Pax Arctica's Blog

Combien d’eau y a-t-il sur Terre ?

2012-05-22T14:48:00.004-07:00

L'infographie est parlante. Il faut imaginer qu'un puissant sorcier a, grâce à un maléfice habile, siphonné toute l'eau présente sur Terre et l'a réunie dans une sphère, un petit satellite liquide posé sur notre globe soudain asséché. D'un coup d'un seul, notre planète bleue est devenue brune et il y a comme une surprise à voir les océans, mers, lacs, calottes polaires, rivières et glaciers, qui recouvrent en temps normal plus de 70 % des 510 millions de km² que compte la Terre, se résumer à un cochonnet de seulement 1 385 km de diamètre, soit à peu près la distance qui sépare Paris d'Alger à vol d'oiseau.
L'eau sur Terre est un peu comme une feuille de papier cadeau recouvrant une boule de bowling. Depuis l'espace on ne voit presque qu'elle, elle donne sa couleur à notre planète mais ne représente qu'une minuscule fraction (0,023 %) de sa masse. Combien y en a-t-il exactement ? Si l'on revient à notre image, cette bulle contient 1,386 milliard de km³ d'H₂0. Comment se répartit-elle ? Les plus gros fournisseurs, et de loin, sont évidemment les océans et les mers, avec 1,338 milliard de km³. Ils arrivent loin devant deux quasi ex-aequo (environ 24 millions de km³ chacun) : les calottes polaires (Groenland et Antarctique), glaciers et neiges éternelles d'un côté, l'eau contenue dans le sous-sol et dans la croûte terrestre de l'autre. Les miettes qui restent reviennent, dans l'ordre décroissant, aux glaces du pergélisol, aux lacs, à l'humidité des sols, à l'atmosphère, aux marais, aux cours d'eau et, enfin, à toute cette eau si importante pour nous, celle qui est prisonnière des organismes vivants, celle sans qui vous et moi ne serions que des momies. On estime que toute la vie terrestre regroupe un peu plus de 1 100 km³ de cette eau dite biologique.
A lire cette longue énumération, on s'est sans doute aperçu que l'eau douce ne représente qu'une part minoritaire du total : environ 35 millions de km³. C'est la perle à droite du cochonnet sur la carte ci-dessous. Mais, dans cette petite portion, la plus grande partie de l'eau est hors d'atteinte des êtres vivants, soit parce qu'elle est congelée dans les inlandsis, soit parce qu'elle est enfouie dans les entrailles de la Terre. Si l'on ne prend en considération que l'eau facile d'accès, celle que l'on trouve dans les lacs non salés, les marais, les fleuves et les rivières, il ne reste plus grand chose. Avez-vous repéré le petit point bleu sur cette deuxième infographie, sous la perle dont je viens de parler ?

Cette tête d'épingle a moins de 60 km de diamètre. Elle contient toute l'eau douce aisément disponible pour la vie terrestre. C'est dans cette minuscule réserve que 7 milliards d'hommes puisent pour boire, irriguer leurs cultures, abreuver leurs animaux d'élevage, faire tourner leurs usines, alimenter leurs centrales électriques, etc. Et, si on met Homo sapiens de côté, quantité d'autres organismes vivants en dépendent aussi. C'est en voyant ce genre d'image que l'on s'aperçoit mieux, qu'entre la sécheresse et nous il n'y a presque rien. Que l'eau est plus rare qu'il n'y paraît. Parce que la Terre est une brune qui se teint en bleu.

Pierre Barthélémy (@PasseurSciences sur Twitter)

(Crédit : Jack Cook, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.)

Arctic ozone hole breaks all records

2011-10-03T06:29:00.000-07:00

In the first three months of this year, something unprecedented happened in the skies over the Arctic. A large hole appeared in the ozone layer, far bigger than any seen there before.

The Arctic ozone layer suffers a little damage every winter, but the effect is normally short-lived. "This is a clear step beyond that," says Neil Harris of the University of Cambridge. As the measurements came in, ozone researchers began to debate whether the loss could be compared to that seen over the Antarctic. "It's the first time we've even discussed that question," says Harris.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20988-arctic-ozone-hole-breaks-all-records.html

Unmistakeable link between climate fluctuations and violence

2011-08-26T07:06:00.000-07:00

First proof that climate is a trigger for conflict: study

The first scientific study to declare an unmistakable link between climate fluctuations and violence has been published in the journal Nature. The inquiry focuses on a naturally occurring pattern of climate change, but its authors say there is a disturbing lesson about violence driven by man-made warming.

http://news.yahoo.com/first-proof-climate-trigger-conflict-study-180748908.html

Commercial exploitation of Greenland and the Arctic region… Denmark says, “We are not nervous”

2011-08-25T04:09:00.000-07:00

By Flemming Emil Hansen, Dow Jones & Co, Image by Jeff Shea/NY Times

COPENHAGEN—Denmark this week launched its first formal strategy for the Arctic region, a plan intended to facilitate private investment and help international companies enter the far north as the ice melts and vast natural resources become accessible, the country’s foreign minister said in an interview.

