Sea Technology

SEP 2012

The industry's recognized authority for design, engineering and application of equipment and services in the global ocean community

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to sea to suddenly accelerate, and 100 billion tons of ice melted away from the continent in six months. They were able to make the measurement because the earth compresses or expands like a spring depending on the weight above it, letting them use the Greenland bedrock like a giant bathroom scale to weigh the ice atop it. As ice accumulates, the bedrock sinks, and as the ice melts away, the bedrock rises. Measurements revealed that Greenland sank by about 6 millimeters over the winter of 2010, and the researchers determined that half of the sinking was actually due to high air pressure above the ice, and the other half was due to ice accumulation. GPS has been used to study ice loss before, but previous- ly could only detect changes over several years, not months. The team is investigating the possibility of detecting changes in sea-level rise via GPS units planted at coastlines and in small ocean islands. Earth's Oceans, Ecosystems Still Absorbing Half of CO2 Emissions Earth's oceans, forests and other ecosystems continue to soak up about half the CO2 emitted into the atmosphere by hu- man activities, even as emissions have increased, said a study by University of Colorado and NOAA scientists published in August in Nature. The remaining CO2 mosphere, where it is likely to accelerate global warming. The scientists analyzed 50 years of global CO2 accumulates in the at- measure- ments and found that the processes by which the planet's oceans and ecosystems absorb the greenhouse gas are not yet at capacity. Recent studies suggest that natural CO2 sinks might no longer be keeping up with the increasing rate of emissions, which could cause a faster-than-expected rise in atmospheric CO2 and projected climate-change impacts. sured at remote sites around the world. Those levels reflect global averages of the greenhouse gas, which are affected by natural cycles as well as people's activities. The researchers analyzed records of CO2 Researchers Forecast 3 Feet in Sea-Level Rise for California Analysis by researchers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography contains scenarios that sea level along the California coast could reach 3 to 4 feet higher than it was in 2000. Another study in the same report, published in July, concluded that by mid-21st century the number of exceed- ances over historical extremes of one hour per year would climb to 75 hours per year. The report, titled "Our Changing Climate 2012, Vulnerabili- ty and Adaptation to the Increasing Risks from Climate Change in California," is part of the assessments commissioned by the California Energy Commission and the California Natural Re- sources Agency to plan for the state's climate future. Computer models suggest an increasing tendency for heightened sea-level events. The most extreme sea-level epi- sodes in the next several decades will follow historical patterns wherein large storms coincide with high tides, often during El Niño years, but will be amplified as mean sea level rises. Rela- tive sea level off the West Coast, which is distinct from global sea level, is the key factor influencing increased flooding po- tential. Other variables such as the strength of storms or the frequency of large wave events are not expected to increase significantly in this century, the researchers added. n www.sea-technology.com SEPTEMBER 2012 / st 81 levels mea- Performance Testing Begins at OhmsettOhmsett Performance Begins environment play an essential role in developing new technology that will be cleaning the world's water in the future. A Features & Capabilities: ❖ Full-scale testing, training and research ❖ Independent and objective testing with real oil ❖ Measurable and repeatable test parameters ❖ Chemical treating agents and dispersant testing ❖ Mechanical containment and recovery in ice ❖ Evaluation of remote sensing systems ❖ Test protocol development Ohmsett Leonardo, New Jersey 732-866-7183 / 732-866-7055 www.ohmsett.com Ohmsett, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement's (BSEE) National Oil Spill Response Research and Renewable Energy Test Facility t Ohmsett, testing and R&D; opportunities abound! Our unique capabilities and realistic marine

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