In Climate Change, only hot temperatures qualify as Climate. Cold temperatures are just weather. When is the last time you saw 'coldest ever;' in a headline. (1)
The coldest ever day in Greenland -65C came and went, and nobody noticed.
The New York Times reported that the Antarctic Thwaites Glacier, recorded water temperatures at the base of the ice more than 2C (3.6F) above the normal freezing point. However, they failed to mention that this glacier is subject to volcanic activity. Unlike the above mentioned record low Greenland temperature, the poorly reported Antarctic glacier got a lot of press.
Greenland
The DMI (Danish Met Institute) confirmed that the NOAA GeoSummit records showed it got down to -64.9C, an all-time record in January 2020.
Compare this to the rush to declare the highest ever June temperature in Greenland last year which was announced in the newspapers but turned out to be wrong and was quietly corrected a week later. 1
It should be noted that any new temperature record is subject to review, all-time high ones, even more so. A rush to trumpet a new temperature record before it is certified doesn't help the credibility of climate science. 2
Antarctic Thwaites Glacier
Here's an example of not only reporting high temperatures but of not doing any research on the region in question:
The New York Times reported scientists in Antarctica have recorded, for the first time, unusually warm water beneath a glacier the size of Florida that is already melting and contributing to a rise in sea levels. The researchers, working on the Thwaites Glacier, recorded water temperatures at the base of the ice more than 2 degrees Celsius, or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, above the normal freezing point.3
“Warm waters in this part of the world, as remote as they may seem, should serve as a warning to all of us about the potential dire changes to the planet brought about by climate change,” said David Holland, a lead researcher on the expedition and director of New York University's Environmental Fluid Dynamic Laboratory. 4
Both the quoted scientists and the New York Times article failed to mention that the Thwaites Glacier is subject to volcanic activity.
Research in 2018 funded by the National Science reported: Previously unsuspected volcanic activity confirmed under (WAIS) West Antarctic Ice Sheet at Pine Island Glacier. 5 The Times missed this or simply ignored it.
Recent data have been presented for 11 Antarctic stations under operation, scattered along the Antarctic coastline and operated by various countries. These results are not impacted by volcanic activity. Results? Zero warming which is really inconvenient news for global warming activists. 6
References
Joanne Nova, “Jan 2020: coldest ever day in Greenland -65C comes, goes, no one notices,” joannenova.com.au, February 20, 2020
Anthony Watts, “When it comes to new high temperature records, 'shoot first, ask questions later,' wattsupwiththat.com, August 12, 2013
Shola Lawal, “Temperatures at Florida-size glacier in Antarctica alarm scientists,” The New York Times, January 29, 2020
Steve Milloy, “What's melting: NY Times Antarctic glacier story,” junkscience.com, January 29, 2020
“Previously unsuspected volcanic activity confirmed under West Antarctic Ice Sheet at Pine Island Glacier,” News Release 18-044, National Science Foundation
P. Gosselin, “10 of 10 coastal Antarctic stations show zero warming over past decades. Failed scientists need to resign,” notrickzone.com, May 31, 2019
Jack Dini is author of Challenging Environmental Mythology. He has also written for American Council on Science and Health, Environment & Climate News, and Hawaii Reporter.
In Climate Change, only hot temperatures qualify as Climate. Cold temperatures are just weather. When is the last time you saw 'coldest ever;' in a headline. (1)