The Arctic, which covers more than a sixth of the Earth’s landmass, plus the vast Arctic Ocean, has long been treated as a highly fragile ecosystem that must be protected against commercial exploitation. Denmark’s new strategy marks a shift in priority to focus on economic development and improving the living standards of local people, Lene Espersen told The Wall Street Journal.http://gcaptain.com/commercial-exploitation-greenland?29889&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCaptain.com%29

Study Blames Humans for Half of Recent Arctic Ice Melt

2011-08-20T05:24:00.000-07:00

August 16, 2011 11:56AM

A new study funded by the National Science Foundation is the first to attribute a specific proportion of the record Arctic ice melt to greenhouse gases and particulates from pollution. The study says about half the record ice loss is related to the increasing greenhouse gases, and that conditions will become more volatile from year to year.

About half the recent record loss of Arctic sea ice can be blamed on global warming caused by human activity, according to a new study by scientists from the nation's leading climate research center.

The peer-reviewed study, funded by the National Science Foundation is the first to attribute a specific proportion of the ice melt to greenhouse gases and particulates from pollution.

The study used supercomputers and one of the world's most sophisticated climate models to reach its conclusions, said lead author Jennifer Kay, a staff scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo. The paper was published last week in the scientific journal Geophysical Research Letters.

Kay said her study was an attempt to learn how much Arctic Ocean melting can be attributed to "natural variability" -- complex changes wrought by nonhuman forces -- and how much has been caused by greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and by atmospheric particulates.

Formation d'icebergs en Antarctique, conséquence surpenante du Tsunami de mars 2011

2011-08-19T03:30:00.000-07:00

Suite au Tsunami de mars 2011, des blocs de glace se sont détachés de l'Antarctique our former des icebergs. La NASA a pu observer leur formation suite au Tsunami de mars 2011 qui a ravagé le Japon mais aussi touché les côtes de l'Antarctique.
http://www.goodplanet.info/Contenu/Videos/Formation-d-icebergs-en-Antarctique-consequence-surpenante-du-Tsunami-de-mars-2011?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%253A+Goodplanetinfo+%2528Les+D%25C3%25A9p%25C3%25AAches+GoodPlanet.info+%2529

Navigation polaire: la Russie mieux placée que le Canada selon Rocard

2011-08-10T04:36:00.000-07:00

MONTREAL - (AFP) - Michel Rocard, ambassadeur français chargé des régions polaires, a estimé lundi que le Canada pourrait renoncer à attirer le trafic maritime dans le Passage du Nord-Ouest en Océan Arctique, la route au large de la Sibérie s'avérant plus facile.

http://www.goodplanet.info/Contenu/Depeche/Navigation-polaire-la-Russie-mieux-placee-que-le-Canada-selon-Rocard?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%253A+Goodplanetinfo+%2528Les+D%25C3%25A9p%25C3%25AAches+GoodPlanet.info+%2529

La Russie veut demander en 2012 à l'ONU d'étendre ses frontières arctiques

2011-07-08T03:55:00.001-07:00

MOSCOU (AFP) - La Russie a annoncé mercredi qu'elle comptait demander en 2012 à l'ONU l'élargissement de ses frontières dans l'Arctique, une région disputée, riche en hydrocarbures, où Moscou a l'ambition de devenir la principale puissance.

"Je m'attends à ce que l'année prochaine nous transmettions à la commission de l'ONU une demande fondée scientifiquement sur l'élargissement des frontières de notre plateau continental dans l'Arctique", a annoncé le vice-Premier ministre Sergueï Ivanov, en charge des questions de défense nationale, cité par l'agence officielle Itar-Tass.

La Commission des limites du plateau continental de l'ONU règle ces questions sur la base de la Convention des Nations unies sur le droit de la mer du 10 décembre 1982.

