tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12471112.post8847918307826526253..comments2023-08-20T11:07:28.396+01:00Comments on Freeborn John: Ice free passagePeter Risdonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792275403997179926noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12471112.post-34045536353239539352007-09-18T17:29:00.000+01:002007-09-18T17:29:00.000+01:00It's not entirely true that it wasn't monitored be...It's not entirely true that it wasn't monitored before 1972. It was "monitored" when it was visited by explorers in the period 1818 to 1860 (approx). In this period of time almost this whole area was mapped out.<BR/><BR/>The first and most obvious point that any Arctic Historian will know is that this exploration-fest was prompted by precisely this. Wm Scoresby was the first to note in the early 1800s that the ice that filled Baffin Bay and the Northern Atlantic had melted, allowing ships to reach about 2 degrees further north than had been possible previously. <BR/><BR/>It is interesting that such changes in climate happened nearly 200 years ago, without the benefit of global warming.<BR/><BR/>The second point, equally clear, is that the amount of ice varies from year to year - significantly. An explorer would get their ship(s) into an area without too much difficulty and then be unable to get out for 2 or 3 years, or indeed sometimes at all (e.g. John Ross in the 1830s). Variations in ice are common - Franklin was not found for years because Peel Sound was open in 1846/7 but a solid ice sheet when the rescuers tried to find him.<BR/><BR/>Amundsen is not relevant to this discussion. The "passage" that has opened is the obvious one - leave Baffin Bay by Lancaster Sound and through Viscount Melville Sound. This was first navigated - by wooden ships - in 1818 by William Parry, who got further than Melville Island - this is "almost all" the "obvious" North West Passage. It is not normal, but is by no means unusual for this passage to be open water - in the era of exploration this point was reached by sail on a few occasions. <BR/><BR/>The last section and the most difficult, McClure Strait, was observed to be open water in 1854 (?) just before McClure went into Mercy Bay (where he became stuck, permanently). It is an open question whether if McClure had tried it, would he have been able to cross to Melville Island which would have allowed him to complete the passage by ship 50 years before Roald Amundsen did it (by hugging the North coast of Canada through Simpson and Dolphin & Union straits).<BR/><BR/>So the "opening of the NW Passage" is not quite the freak occurrence it is believed to be.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12471112.post-40543036076287130642007-09-15T20:19:00.000+01:002007-09-15T20:19:00.000+01:00Heh. This was a y2k bug in the analysis software. ...Heh. This was a y2k bug in the analysis software. Hilarious.Peter Risdonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17792275403997179926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12471112.post-11474632843739635782007-09-15T20:13:00.000+01:002007-09-15T20:13:00.000+01:00So you did!We also need to remember that the Artic...So you did!<BR/><BR/>We also need to remember that the Artic sea ice figures seem to have been subject to a large, unannounced adjustment affecting the period post 2000.<BR/><BR/>In other words they look like they've been fiddled.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12471112.post-85760646200585464472007-09-15T20:07:00.000+01:002007-09-15T20:07:00.000+01:00Yes, I did here. And see what I commented... Great...Yes, I did <A HREF="http://freebornjohn.blogspot.com/2007/09/antarctic-sea-ice-at-record-high.html" REL="nofollow">here</A>. And see what I commented... Great minds work alike.Peter Risdonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17792275403997179926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12471112.post-22720168989122112482007-09-15T19:52:00.000+01:002007-09-15T19:52:00.000+01:00One should also note that the extent of Antarctic ...One should also note that the extent of Antarctic sea ice has reached a <A HREF="http://www.climate-skeptic.com/2007/09/antarctic-sea-i.html" REL="nofollow">record maximum extent</A> this SH winter.<BR/><BR/>Not reported on the BBC.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12471112.post-4854410933977238692007-08-31T13:31:00.000+01:002007-08-31T13:31:00.000+01:00The RCMP Vessel St Roche made an 86-day passage in...The RCMP Vessel St Roche made an 86-day passage in 1944, which would have required substantial ice free sections. As well, she passed through the Northern route which is the only "international" passage.<BR/><BR/>Cheers<BR/>J.M. HeinrichsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com