Comments on: Arctic droughts, plastic breakdown, and liquid telescopes http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/physical-science-news.html Science Blog from Freelance Science Writer David Bradley Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:25:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: John Smol http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/physical-science-news.html/comment-page-1#comment-127246 John Smol Wed, 25 Jul 2007 20:23:36 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/physical-science-news.html#comment-127246 Hi David: I have been in the high Arctic doing fieldwork and have been away from email and phones for almost 3 weeks. In fact, I am now in Resolute Bay with only a slow email connection. In addition to the 24 years monitoring data, we have detailed paleolimnological data - sediment data tracking changes in the lakes that predate the 24 year monitoring window. So we have paleo data going back several millennia. The ponds did not dry up 6000 years ago - they did not yet exist (the land they are on had not yet uplifted from the sea). This was an area of glaciation and at that time the ponds had not yet formed. So we have our paleo data tracking what happened since the ponds forms, which we dovetail with the 24 years of monitoring data. More info is at: http://biology.queensu.ca/~pearl/Threshold.htm And an earlier study may be of interest at: http://biology.queensu.ca/~pearl/PNAS2005.htm Best wishes, John Hi David:

I have been in the high Arctic doing fieldwork and have been away from email and phones for almost 3 weeks. In fact, I am now in Resolute Bay with only a slow email connection.

In addition to the 24 years monitoring data, we have detailed paleolimnological data – sediment data tracking changes in the lakes that predate the 24 year monitoring window. So we have paleo data going back several millennia. The ponds did not dry up 6000 years ago – they did not yet exist (the land they are on had not yet uplifted from the sea). This was an area of glaciation and at that time the ponds had not yet formed. So we have our paleo data tracking what happened since the ponds forms, which we dovetail with the 24 years of monitoring data.

More info is at:

http://biology.queensu.ca/~pearl/Threshold.htm

And an earlier study may be of interest at:

http://biology.queensu.ca/~pearl/PNAS2005.htm

Best wishes, John

]]> By: David Bradley http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/physical-science-news.html/comment-page-1#comment-125318 David Bradley Tue, 17 Jul 2007 06:37:37 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/physical-science-news.html#comment-125318 You're right Paul, it has long been known that a liquid with a curved surface can be used to focus light. The novelty in this work is not in the use of liquids for focusing rather the discovery that an ionic liquid solvent can be coated with a very thin layer of silver. This system would emulate the focusing properties of a liquid mercury reflector but have the advantage of being far less dense and so more transportable to the moon as well as being non-volatile and so not simply boiling away in the near vacuum environment of the moon's surface. You’re right Paul, it has long been known that a liquid with a curved surface can be used to focus light. The novelty in this work is not in the use of liquids for focusing rather the discovery that an ionic liquid solvent can be coated with a very thin layer of silver. This system would emulate the focusing properties of a liquid mercury reflector but have the advantage of being far less dense and so more transportable to the moon as well as being non-volatile and so not simply boiling away in the near vacuum environment of the moon’s surface.

]]> By: Paul http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/physical-science-news.html/comment-page-1#comment-125159 Paul Mon, 16 Jul 2007 22:55:31 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/physical-science-news.html#comment-125159 Regarding the liquid telescope, using liquids to focus happens to me every once in awhile on a small scale. When I take my contacts out and splash water on my face sometimes a bead of water on my eye will momentarily focus or correct my vision. Of course spinning mercury into a parabolic bowl for reflection purposes is more advanced. However, a concept must derive from somewhere, correct? Newton, apple, gravity anyone? Regarding the liquid telescope, using liquids to focus happens to me every once in awhile on a small scale. When I take my contacts out and splash water on my face sometimes a bead of water on my eye will momentarily focus or correct my vision. Of course spinning mercury into a parabolic bowl for reflection purposes is more advanced. However, a concept must derive from somewhere, correct? Newton, apple, gravity anyone?

]]> By: David Bradley http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/physical-science-news.html/comment-page-1#comment-125085 David Bradley Mon, 16 Jul 2007 15:55:22 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/physical-science-news.html#comment-125085 Thanks for the question Scotty. It alludes to an interesting point. I will speak to the team and report back later. Thanks for the question Scotty. It alludes to an interesting point. I will speak to the team and report back later.

]]> By: Scotty http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/physical-science-news.html/comment-page-1#comment-125065 Scotty Mon, 16 Jul 2007 13:47:52 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/physical-science-news.html#comment-125065 They have only 24 years of data, so they don't have detailed data from the 1945-1975 global cooling period. Too bad. And these ponds are 6,000 years old, so why did they dry up 6,000 years ago? They have only 24 years of data, so they don’t have detailed data from the 1945-1975 global cooling period. Too bad. And these ponds are 6,000 years old, so why did they dry up 6,000 years ago?

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