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For the First Time On Record, Human-Caused Climate Change Has Rerouted an Entire River (washingtonpost.com)

A team of scientists on Monday documented what they're describing as the first case of large-scale river reorganization as a result of human-caused climate change (Editor's note: could be paywalled; alternative source). From a report: They found that in mid-2016, the retreat of a very large glacier in Canada's Yukon territory led to the rerouting of its vast stream of meltwater from one river system to another -- cutting down flow to the Yukon's largest lake, and channeling freshwater to the Pacific Ocean south of Alaska, rather than to the Bering Sea. The researchers dubbed the reorganization an act of "rapid river piracy," saying that such events had often occurred in the Earth's geologic past, but never before, to their knowledge, as a sudden present-day event. They also called it "geologically instantaneous." "The river wasn't what we had seen a few years ago. It was a faded version of its former self," lead study author Daniel Shugar of the University of Washington at Tacoma said of the Slims River, which lost much of its flow because of the glacial change. "It was barely flowing at all. Literally, every day, we could see the water level dropping, we could see sandbars popping out in the river."

3 of 256 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Oh, this is going to be great by code_monkey_steve · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I'm waiting for the climate deniers to show up and tell us why this is a good thing.

    I'm waiting for the climate alarmists to show up and tell us why this is a bad thing.

  2. Re:Oh, this is going to be great by mi · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Good or bad, what proof is there, this is indeed "human-caused"?

    --
    In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
  3. Re:Oh, this is going to be great by Rei · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Here in Iceland we got a new highest waterfall out of the deal. Our highest used to be Glymur, but the glacier Morsárjökull receded up a cliff and in its place left a series of waterfalls that are higher than Glymur (now called Morsárfossar).

    Glymur is prettier though. Morsárfossar was prettier partially glaciated, like the cliffs to the right still are.

    --
    Very well; let this abomination unto the Lord begin!