 Poster: A snowHead
|
When I was a nipper, snow conditions seemed to be better in late January or February. I now book snow holidays in early to mid March conditiopns seem ro be more reliable. I saw this programme on Discovery that claimed the polarity of the earth has changed over the last few million years, so maybe in a few thousand years, we may be skiing in July (yes I know we won't be here) but could this be an indication that this may happen sooner rather than later. Or maybe the polarity has nothing to do with seasons, but the SH countries have winter when we have summer and well I was just thinking......  (too much)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
I've been skiing and boarding on and off since 1972 (i was very very young when I started) and I'd say that we're getting close to a two month shift in only that short space of time.
We used to go Christmas and there was always plenty of snow but come mid March we were struggling. Recent years has seen bigger dumps in April than January....
bit of luck and global warming will cool europe enough for us to ski all year round where there are no glaciers! Hopefully this years rise in avalanches isn't a similar trend!!! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
I think the polarity this is talking about is the magnetic polarity - nothing to do with seasons
Any geologists care to confirm or correct?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Arno, I'm not a geologist, but you're right.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Nick'n'Kim, the earth's seasons are due to the fact that the earth's axis (the line through the North and South poles, around which the earth spins daily) is tilted away from the "vertical" (considering the earth's orbit around the sun to be "horizontal"). This means that during the Northern winter, the northern hemisphere is pointing away from the sun, therefore gets less light and is therefore relatively cold, on average. None of this has changed, so isn't responsible for changes in climate.
The magnetic axis of the earth is not aligned with its axis of rotation (though it is close, hence description of "north" and "south") and wobbles around it in a fairly predictable manner. It doesn't affect the climate, that I'm aware of. The polarity of the earth's magnetic field seems to have switched quite suddenly (in geological terms) a number of times in the earth's history, but I don't think those events are predictable. That might affect the climate, during the transition, because the earth's magnetic field would weaken during the transition, which would cause some high energy radiation which is now deflected by the magnetic field to get through. Anyway, I'm getting to the limit of my knowledge, without looking things up, so I'll shut up now!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
laundryman, there's a slight wobble (very small fractions of a degree) on the Earth's rotational axis, as well as a very much more significant wandering of the magnetic axis (in addition to fairly frequent polarity switches). I'll try and Google a link for this.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
There you go, Wikipedia as usual. Precession of the Equinoxes (sounds like a great name for a 1970s pomp rock band).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
rob@rar.org.uk, thanks - I was dimly aware of the precession, but that provides lots of detail of which I was unaware.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
|
In a few thousand years this planet will be a water planet with no snow and not much land, we'll all live on massive boats...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Guess I'll have to take up water skiing
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
You'll be underneath the skis 
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
|
Frosty the Snowman, wakeboarding is much more fun, in my opinion, just like snowboarding!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