Ce texte permet aux pays signataires ayant une façade maritime d'étendre leurs droits pour l'exploitation des ressources naturelles, minérales, énergétiques, biologiques, de 200 milles à 350 milles, s'ils peuvent prouver, par des études scientifiques, que cette extension constitue "la prolongation naturelle du plateau continental".

M. Ivanov a relevé que dans les jours à venir une nouvelle expédition scientifique allait partir explorer la dorsale de Lomonossov et celle de Mendeleïev afin de prouver qu'il s'agit d'extensions de son plateau.

En 2007 des explorateurs avaient planté un drapeau russe au fond de l'océan Arctique, à plus de 4.000 mètres sous le pôle Nord, une mission symbolisant les revendications territoriales de Moscou.

La dorsale de Lomonossov, une chaîne de montagne sous-marine, s'étend du Groenland à la Sibérie et au pôle Nord. Le Groenland et le Canada affirment aussi qu'elle est le prolongement naturel de leurs plateaux respectifs.

La dorsale de Mendeleïev s'étend de la Sibérie au centre de l'Océan arctique. Moscou cherche à prouver que cette dorsale n'est pas un plateau océanique mais le prolongement de son plateau continental.

La fonte des glaces arctiques et des progrès technologiques permettent aux pays de la région d'espérer utiliser l'Arctique à des fins commerciales et d'en explorer les ressources.

Les cinq Etats riverains de l'Arctique (Etats-Unis, Russie, Canada, Norvège, Danemark/Groenland) sont engagés dans une course aux revendications territoriales dans cette région susceptible de contenir 13% du pétrole et 30% du gaz naturel non découverts dans le monde.

La Russie veut aussi développer une voie maritime commerciale dans l'Arctique vers l'Asie, une route plus difficile que le passage traditionnel via le canal de Suez mais beaucoup plus courte (13.000 km contre 22.200 km).

Sergueï Ivanov a d'ailleurs indiqué que trois millions de tonnes de marchandises doivent emprunter cette voie en 2011, un chiffre qu'il espère voir passer à cinq millions de tonnes l'année prochaine.

Dans ce contexte, le commandant de la marine russe, l'amiral Vladimir Vissotski, a souligné mercredi "les défis et les menaces" que représentent les ambitions arctiques de l'Otan mais aussi celles de pays asiatiques, en particulier la Chine et le Japon.

"Un grand nombre de défis et de menaces sont actuellement concentrés dans l'Arctique (...) et ils peuvent avoir un effet négatif pour les intérêts économiques russes", a souligné l'amiral, selon l'agence Ria Novosti.

Moscou a d'ailleurs prévu de créer des unités spécialisées de l'armée qui seront déployées dans la région, et le Kremlin a validé en 2008 une stratégie pour faire de la Russie "la puissance principale de l'Arctique" d'ici 2020.

Militarization of the Arctic?

2011-07-03T06:35:00.000-07:00

Russia to Deploy Troops to Defend Interests in Arctic

Wall Street Journal – MOSCOW—Russia plans to deploy two army brigades in the north to defend its interests in the Arctic regions, where governments citing climate change have made competing claims over natural resources.

Russia's defense minister said officials haven't yet worked out the details of troops or weaponry, but that the brigades, which usually number a few thousand troops, would be cobbled together with an eye toward the experience of Russia's northern neighbors—Finland, Norway and Sweden—which already have such northern forces.

"The location will be determined, as well as weapons, numbers and infrastructure for the brigades," said Defense Minister ...

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303763404576419862777063804.html

North Pole - April 12

2011-05-24T14:47:00.001-07:00

Our camp on April 12. Typical set up: two tents + tipi tent for breakfast/dinners, which Ben and I also used as sleeping tent

photo © Guillaume Cuvelier

Hillary Clinton in Greenland for Arctic summit

2011-05-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/11/arctic-clinton-idUSN1121495420110511

Arctic Boots

2011-04-22T09:19:00.001-07:00

This photo gives an idea of the sole thickness of arctic boots... We never got cold feet at the pole!

Skeptic Arguments and What the Science Says

2011-04-22T04:04:00.000-07:00

Skeptical Science:

A must-visit site for anybody interested in climate change and its consequences:

"Scientific skepticism is healthy. Scientists should always challenge themselves to expand their knowledge and improve their understanding. Yet this isn't what happens in global warming skepticism. Skeptics vigorously criticise any evidence that supports man-made global warming and yet uncritically embrace any argument, op-ed piece, blog or study that refutes global warming.

