East Antarctic ice shelves melting at surprising pace, study suggests

Breakup of the shelves can accelerate the flow of continental ice to the sea, contributing to sea-level rise, and the Antarctic shelves 'are melting too fast,' the study's lead author says.

By Pete Spotts,?Staff writer / June 14, 2013

Emperor penguins walk across sea ice near Ross Island, Antarctica. New research finds the frozen continent's ice shelves melting at an alarming rate.

Courtesy Thomas Beer/AP/File

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Several small ice shelves along the East Antarctic coast appear to be melting at surprisingly high rates, some at rates comparable to those of shelves in West Antarctica, long a center of concern over the impact of climate change on the region's vast ice sheet and sea-level rise.

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This is an unexpected result of a new study that documents the current status of ice shelves around Antarctica's coastline and the relative influence of the factors melting them.

It's unclear if the unexpected melt rates represent a trend. Conditions off the East Antarctic coast have been less-well studied than those off of West Antarctica, notes Stanley Jacobs, a researcher at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in Palisades, N.Y., and a member of the team reporting its results in the current issue of the journal Science.

The cause also is unclear. But a lead suspect is relatively warm water that deep currents drive up onto the continental shelf. This water melts the ice shelves from underneath.

Still, "the numbers were a little bit larger than we were expecting ? about the same as for shelves on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet," Dr. Jacobs says.

Ice shelves are the leading edges of glaciers that flow from the continental interior into bays and fjords. Friction with a bay's sides or with raised features on the sea floor turn the buoyant ice shelves into brakes that slow the pace at which the glacial ice upstream moves toward the sea. The last area where the ice touches sea floor is known as the grounding line.

Relatively warm water, driven by deep-ocean currents up onto the continental shelf, can melt the shelves from underneath. The water-induced melting also can cause the grounding line to retreat. Both are thought to contribute to the break-up, or calving, of the ice shelves into icebergs. On the shelf surface, meltwater can work its way into crevasses, freeze, and act as a wedge to help cleave the ice.

"Ice shelf melt doesn't necessarily mean an ice shelf is decaying; it can be compensated by the ice flow from the continent," notes Eric Rignot, a professor of earth science at UC Irvine and the study's lead author. "But in a number of places around Antarctica, ice shelves are melting too fast."

Excessive breakup of the shelves can accelerate the flow of continental ice to the sea, contributing to sea-level rise.

Some of the most dramatic break-ups have occurred along the Antarctic Peninsula, a region of the continent that has seen some of the most pronounced warming on the planet ? warming most climate scientists attribute to the build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere from burning fossil fuel and from land-use changes.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/AmdCEyJtWx0/East-Antarctic-ice-shelves-melting-at-surprising-pace-study-suggests

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Trump: 'Modern Family' is 'written by a moron'

TV

Ashley Majeski TODAY contributor

2 hours ago

Let's get ready to rumble ... again!

Wednesday night saw yet another round of Twitter feuding between Donald Trump and "Modern Family" executive producer/writer Danny Zuker. Trump, who's disliked Zuker ever since he mocked the ratings of Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice" back in March, decided it was about time he took another jab at his nemesis.

Of course Zuker, who has won three Emmys for his work on the show, didn't take Trump's insults lightly. He quickly fired off a retort, telling Trump that his insults "need work," beginning a second round of unpleasant banter between the men.

Zuker also took the opportunity to attack Trump for producing his signature Macy's clothing line in China, even though Trump has been very outspoken about his disdain for the country, which he has said is destroying the U.S. economy.

The Twitter war raged on throughout Wednesday night, before Zuker finally bailed out.

This isn't the first time Trump has taken to Twitter to share his opinions. He's used the social media network to blast everyone from President Barack Obama to baseball player Alex Rodriguez, and frequently uses it to talk politics with his more than 2 million followers.

The day after his latest Twitter battle with Zuker, Trump tweeted some advice to his followers.

Unless, of course, someone attacks you on Twitter, that is!

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/donald-trump-modern-family-written-moron-6C10315938

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Strange Bedfellows: Why Marco Rubio and Rand Paul Need Each Other

Rand Paul and Marco Rubio may go head-to-head in a fierce competition for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. But a funny thing is happening on the way to the White House: The would-be rivals have found themselves in a light bromance, each needing to bask in the other's glow for their own political purposes.

