that global warming is increasing precipitation over Antarctica so sea level rise is being mitigated by this meteorological effect, at least for now. It is too early to declare we are out of danger. This Antarctic ice growth might be an inflection point, only a temporary set of conditions. Over the long term global warming is virtually guaranteed to lead to sea level rise. The good news is that sea level rise is very slow. Most of the constructions in America right now were built in the last decades or in the last 100 years. If we build inland we will move inland over time. More good news is that vast areas of this planet are locked in ice or so cold as to be unfit for agriculture. As temperatures rise more land will be opened up and the grip of cold will be loosened, which will be a very good thing in those vast regions, not a good thing in areas already hot and made even hotter or for presently inhabited lands that get flooded. Global warming will bring about a mix of benefits and problems, but on a time scale that humans can readily adapt to.
20
Climate change impacts on glaciers and runoff in Tien Shan (Central Asia) Annina Sorg, Tobias Bolch, Markus Stoffel, Olga Solomina & Martin Beniston http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/v2/n10/full/nclimate1592.html?W Climate-driven changes in glacier-fed streamflow regimes have direct implications on freshwater supply, irrigation and hydropower potential. Reliable information about current and future glaciation and runoff is crucial for water allocation, a complex task in Central Asia, where the collapse of the Soviet Union has transformed previously interdependent republics into autonomous upstream and downstream countries. Although the impacts of climate change on glaciation and runoff have been addressed in previous work undertaken in the Tien Shan (known as the 'water tower of Central Asia'), a coherent, regional perspective of these findings has not been presented until now. Here we show that glacier shrinkage is most pronounced in peripheral, lower-elevation ranges near the densely populated forelands, where summers are dry and where snow and glacial meltwater is essential for water availability. Shifts of seasonal runoff maxima have already been observed in some rivers, and it is suggested that summer runoff will further decrease in these rivers if precipitation and discharge from thawing permafrost bodies do not compensate sufficiently for water shortfalls. Admittedly it would be nice to know more about the Y axis - but it is pretty clear about the trend.
As the song says; "Time keeps on marching, marching, marching into the future."