So this website gets skeptical about global warming skepticism. Do their arguments have any scientific basis? What does the peer reviewed scientific literature say?"

http://www.skepticalscience.com/

Mikhail Gorbachev makes it to the North Pole!

2011-04-18T07:43:00.000-07:00

Alexandre Laurent (right), our Youth Ambassador (16) and I – at the North Pole – holding a flag in celebration of Mikhail Gorbachev 80th Birthday (March 2)! Mikhail Gorbachev is founder and honorary chairman of Green Cross International, partner of our Pax Arctica North Pole 2011 expedition.

Russian kids (15-18) on their way to the North Pole

2011-04-18T07:33:00.000-07:00

report from Barneo.ru:

Today an An-72 airplane from the fleet of the Federal Security Service (FSB) arrived at Barneo. It brought the members and leaders of the 4th "Ski to the North Pole!" Youth Expedition. In December 2010 the Adventure Club held a contest to select participants. The seven lucky winners, aged 15 to 18, came to the Arctic to receive their prize: an opportunity to make a 100-km ski trek to the North Pole, accompanied by famous adventurers Matvei Shparo and Boris Smolin.

The youth expedition members are:

Arina Legkaya (Moscow)
Veronika Tsesko (Moscow)
Alexei Maltsev (Kungur, Perm Krai)
Alexei Podvolotsky (Veliky Ustyug)
Alexander Buzov (Livny, Orlov Oblast)
Sergei Kuznetsov (Novocheboksarsk, Chuvashia)
Yevgeny Velichko (Omsk)

Their guides are Roman Ponomarev and Ivan Dubov.

After a training session near the camp, the expedition participants boarded a helicopter to travel to the starting point of their ski trek

This is what the North Pole looks like!

2011-04-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

Here we are meters from the geographic North Pole, on ever shifting ice. We detach our pulkas to ease the final search.

April 14, 2011 - 15h22 - the ephemeral North Pole

2011-04-17T12:10:00.000-07:00

Right at the North Pole. Actually it is not much different than what we have seen during much of our progress these past few days. More leads, smaller chunks of ice floating, so it's a challenge to be on the right ice floe at the right time to 'capture' the North Pole, however briefly. We move from one floe to the other and here it is! 90º, were it only for an ephemeral moment. So thrilling that we forget that we have taken our gloves off while we take pictures...

Michel Rocard, Ambassadeur des pôles

2011-04-16T23:34:00.000-07:00

April 16 – On our way back from Barneo, meeting a few friends at Longyearbyen airport, waiting for their turn to go to the North Pole (they will take the same Antonov plane we landed with): Michel Rocard, ex-Prime Minister of France and now Ambassador for the Poles (he was signatory of the Antarctic Treaty and is a key player in the protection of the Arctic), Laurent Mayet (his advisor), both invited to the North Pole by the Russians. Also got a chance to chat with Jean-Bernard Schmidt (fellow venture capitalist and adventurer - at right on photo), who could not be part of our earlier expedition but will now join Ben, our guide extraordinaire, in Barneo for his own turn at reaching the pole (with friend Patrick de Giovanni).

BACK IN BARNEO

2011-04-15T10:25:00.000-07:00

We arrived back in Barneo last night expecting to set up our tents for one last night in the cold but to our surprise there was room available in one of the big heated airstrip tents. The luxury of heat made us almost delirious but the truth is none of us slept very well. After so many nights sleeping in the intense and humid cold our bodies just could not get used to the overheated tent. We had been so happy to reach the North Pole that we spent too much time with our gloves off taking photos, video, etc. Unfortunately we all suffered from minor frost bite and the sudden exposure to the heat in the tent made our fingers swell up.

Just after we updated the blog yesterday a helicopter arrived with a surprise guest; a couple of government officials from a region in Northeastern Siberia called YAMALO-NENETS. They came to the North Pole for a dedication ceremony and asked us to join them for salted dry fish, hot wine and vodka. Life is full of the most unexpected surprises. After the celebration they invited us to share their helicopter for the return trip to Barneo.

Another surprise happened when we walked into tent last night. I saw a women in the distance checking her equipment. As we approached she looked up and I realized it was our good friend Wendy Booker who Mary and I climbed Mt. Washington with about 10 years ago. Wendy is leaving tomorrow on the One Degree Dog Sled Expedition. She has an amazing and inspiring story, worth taking the time to read.

I will start posting photos in the next couple of days but for now we are just hanging out, exchanging with scientists and enjoying our last day on the ice.

