1. A Tip of the Iceberg.
A trillion ton iceberg has broken off the west Antarctic ice shelf. The crack has been widening
over the years and the huge chunk, eventually, broke of between the 10th and 12th, earlier this
week. The ice shelf - named Larsen C ice shelf - lost more than 12% of its entire surface area.
Iceberg 'calving' is a frequent occurrence but given its enormous size, how it affects shipping
traffic, would be keenly watched.
Ice shelves float on the sea, extending from the coast and are fed by slow moving glaciers from
the land. In the process they act as giant brakes, preventing glaciers from flowing directly into the
ocean.
2. News from Juno, the NASA's Probe.
Last Wednesday, the NASA's Juno probe flew close to the planet Jupiter and gave us an insight
into the Great Red Spot.
It's a storm that has been raging on for nearly four centuries. It's a 16,000 km-wide-storm that
has been monitored since 1830. In modern times, the Great Red Spot has appeared to be
shrinking.
3. The Decline of the Himalayan Glaciers.
The Himalayas are considered to be the largest concentration of glaciers outside the polar
regions. Snow and melt-water from the glaciers are the major source of of water for the large
river basins like the Indus and the Ganges. Scientists have reported about an alarming recession
of the Bhilangna basin of the Garhwal Himalayas. The recession has been to the tune of 4,340
mts since 1965. The basin supports 33 glaciers, of which the Khatling is the largest.
South-facing glaciers in the Indian Himalayas show more melting as they receive more solar
radiations than those facing north due to their orientation.
Tailpiece.
The bug seems to have caught up with me, finally. Am on a round of antibiotics to take care of the sore throat and the consequent cough. Have got myself quarantined from Lekha, in mom's room!
A trillion ton iceberg has broken off the west Antarctic ice shelf. The crack has been widening
over the years and the huge chunk, eventually, broke of between the 10th and 12th, earlier this
week. The ice shelf - named Larsen C ice shelf - lost more than 12% of its entire surface area.
Iceberg 'calving' is a frequent occurrence but given its enormous size, how it affects shipping
traffic, would be keenly watched.
Ice shelves float on the sea, extending from the coast and are fed by slow moving glaciers from
the land. In the process they act as giant brakes, preventing glaciers from flowing directly into the
ocean.
2. News from Juno, the NASA's Probe.
Last Wednesday, the NASA's Juno probe flew close to the planet Jupiter and gave us an insight
into the Great Red Spot.
It's a storm that has been raging on for nearly four centuries. It's a 16,000 km-wide-storm that
has been monitored since 1830. In modern times, the Great Red Spot has appeared to be
shrinking.
3. The Decline of the Himalayan Glaciers.
The Himalayas are considered to be the largest concentration of glaciers outside the polar
regions. Snow and melt-water from the glaciers are the major source of of water for the large
river basins like the Indus and the Ganges. Scientists have reported about an alarming recession
of the Bhilangna basin of the Garhwal Himalayas. The recession has been to the tune of 4,340
mts since 1965. The basin supports 33 glaciers, of which the Khatling is the largest.
South-facing glaciers in the Indian Himalayas show more melting as they receive more solar
radiations than those facing north due to their orientation.
Tailpiece.
The bug seems to have caught up with me, finally. Am on a round of antibiotics to take care of the sore throat and the consequent cough. Have got myself quarantined from Lekha, in mom's room!
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