The GISP2 Greenland ice core has proven to be a great source of climatic data from the geologic past. Ancient temperatures can be measured using oxygen isotopes in the ice and ages can be determined from annual dust accumulation layers in the ice. The oxygen isotope ratios of thousands of ice core samples were measured by Minze Stuiver and Peter Grootes at the University of Washington (1993, 1999) and these data have become a world standard.
The ratio of 18O to 16O depends on the temperature at the time snow crystals formed, which were later transformed into glacial ice. Ocean volume may also play a role in δ18O values, but δ18O serves as a good proxy for temperature. The oxygen isotopic composition of a sample is expressed as a departure of the 18O/16O ratio from an arbitrary standard
δ18O =
(18O/16O)sample ‒ (18O/16O) x 103
____________________________________
(18O/16O)standard
where δ18Ois the of ratio 18O/16O expressed in per mil (0/00) units.
The age of each sample is accurately known from annual dust layers in the ice core. The top of the core is 1987.
Earth Changes
© NASA
The Sahara Desert in Africa, as seen from space.
The Sahara Desert in Africa, as seen from space.
Imagine, shooting 40,000 elephants to prevent the land in Africa from going to desert because scientists thought the land couldn't sustain them, only to find the effort was for naught and the idea as to why was totally wrong. That alone was a real eye opener.
Every once in awhile, an idea comes along that makes you ask, "gee why hasn't anybody seen this before?". This one of those times. This video below is something I almost didn't watch, because my concerns were triggered by a few key words in the beginning. But, recommended by a Facebook friend, I stuck with it, and I'm glad I did, because I want every one of you, no matter what side of the climate debate you live in, to watch this and experience that light bulb moment as I did. The key here is to understand that desertification is one of the real climate changes we are witnessing as opposed to some the predicted ones we often fight over.
It is one of those seminal moments where I think a bridge has been created in the climate debate, and I hope you'll seize the moment and embrace it. This video comes with my strongest possible recommendation, because it speaks to a real problem, with real solutions in plain language, while at the same time offering true hope.
© Jeff Langlois/ZUMAPRESS.com
Spinner sharks are seen near the shore Tuesday morning at Midtown Beach.
Spinner sharks are seen near the shore Tuesday morning at Midtown Beach.
Tens of thousands of sharks, heading north to North Carolina after migrating south for the winter, have been spotted by marine biologists in the last week.
Mega-mosquitoes known as gallinippers could invade Central Florida this summer, as flood waters from tropical storms force the larvae to hatch this hurricane season. Entomologists at the University of Florida say the mosquitoes are 20 times the size of a typical mosquito, about the size of a quarter. They also pack a painful bite, according to UF entomologist Phil Kaufman. He calls the species "notoriously aggressive." The best way to protect against these super-sized mosquitoes is to wear bug spray with DEET and cover up as best as possible. Gallinippers were spotted last year in Florida after Tropical Storm Debbie doused the state, but scientists predict they'll make an appearance again this summer. According to Kaufman and his team one good thing about these mosquitoes is that they aren't known to carry any viruses that could be harmful to humans. - Click Orlando
Super-sized: Scientist says mega-mosquitoes also known as gallinippers, left, could be common in central Florida this summer. They can be 20 times bigger than typical Asian tiger mosquitoes
Super-sized: Scientist says mega-mosquitoes also known as gallinippers, left, could be common in central Florida this summer. They can be 20 times bigger than typical Asian tiger mosquitoes
© Parish Howard/ Morris News Service
The steeple of Magnolia Baptist Church in Glascock County points toward the damaged church this morning.
The steeple of Magnolia Baptist Church in Glascock County points toward the damaged church this morning.
No one was injured in the storm that struck about 7:30 p.m., but three residences were damaged and about 10 people displaced, authorities said.
Kent Frantz, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Atlanta, was at the site Wednesday and said the destruction path was about 150 yards wide and about three-quarters of a mile long.
© Getty Images
As much as 10in (25cm) of snow fell on Chicago on Tuesday
As much as 10in (25cm) of snow fell on Chicago on Tuesday
Schools are shut and more than 1,500 flights cancelled at Washington DC and Baltimore airports, with up to a foot (30cm) of snowfall predicted.
Officials have warned of power cuts in the mid-Atlantic region between New England and the south-eastern states.
On Tuesday, Chicago saw heavy snowfall with about 10in reported in some areas.
Mount Etna, Europe's highest active volcano sent plumes of ash and lava into the night sky on the island of Sicily. Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology has recently registered increased explosive activity by the volcano, Italy's Civil Protection agency said. There are several inhabited villages on the slopes of Mount Etna. Eruptions are not infrequent, and Italian airliners sometimes have to alter their routes to avoid flying through ash clouds. Tuesday's eruption did not cause any interruption to air traffic at the airport serving the nearby town of Catania, according to reports. -Telegraph
Three weeks before Passover, a plague of locusts is swarming from Egypt to Israel, sparking fears among farmers in the region.
The timing of the insect invasion is eerie, because the Bible's Book of Exodus tells of 10 plagues that hit Egypt before Moses and the Jews were allowed to leave for the Promised Land. A plague of locusts was the eighth on the list - but Pharaoh didn't relent until the 10th plague, which killed off all of Egypt's firstborn sons. Every year at Passover, Jews commemorate how they were spared.
This time, even the Israelis are worried that the locusts are out to get them. "They may not have ruined Pharaoh, but they could ruin us," one farmer, Tzachi Rimon, told Israel's Channel 10 TV.
The timing of the insect invasion is eerie, because the Bible's Book of Exodus tells of 10 plagues that hit Egypt before Moses and the Jews were allowed to leave for the Promised Land. A plague of locusts was the eighth on the list - but Pharaoh didn't relent until the 10th plague, which killed off all of Egypt's firstborn sons. Every year at Passover, Jews commemorate how they were spared.
This time, even the Israelis are worried that the locusts are out to get them. "They may not have ruined Pharaoh, but they could ruin us," one farmer, Tzachi Rimon, told Israel's Channel 10 TV.
Comment: And to learn more about the Bible and true history of human kind, read Comets and the Horns of Moses by Laura Knight-Jadczyk
© Unknown
The ships include several massive cargo vessels stranded off the city of Colon, near the Caribbean side of the Panama Canal.
No injuries or environmental damage were immediately reported, although residents reported a smell of petroleum in the vicinity of a ship that appeared to have a ruptured hull.
"Everybody's got a little comment with every bag they're buying," said Mike McIntosh, who works at Dressel's Hardware in Oak Park just outside Chicago. Workers had started to stock the shelves with tools and supplies associated with spring and summer, only to find the shovels and salt they thought they'd hold for another year were still in demand. "Everybody's a bit surprised, but it's good for us, we've got a lot of this stuff to move," he said. On Monday, the system moved across the Dakotas and Minnesota, dropping up to a foot of snow in some areas and freezing rain in others. Some schools closed and officials warned motorists to stay off the roads.
Comment: Man-made global warming is just a myth, which is promoted by the global elite through their scientists to cover for the fact that it is events like the recent meteor explosion over Chelyabinsk that have caused the rapid onset of ice-ages through the ages. Read the books: The Apocalypse: Comets, Asteroids and Cyclical Catastrophes and Comets and the Horns of Moses by Laura Knight-Jadczyk, for a better understanding of these events that plaque our Earth periodically, and have been increasing in occurrence the past few years, causing the climate changes that we are currently experiencing.