Rubio needs Paul's help -- and political cover on the right -- to get an immigration bill passed. Paul needs Rubio's help -- particularly with the Hispanic community -- to soften his image in the center.

Immigration reform looms large over both of their political futures, in the opportunities it provides to win over Hispanic voters and the perils it presents in crossing the party's conservative base.

When Paul decided to start building relationships in the Hispanic community, it was Rubio's office that came through with introductions. The outreach led to Paul giving two major speeches endorsing the heart of Rubio-led legislation to allow illegal immigrants to earn citizenship. Rubio's chief of staff, Cesar Conda, gave Paul a shout-out Wednesday by posting the latest speech to Hispanic pastors on Twitter.

Two backs scratched.

Rubio badly needs immigration reform to pass, having invested so much time and political stock in the bill's passage and lacking a major legislative achievement. Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah signaled this week that their votes are out of reach, leaving Paul as Rubio's best hope for a prominent tea party wingman.

Paul's nod could boost the bill in the Senate and perhaps more importantly, give it some juice in the tea party-dominated House. "It's not just Rand's vote that Rubio needs but the people who will come along with him," said Doug Stafford, a top Paul adviser. Paul's support for immigration reform could also offer Rubio political cover in amnesty-wary, conservative corners if he runs for president.

For his part, Paul is trying to prove he can appeal to the growing minority share of the electorate in the wake of 2012 nominee Mitt Romney's disastrous showing among Hispanic and African-American voters. If an immigration bill passes without Paul on board, he could appear to be left behind instead of leading.

"Rand doesn't want to concede the general election audience and Rubio doesn't want to concede the conservative audience," said Marshall Fitz, director of immigration policy at the Center for American Progress. "It's like mime theater in which they are playing off each other. It's like shadow boxing."

The two rising stars occupy slightly different niches in the Republican Party. The young Cuban-American from Miami won election in the tea party wave of 2010 but fits in comfortably with the political establishment. Despite his continuing popularity with the Republican base, some activists are balking at his crusade for immigration reform. Paul is building on the libertarian and tea party followings of his father, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas. He has been unabashed in expressing an interest in running for president, backed up by his frequent visits to early-voting states. Paul is headed back to South Carolina in June and Iowa in July.

While polls find broad support for immigration reform, the conservatives who dominate those GOP contests tend to view a pathway to citizenship as amnesty that rewards law-breakers. Paul has suggested he would not vote for the bill without stronger border security guarantees.

"You can't help but wonder that if not for his political ambitions, Rand Paul might be a real champion of immigration reform, but instead he's hedging his bets," said Becky Tallent, director of immigration policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center. "Rubio has political reasons too, but I think he's a true believer. They are potential rivals in the future, so there are a lot of political dynamics and strong personalities. I think they are keeping their eyes on each other."

Rubio's office has praised Texas Sen. John Cornyn for proposing tightening border controls but has not commented on Paul's border amendment, which would require an annual review by Congress.

Immigration is not the first issue in which the two senators' interests overlapped. When Rubio joined Paul on the Senate floor during his 13-hour filibuster of President Obama's CIA appointment, the Florida senator got to burnish his anti-Obama, tea-party credentials, while the Kentucky senator got a chance to position himself as a leader of his fellow Republicans. "We were appreciative of Sen. Rubio's support," Stafford said.

Rubio and Paul's strategic alliance on these issues masks their stark differences on foreign policy and America's role on the world stage.

In his speech Thursday to the Faith and Freedom Coalition, Paul called for the U.S. to stop aiding countries that harbor anti-American and anti-Semitic activities like Egypt and Pakistan. "I say not one penny more to countries that burn the American flag," he said.

In contrast, Rubio urged an interventionist approach when religious and civil liberties are threatened. He has joined military hawks like Sen. John McCain of Arizona in calling for arming the Syrian rebels. "If America does not step forward and say, 'this is wrong and something should be done about it, who will?' " he demanded. "I'm not advocating America get involved in every conflict on the planet or that we try to solve every civil war, but I am saying there is nothing to replace us."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/strange-bedfellows-why-marco-rubio-rand-paul-other-092300055.html

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Obama: 'Nobody is listening to your telephone calls' (Washington Post)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/311206806?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Spain receives ever more solar radiation

Public release date: 6-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Press Office
info@agenciasinc.es
34-914-251-820
FECYT - Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology

Solar radiation in Spain has increased by 2.3% every decade since the 1980s, according to a study by researchers from the University of Girona and the Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich. This increase is linked to the decreased presence of clouds, which has increased the amount of direct radiation reaching us from the Sun.

