ARCTIC ICE MAY AFFECT LIFE AROUND THE GLOBE

NASA satellite observations show there has been considerable warming of the Arctic over the last two decades and a simultaneous retreat of Arctic sea-ice cover. The impact of this situation goes far beyond the Arctic region. Although far removed from the more populated areas of our home planet, such changes in the Arctic can have significant implications for the global climate. This is due to the prominent role Arctic ice cover plays in ocean circulation, atmospheric processes and the global energy balance.

NASA’s Arctic ice (cryospheric) findings and potential implications are the topic of the next Earth Science Update Thursday, Oct. 23, at 1 p.m. EDT in NASA Headquarters’ James Webb Auditorium, 300 E Street S.W., Washington.

Panelists will include:

– Dr. Josefino Comiso, research scientist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
– Mark C. Serreze, research scientist, University of Colorado, Boulder
– Michael Steele, oceanographer, University of Washington, Seattle
– David H. Rind, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York
– Waleed Abdalati, program scientist, NASA Headquarters, moderator

The program will be carried live on NASA Television with two-way question-and-answer capability for reporters covering the event from participating agency centers. NASA TV is broadcast on AMC-9, transponder 9C, C-band, located at 85 degrees west longitude. The frequency is 3880.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical, and audio is monaural at 6.80 MHz.

For live webcast, click the “Watch NASA TV Now!” link at:
http://www.nasa.gov

For information about NASA’s Earth Science Enterprise on the Internet, visit:
http://www.earth.nasa.gov/