STANDING ON TOP OF THE WORLD

2011-04-14T08:01:00.000-07:00

NORTH POLE at 3:22 pm (Longyearbyen time)

We've arrived! Earlier than planned because the drifting of the ice was favorable and generally moved us in the right direction. With the ice in constant movement - the North Pole is fleeting - but standing with the GPS in hand I see 90˚00.000' showing up on the display, but briefly, as the ice is shifting 1meter every 10 seconds. The only picture of the GPS I can take is 89º59.979'. I'll settle for that. close enough! The emotions are strong, we are very happy but it's almost too cold to celebrate. We are waiting for the helicopter to arrive to take us back to Barneo. Russian logistics insist on picking us up today. So even if we will not be spending the night at the pole (in fact meaning 'around the pole'), for now at least we are standing on top of the world!

DRIFTING TOWARDS THE POLE

2011-04-13T11:29:00.001-07:00

We walked 17 km today and the floating ice carried us 2 additional km closer to our goal. The weather conditions are great. The sky is blue, hardly any clouds and very little wind. The elements are so strong that between the sun, the dry air and the wind your skin really takes a beating. In typical hiker fashion, I bartered a quarter of a roll of toilet paper for the use of a second mat to put under my sleeping bag (to a team member who will remain anonymous).

Everything you see for 360˚ is white (although nuances and shapes exist). Although you hear the ice crack, there is very little other sound. So far we have seen no wildlife, it's just the 6 of us! The terrain is becoming very rugged. The compressions ridges are one after the other which makes the going very slow. The challenge is not climbing over, it's keeping your pulka upright behind you.

At this moment we are 17 km from the pole. With a little luck we will float even closer to it while we sleep.

Photo credit: International Polar Foundation

CROSSING TO THE OTHER SIDE

2011-04-12T12:22:00.000-07:00

We encountered our first “ice lead” today and it was cutting right across our route to the North Pole. Leads are caused by movements of the ice due to wind, or to currents in the underlying water and, may open and close again within a brief period. They are beautiful because of their deep blue/black color, but they are also very dangerous obstacles because you never know if there is solid ice below. Ben tested it with his poles and decided that crossing at this location was not worth the risk. We walked further along the ice lead until we came to an area of open water. Tying two pulka's together we used them as bridges to cross the water. Unfortunately Ben's boot and ski got wet, so the boot froze to the ski and Ben's foot froze in the boot - he is fine now but suffered for the last couple of hours of the trek. Alexandre pitched right-in, taking over many of the duties of setting up camp.

We covered 18 km and our location tonight is 89˚40'. The temperature is about -25/27˚C. I am sharing the mess tent with Ben and those of you that know me well can understand why I feel right at home.

It's a Helsport TIPI Tent!

Day 2 - 59km from the North Pole

2011-04-11T12:33:00.000-07:00

It's about 2:30pm NY time and we just finished eating and are now heading for the warmth of the sleeping bag. Ben has a talent for making even dried food taste great --tonight's dinner was fish soup and beef stew-- although I sure the fact that we're famished as a lot to do with it. We are now 59 km from the North Pole location 89˚ 28. The ice is in good condition, with just a low level wind blowing at our backs. In spite of the relatively good travel conditions, I have never been so cold -- even in Antarctica. There is no where to go to get away from the cold. It is freezing everywhere... - 25˚C (-13˚F) We are starting to encounter compression ridges but so far they have been manageable, only about 3m high. Jeff's thermos broke in his pulka today so although he stayed dry, a lot of his things got wet. We are drying laundry by the cook stove!

AT LAST WE TRANSIT THROUGH BARNEO

2011-04-10T16:37:00.001-07:00

After a 2h15 flight from Longyearbyen we finally arrived at the Barneo Air Field. The setting is magical; ice, ridges, wind and sun - 24 hours a day. We stayed in Borneo for about 1 1/2 hours but were anxious to start our journey after sitting around for 3 day in Longyearbyen. We set off around 11am and walked for about 3 hours. Our tents are pitched at N 89˚ 15.956 E 138˚54.258. Temperature is - 22˚

North Pole Marathon!

2011-04-09T07:47:00.001-07:00

Having tea at BLU hotel in Longyearbyen with John Braun, geologist from Luxemburg, just back from Barneo where he ran the NorthPole Marathon with a 100 runners. He finished second in 5h05! Amazing given the fact that a marathon up there takes about 2 more hours to complete vs. a 'normal' one. The marathon is run on a 3km track (so approx. 14 laps...). more info at: http://www.npmarathon.com/