"The mean annual G series over Spain shows a tendency to increase during the 1985-2010 period, with a significant linear trend of + 3.9 W m-2 [2.3% more] per decade." This is the main conclusion of a study published in the magazine 'Global and Planetary Change' by researchers from the University of Girona and the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH, Switzerland).

The season-by-season data show the same "significant" increase in solar radiation impacting the nation: + 6.5 W/m2 per decade during the summer, + 4.1 W/m2 in autumn, + 3.2 W/m2 in spring and + 1.7 W/m2 in winter.

"These data relate to global solar radiation, in other words the increase in direct radiation reaching us from the Sun plus diffuse radiation which is scattered previously by clouds, atmospheric gases and aerosols," explains one of the authors, Arturo Snchez-Lorenzo, currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Girona.

What is intriguing is that the scientists found a decrease in the diffuse component, because of which direct radiation has increased to a proportionately higher degree. Only in 1991 and 1992 did diffuse radiation rise, and this was due to the ashes from Mount Pinatubo. In general, however, we can observe a downward trend of - 2.1 W/m2 per decade between 1985 and 2010.

"The explanation lies in the fact that in Spain the amount of cloud has decreased markedly since the 1980s as we have ascertained through other studies and the tropospheric aerosol load may also have decreased," states Snchez Lorenzo. "It seems to be very simple: fewer clouds result in higher solar radiation on the surface," he continues.

According to the scientists, this increase may also go hand in hand with more ultraviolet rays, an excess of which presents a health risk, potentially leading to skin cancer.

More global brightening

The increase in global solar radiation is a phenomenon that has been observed in other parts of the world for almost 30 years, especially in developed countries, and it has been named "global brightening". The fall in the diffuse component has also been observed in Central European and Eastern countries.

The team behind the study has not yet analysed the solar radiation data for 2011-2013 provided by the Spanish State Meteorological Agency, but the data from other European weather stations suggests that this brightening is still on the rise.

"Studies such as these may be of interest to the solar energy industry, especially in countries like Spain, where not only do we already have a lot of direct solar radiation but now we are getting even more," affirms one of the other authors, Josep Calb, who is a professor at the University of Girona.

###

References:

A. Sanchez-Lorenzo, J. Calb, M. Wild. "Global and diffuse solar radiation in Spain: Building a homogeneous dataset and assessing their trends". Global and Planetary Change 100: 343352, 2013.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 6-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Press Office
info@agenciasinc.es
34-914-251-820
FECYT - Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology

Solar radiation in Spain has increased by 2.3% every decade since the 1980s, according to a study by researchers from the University of Girona and the Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich. This increase is linked to the decreased presence of clouds, which has increased the amount of direct radiation reaching us from the Sun.

"The mean annual G series over Spain shows a tendency to increase during the 1985-2010 period, with a significant linear trend of + 3.9 W m-2 [2.3% more] per decade." This is the main conclusion of a study published in the magazine 'Global and Planetary Change' by researchers from the University of Girona and the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH, Switzerland).

The season-by-season data show the same "significant" increase in solar radiation impacting the nation: + 6.5 W/m2 per decade during the summer, + 4.1 W/m2 in autumn, + 3.2 W/m2 in spring and + 1.7 W/m2 in winter.

"These data relate to global solar radiation, in other words the increase in direct radiation reaching us from the Sun plus diffuse radiation which is scattered previously by clouds, atmospheric gases and aerosols," explains one of the authors, Arturo Snchez-Lorenzo, currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Girona.

What is intriguing is that the scientists found a decrease in the diffuse component, because of which direct radiation has increased to a proportionately higher degree. Only in 1991 and 1992 did diffuse radiation rise, and this was due to the ashes from Mount Pinatubo. In general, however, we can observe a downward trend of - 2.1 W/m2 per decade between 1985 and 2010.

"The explanation lies in the fact that in Spain the amount of cloud has decreased markedly since the 1980s as we have ascertained through other studies and the tropospheric aerosol load may also have decreased," states Snchez Lorenzo. "It seems to be very simple: fewer clouds result in higher solar radiation on the surface," he continues.

According to the scientists, this increase may also go hand in hand with more ultraviolet rays, an excess of which presents a health risk, potentially leading to skin cancer.

