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The big picture: 65 million years of temperature swings
02-18-2010, 01:29 PM
Post: #1
The big picture: 65 million years of temperature swings
JoNova

2-18-2010

EXCERPT:

David Lappi is a geologist from Alaska who has sent in a set of beautiful graphs–including an especially prosaic one of the last 10,000 years in Greenland–that he put together himself (and which I’ve copied here at the top).

If you wonder where today’s temperature fits in with the grand scheme of time on Earth since the dinosaurs were wiped out, here’s the history. We start with the whole 65 million years, then zoom in, and zoom in again to the last 12,000 from both ends of the world. What’s obvious is that in terms of homo sapiens history, things are warm now (because we’re not in an ice age). But, in terms of homo sapiens civilization, things are cooler than usual, and appear to be cooling.

Then again, since T-rex & Co. vanished, it’s been one long slide down the thermometer, and our current “record heatwave” is far cooler than normal. The dinosaurs would have scoffed at us: “What? You think this is warm?”

With so much volatility in the graphs, anyone could play “pick a trend” and depending on which dot you start from, you can get any trend you want. — Jo


LINK
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I have long known that we have been in a cooling trend for many centuries,and thus wonder at the fear of a warming trend,that appears to have ended.

This is a major reason why I have been adding ICE AGE information in the forum in the last month.

It is our attitude toward free thought and free expression that will determine our fate. There must be no limit on the range of temperate discussion, no limits on thought. No subject must be taboo. No censor must preside at our assemblies.

–William O. Douglas, U.S. Supreme Court Justice, 1952
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02-18-2010, 03:17 PM
Post: #2
RE: The big picture: 65 million years of temperature swings
Many have been saying this.

When the "recovery" from the LIA ends, we may short term trend toward cooler.

Too much cooler is not a good thing.

I know you think you understand what you thought I said,
but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant!
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02-18-2010, 04:10 PM
Post: #3
RE: The big pictu65 million years of temperature swings
(02-18-2010 03:17 PM)JohnWho Wrote:  Many have been saying this.

When the "recovery" from the LIA ends, we may short term trend toward cooler.

Too much cooler is not a good thing.

Take a good look at the charts again and think about it.

Cooling is going to be the dominant trend from now on.

It is our attitude toward free thought and free expression that will determine our fate. There must be no limit on the range of temperate discussion, no limits on thought. No subject must be taboo. No censor must preside at our assemblies.

–William O. Douglas, U.S. Supreme Court Justice, 1952
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