Signs of Global Warming in 1950

...the evidence that the top of the world is growing warmer is to be found on every hand. The recession of the northern glaciers is going on at such a rate that many smaller ones have already disappeared. If the present rate of melting continues others will soon follow them.

...The glaciologist Hans Ahlmann reports that most Norwegian glaciers 'are living only on their own mass without receiving any annual fresh supply of snow'; that in the Alps there has been a general retreat and shrinkage of glaciers during the last decades, which became 'catastrophic' in the summer of 1947; and that all the glaciers around the Northern Atlantic coasts are shrinking. The most rapid recession of all is occurring in Alaska, where the Muir Glacier receded about 10 1/2 kilometers in 12 years.

...Oceanographers who have been studying the matter during teh 1940s have discovered many significant changes in the temperature and distribution of great masses of ocean water. Apparently the branch of the Gulf Stream that flows past Spitsbergen has so increased in volume that it now brings in a great body of warm water. Surface waters of the North Atlantic show rising temperatures; so do the deeper layers around Iceland and Spitsbergen. Sea temperatures in the North Sea and along the coast of Norway have been growing warmer since the 1920's.

Notes:

Scientists knew the planet was undergoing a dramatic climate change, but thought it was a natural swing. The idea that it was anthropogenic was not considered.

Folksonomies: global warming

Taxonomies:
/travel/tourist destinations/national parks (0.446699)
/science/weather (0.275044)
/travel/tourist destinations/europe (0.230308)

Keywords:
glaciologist Hans Ahlmann (0.959046 (neutral:0.000000)), annual fresh supply (0.946276 (neutral:0.000000)), Northern Atlantic coasts (0.943688 (negative:-0.311944)), northern glaciers (0.893712 (negative:-0.468825)), Norwegian glaciers (0.881111 (neutral:0.000000)), rapid recession (0.782106 (negative:-0.554745)), past Spitsbergen (0.765390 (positive:0.835678)), present rate (0.735232 (neutral:0.000000)), teh 1940s (0.728162 (positive:0.219515)), smaller ones (0.719761 (negative:-0.468825)), Muir Glacier (0.717339 (neutral:0.000000)), Sea temperatures (0.713597 (positive:0.305103)), deeper layers (0.696353 (positive:0.390721)), general retreat (0.694436 (negative:-0.339171)), great masses (0.685071 (positive:0.219515)), significant changes (0.682439 (positive:0.219515)), warm water (0.676309 (positive:0.835678)), Gulf Stream (0.674938 (positive:0.835678)), ocean water (0.673059 (positive:0.219515)), Surface waters (0.670508 (neutral:0.000000)), great body (0.666957 (positive:0.835678)), North Sea (0.663533 (positive:0.305103)), North Atlantic (0.655632 (neutral:0.000000)), warmer (0.519624 (positive:0.305103)), Oceanographers (0.481966 (positive:0.219515)), shrinkage (0.475761 (negative:-0.339171)), kilometers (0.467165 (neutral:0.000000)), decades (0.459680 (negative:-0.339171)), Alps (0.459166 (negative:-0.339171)), world (0.457712 (positive:0.562300))

Entities:
North Atlantic:GeographicFeature (0.932620 (negative:-0.311944)), rising temperatures:FieldTerminology (0.680086 (neutral:0.000000)), Spitsbergen:GeographicFeature (0.638543 (positive:0.835678)), North Sea:GeographicFeature (0.630191 (positive:0.305103)), Muir Glacier:GeographicFeature (0.598950 (neutral:0.000000)), Hans Ahlmann:Person (0.553588 (neutral:0.000000)), Gulf Stream:GeographicFeature (0.501878 (positive:0.835678)), Alaska:StateOrCounty (0.499605 (negative:-0.554745)), Iceland:Country (0.497282 (positive:0.390721)), Alps:Region (0.485860 (negative:-0.339171)), Norway:Country (0.483623 (positive:0.305103)), 2 kilometers:Quantity (0.483623 (neutral:0.000000)), 12 years:Quantity (0.483623 (neutral:0.000000))

Concepts:
Atlantic Ocean (0.956818): geo | dbpedia | ciaFactbook | freebase | opencyc
Europe (0.804311): dbpedia | freebase | yago
Norway (0.744909): website | dbpedia | ciaFactbook | freebase | opencyc | yago
Baltic Sea (0.671886): geo | dbpedia | freebase | opencyc | yago
Gulf of Mexico (0.625501): geo | dbpedia | freebase | opencyc | yago
Gulf Stream (0.621009): dbpedia | freebase | yago
Ocean (0.587822): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
North Sea (0.577824): geo | dbpedia | freebase | opencyc | yago

 The Sea Around Us
Books, Brochures, and Chapters>Book:  Carson, Rachel L. (1951), The Sea Around Us, Oxford University Press, New York, Retrieved on 2010-11-30
Folksonomies: nature