Last Updated:
February 28, 2007

GCRIO Program Overview

Library 
Our extensive collection of documents.

Privacy Policy

Archives of the
Global Climate Change Digest
A Guide to Information on Greenhouse Gases and Ozone Depletion
Published July 1988 through June 1999

FROM VOLUME 6, NUMBER 5, MAY 1993

PERIODICALS...
EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE

Item #d93may84

Special Section: "Evolution of Atmospheres," Science, Feb. 12. Contains survey articles on validating models with paleoclimatic data, determining past CO₂ levels from sedimentary rock, and controversy over the NASA Earth Observing System design.

Item #d93may85

"Ecologists Put Some Life into Models of a Changing World," Y. Baskin, Science, pp. 1694-1696, Mar. 19, 1993.

Item #d93may86

"Fire Beneath the Ice," R. Monastersky, Science News, 104-107, Feb. 13, 1993.

Two geophysicists have published evidence (Nature, Feb. 11, 1993) that there is volcanic activity beneath the West Antarctic ice sheet. This finding suggests that the future stability of the ice sheet will depend less on current and future climate than on past climate and geological conditions. Should the ice sheet collapse, sea levels would rise regardless of efforts to limit global warming.

Item #d93may87

"Icy Indicators of Global Warming," D. Denniston, World Watch, 9, 34-35, Jan.-Feb. 1993 (Worldwatch Inst., 1776 Mass. Ave. NW, Washington DC 20036).

Describes observations by several scientists around the world which generally show a melting trend in glaciers during this century. Most take this result as evidence of global warming. Trends in high-altitude, tropical glaciers may have special significance.

Item #d93may88

"Chasing the Rogue Icebergs," D. Vaughan, New Scientist, 24-27, Jan. 9, 1993.

Scientists are using the motion of three huge icebergs that broke off an antarctic ice shelf in 1986 to study ocean circulation and evaluate computer models. Models appear to be correct in showing sea temperature and circulation, rather than air temperature, as the main controls on the melting of major ice shelves. A confident estimate of any change in antarctic ice content is many years away.