Ok, Folks I have some problems here. As I check on one of my favorite websites Mt. St. Helens current conditions. As I read what is happening to one of America's more active volcanoes, I see this little ditty about a growing glacier?
"Glacier Dimensions:
Crater Glacier exceeds area of established nearby glaciers: In September 2007, the area of Crater Glacier was approximately one-fifth the area of glaciated terrain that existed on Mount St. Helens prior to the catastrophic eruption of May 18, 1980. Crater Glacier is approximately 0.33 square miles in area, which is more than twice the area of White River Glacier on the south side of Oregon’s Mount Hood. Crater Glacier is the newest glacier to form in North America. It is one of the most rapidly advancing and one of the lowest-elevation glaciers in the lower 48 states."
This data you are reading is from Non other then United States Geologic Survey (USGS)
You can find it at http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/MSH/Eruption04/Monitoring/February2008/
I thought we were warming? Indeed it has been very quite on the Global Warming front this winter since I have heard it is the second coldest winter since 1966. I will have to look this fact up and get back to you to verify. So please don't believe every "GREENY WEENY" you come across when they say AL Gore is right. Let them know about America's newest glacier and that it is growing!
Thanks and Good Night
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4 comments:
Hi Dave:
I have two answers for you regarding the growing glaciers at Mount St. Helens. Yes and sort of.
Between 1986 and 2004, the glaciers at MSH were growing faster than any others in the world. The shape of the crater and the location led to the rapid growth. Bottom line is that there is a lot of new snow added each year and very little sunshine due to the north-facing aspect of the crater.
As for the second part of your question, the glacier is not increasing in size rather in length. In 2004, the level of the crater floor was lifted as the volcano extruded new lava. The glaciers speed moving down the mountain accelerated rapidly so it is the fasting moving glacier anywhere in the world. It is becoming longer which in some circle may be construed as growing!
Hey rockranger,
Glad you responded.Didn't think I'd here from a soul. Now If a glacier is growing in thickness or in length, does not mean it is still growing? I did get this from USGS website so I can only go by what they say.
Now as you can guess Global warming is not my agenda to see it pushed. Could the earth be warming yes of course it could be. Hey we have been warming since the ice ages. Did the cavemen with their campfires say HEY WE NEED TO QUIT HAVING FIRES we are starting to warm! Yes, I know I am being sarcastic, my point is I don't think man has anything to do with this at all. Our star which warms us is far more powerful then us. One of the most recent statements made is the oceans have not warmed at all and the need to, to really show we are warming, Now I will have to reference this. Al Gore is looking to support his Carbon credits company to just make more money. What is that anyway? you use less so I can by your carbon credits? Doesn't sound like anyone is helping the situation merely changing sets on the Titanic. I find the Hollywood left impossibly stupid. Anything they say I fully discount. And they back this stuff yet they still fly around the world. Am I jealous? No just don't like Hypocrites.
Thanks for responding. By your name you must be a Geologist? Or someone associated in the field. I am a Miner dig clay evil I know! LOL!
Dave:
I currently work in wildfire prevention, but I spent a lot of years teaching about volcanoes including several at Mount St. Helens.
I am not a big subscriber to the human caused global warming bench. That doesn’t mean I believe that all is perfect to world-wide pollution concerns. As Americans, we need to learn that our relationships to our vehicles needs to become a lot more part-time. Now we are going to sit and watch as China has their marriage with the automobile and freedom of movement. My alarm bell started to wring when people have started to write that forest fires are a major cause of global warming. If that is the case, then global warming was in effect well over 14,000 years ago as the earth set about cleaning house or long before we humans had the technology to fight and control wildfire.
I tend to think that we are headed into a naturally occurring warming trend. Remember that 14,000 years ago, we had retreating glaciers and can you imagine the global warming concerns then?
Indeed the cavemen had a summit and declared to stop having so many camp fires so the earth would not warm up any more. They were in love with glaciers covering the planet, who wants to live in warm climates when you have GLACIERS!
Wild land fire fighter? Tough job. Did a little firefighting when I was a pup, went off to Japan though and came back and never pursued it as a career.
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