More global brightening

The increase in global solar radiation is a phenomenon that has been observed in other parts of the world for almost 30 years, especially in developed countries, and it has been named "global brightening". The fall in the diffuse component has also been observed in Central European and Eastern countries.

The team behind the study has not yet analysed the solar radiation data for 2011-2013 provided by the Spanish State Meteorological Agency, but the data from other European weather stations suggests that this brightening is still on the rise.

"Studies such as these may be of interest to the solar energy industry, especially in countries like Spain, where not only do we already have a lot of direct solar radiation but now we are getting even more," affirms one of the other authors, Josep Calb, who is a professor at the University of Girona.

###

References:

A. Sanchez-Lorenzo, J. Calb, M. Wild. "Global and diffuse solar radiation in Spain: Building a homogeneous dataset and assessing their trends". Global and Planetary Change 100: 343352, 2013.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-06/f-sf-sre060613.php

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Putins attend ballet, then announce their divorce

In this grab made from video provided by the Russia24 TV Channel on Thursday, June 6, 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and his wife Lyudmila speak to journalists after attending the ballet "La Esmeralda" in the Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his wife Lyudmila said Thursday they are divorcing after nearly 30 years of marriage, making the announcement on state television after attending a ballet performance at the Kremlin. (AP Photo/Russia24 via The Associated Press Television News) TV OUT

In this grab made from video provided by the Russia24 TV Channel on Thursday, June 6, 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and his wife Lyudmila speak to journalists after attending the ballet "La Esmeralda" in the Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his wife Lyudmila said Thursday they are divorcing after nearly 30 years of marriage, making the announcement on state television after attending a ballet performance at the Kremlin. (AP Photo/Russia24 via The Associated Press Television News) TV OUT

In this grab made from video provided by the Russia24 TV Channel on Thursday, June 6, 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin, second right, and his wife Lyudmila, right, speak to journalists after attending the ballet "La Esmeralda" in the Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his wife Lyudmila said Thursday they are divorcing after nearly 30 years of marriage, making the announcement on state television after attending a ballet performance at the Kremlin. (AP Photo/Russia24 via The Associated Press Television News) TV OUT

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his wife Lyudmila attend the ballet "La Esmeralda" in the Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, June 6, 2013. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his wife Lyudmila said Thursday they are divorcing after nearly 30 years of marriage, making the announcement on state television after attending a ballet performance at the Kremlin. (AP Photo/RIA-Novosti, Mikhail Klimentyev, Presidential Press Service, Pool)

In this grab made from video provided by the Russia24 TV Channel on Thursday, June 6, 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and his wife Lyudmila speak to journalists after attending the ballet "La Esmeralda" in the Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his wife Lyudmila said Thursday they are divorcing after nearly 30 years of marriage, making the announcement on state television after attending a ballet performance at the Kremlin. (AP Photo/Russia24 via The Associated Press Television News) TV OUT

In this grab made from video provided by the Russia24 TV Channel on Thursday, June 6, 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin's wife Lyudmila speaks to journalists after attending the ballet "La Esmeralda" in the Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his wife Lyudmila said Thursday they are divorcing after nearly 30 years of marriage, making the announcement on state television after attending a ballet performance at the Kremlin. (AP Photo/Russia24 via The Associated Press Television News) TV OUT

MOSCOW (AP) ? Vladimir Putin pulled off one of his most audacious pieces of stagecraft, attending a ballet with his rarely seen wife, then emerging smiling and announcing their marriage is over.

The end of the marriage of the Russian president and Lyudmila Putina less than two months shy of their 30th anniversary came on state television after a Thursday evening that started out like a model of domestic contentment ? a devoted husband taking his wife out for an artsy interlude.

After the performance of "Esmeralda" at the Great Kremlin Palace, the two came into a luxurious room to speak to a reporter.

"Excellent. Great music, excellent production," Putin said and Lyudmila echoed his praise.

After about a minute, the reporter asked about rumors that the two didn't live together. Putin smiled slightly, like a boy caught misbehaving, and turned his head toward Lyudmila. "This is so," he said.

It wasn't immediately clear if that meant just separate domiciles. After a few more comments, the reporter gently prodded: "I am afraid to say this word 'divorce.'"

"Yes, this is a civilized divorce," Lyudmila said.

The peculiar format for the announcement appeared aimed at underlining that this wasn't just a powerful man dumping his faithful helpmate. That's a potentially important strategic move for Putin, who has based his public image on rectitude and support of traditional values.

