How Solid Is That Global Warming Research?

Posted by Ivan Garcia on February 14th, 2007 filed in global warming, opinion

Apparently, not so much. The previous link is from India. As such, it’s not translated in perfect English; but the gist of it remains:

Believe it or not. There are only about a dozen scientists working on 9,575 glaciers in India under the aegis of the Geological Society of India. Is the available data enough to believe that the glaciers are retreating due to global warming?

That’s a good question. When alarmists claim that glaciers are shrinking in the Himalayas, it becomes vital. In order for twelve scientists to look at even 10% of these glaciers, each scientist would be responsible for 80 glaciers! (10% of 9,575 = 957.5, divided by 12 people = 79.8 glaciers/person.) In order to see all 80 glaciers in a year, said scientists would have to visit a new glacier every 4.6 days.

Thus: “[VK Raina] feels that the research on Indian glaciers is negligible.” I think I agree. But these scientists haven’t even looked at 80 glaciers en toto:

Raina told the Hindustan Times that out of 9,575 glaciers in India, till date, research has been conducted only on about 50. Nearly 200 years data has shown that nothing abnormal has occurred in any of these glaciers.

50/9575 = 0.5% of the glaciers. And rather than having all 1/2 percent demonstrate Global Warming, these demonstrate “nothing abnormal” for the last 200 years.

Strong evidence for receding glaciers indeed! So let’s finish up with:

“Claims of global warming causing glacial melt in the Himalayas are based on wrong assumptions,” Raina, a trained mountaineer and skiing expert said. He rued that not much is being done by the Government to create a bank of trained geologists for an in-depth study of glaciers.

…

His views were echoed by Dr RK Ganjoo, Director, Regional Centre for Field Operations and Research on Himalayan Glaciology, who is supervising study of glaciers in Ladakh region including one in the Siachen area. He also maintained that nothing abnormal has been found in any of the Himalyan glaciers studied so far by him.

Still, he wondered on the Himalayan glaciers being compared with those in Alaska or Europe to lend credence to the melt theory. Indian glaciers are at 3,500-4,000 meter above the sea level whereas those in the Alps are at much lower levels. Certainly, the conditions under which the glaciers in Alaska are retreating, are not prevailing in the Indian sub-continent, he explained.

Another leading geologist MN Koul of Jammu University, who is actively engaged in studying glacier dynamics in J&K and Himachal holds similar views. Referring to his research on Kol glacier ( Paddar, J&K) and Naradu (HP), he said both the glaciers have not changed much in the past two decades.

More info: calvindude