Tabloid reports in 2008 claimed that Putin already had divorced Lyudmila and planned to marry a gymnast less than half his age.

The Interfax news agency cited presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying the divorce has not been formalized and that the televised comments were only an announcement of the decision to divorce.

Divorce is common in Russia, and nearly 700,000 couples dissolved their marriages in 2009, according to UNICEF. Olga Kryshtanovskaya, a sociologist who studies Russia's political elite, said the divorce probably won't hurt Putin in the public eye ? as long as he doesn't take a trophy wife.

"If a young wife appears, then the reactions in society may be very different," she said in an article published by the newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda on its website.

For some of his detractors, the move even seemed to earn some grudging approval.

"For years I've heard that it would be good if Putin told the truth and divorced. And what now? Everyone's criticizing him for the divorce," Ksenia Sobchak, a socialite and supporter of Putin's opposition, wrote on Twitter.

Russian leaders, unlike their American counterparts, generally keep their domestic lives well out of public view. Lyudmila Putina, 55, was rarely seen in public during her husband's long tenure at the top of Russian politics.

"I don't like publicity and flying is difficult for me," said the former Aeroflot flight attendant.

The 60-year-old Putin, however, seeks the spotlight. His penchant for macho media events ranging from riding with bearded motorcyclists to petting a polar bear have earned him admiration ? or derision ? and his televised annual news conferences that stretch beyond four hours are legend.

"All my activities, all my work, is linked with publicity. Absolute publicity. Some people like it, some people don't. But there are people who absolutely can't stand it," Putin said.

What he rarely shows in public is any hint of vulnerability and the divorce announcement didn't have the air of a man brooding over the fading of love's bloom. Rather, Lyudmila portrayed him as a man devoted to his country.

"Vladimir Vladimiorvich is absolutely concentrated on his work," she said.

Putin in turn aimed for a touch of gallantry, remarking on his wife's forbearance. "Lydumila Alexandrovna has kept the watch for eight years, even nine," he said, apparently referring to his first two terms in the Kremlin and his year-old non-consecutive third term.

The Putins married on July 28, 1983, and have two daughters, Maria and Yekaterina, whose lives get little public view.

"We love them very much and we are proud of them," Putin said.

There have been hints that Lyudmila Putina was unhappy. In a 2005 interview with three Russian newspapers, she complained that her husband worked long hours, forgetting that "one needs not only to work, but also to live."

___

Associated Press writer Lynn Berry in Moscow contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-06-06-Russia-Putin%20Divorce/id-1b433d9e955d43f3b77a0d7e53b3606b

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'Breaking Bad' creator: Saul spin-off possible

TV

Aaron Couch The Hollywood Reporter

1 hour ago

Ursula Coyote / AMC

Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman on "Breaking Bad."

Will Saul Goodman find new life after "Breaking Bad"?

Vince Gilligan, creator of the AMC hit, offered an update on a proposed spin-off centering on the criminally gifted lawyer played by Bob Odenkirk. Though the spin-off is in early development and no deals are done, Gilligan told Yahoo TV the project is still ?very much? a possibility.

Photos from THR: Cooking up season 5 on set with Cranston, Gilligan

?Nothing's written in stone, but we are working away on it,? Gilligan said. ?My writer and producer, Peter Gould, who created the character of Saul way back in season two, he and I have been talking, trying to figure out what a Saul Goodman show would look like. What would be the details of it, the particulars of it? And we're getting together to hash that out every chance we get.?

Gilligan added they are trying to decide if the show would work better as a sequel or a prequel to "Breaking Bad."

Saul Goodman has connected Walter White (Bryan Cranston) with some of the worst of Albuquerque?s underbelly, and knows ?all the major players? in town, Gilligan said.

Photos from THR: 'Breaking Bad' principals pose for a cover shoot

"So we just have to figure out exactly what kind of story we're telling. Is it a story about his creation of his own character? Because Saul Goodman, as he explains in his first episode, is not his real name,? Gilligan said. ?He is a self-created character, much like Heisenberg. Do we tell the story of his origins? We're still trying to hash that out. But there are a lot of fun possibilities.

"Breaking Bad returns with the second half of its fifth and final season Aug. 11 on AMC.

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/breaking-bad-creator-saul-spin-very-much-possibility-6C10141003

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