Inuit seek answers to Arctic sun quirks

[bananas]

I also posted this in the science forum.

http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/03/09/nu-sun.html

Inuit seek answers to Arctic sun quirks
Last Updated: Friday, March 9, 2007 | 6:21 PM ET
CBC News

Some Inuit say they hope scientists coming to Nunavut for research as part of International Polar Year can help shed light on changes they're seeing in the sun — particularly, how it's been showing up more often in the usually always-dark winters.

For the past several years, residents in the High Arctic have observed that the winter dark season is ending earlier than usual, with the sun coming up at a different place than what people are used to seeing.

"The people talking about earlier sunrise, more light in the dark season, instead of being more total darkness than before," Grise Fiord resident Larry Audlaluk said Thursday, adding that he has heard similar observations from people in other Far North communities.

"There are notices of more daylight earlier, and the dark season is not the real dark season that we used to know."

<snip>

[TreasonousBastard]

1. I would have thought...

it was from the Earth's precession-- orbital wobble.

There are several cycles of "wobble" and one of them is 25,000 years, the other more like 30, and there may be more. All of them shift the angle of the planet.

But, any researcher up there would also have thought of that, so I don't know why it wasn't mentioned, even to discount it.

[mcscajun]

4. There was also the wobble after the 2004 tsunami

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/12/28/1103996533891.html
http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/env99/env275.htm

I've wondered ever since if there's even so much as a degree or so of permanency to it?

[screembloodymurder]

2. Could atmospheric changes cause the sun's light to bend?

If the greenhouse gases stratify, the light could be bent as if it were traveling through a lens.

[mcscajun]

3. That's exactly what they talk about in the article.

"...comparing it to sticking a fork into a glass of water: the fork appears to bend where it enters the water..."

Warmer air above appears to be the culprit.

[donsu]

5. for the last 15 to 20 yrs. I've noticed that the seasons seem to be

shifting. or the length of seasons changing.

and I've also noticed the sun rising in a slightly different place.

(people think you are nuts if you mention this)

[soothsayer]

7. Don't ask "didn't the sun used to be yellow?" or you'll get flamed!

so to speak

[donsu]

8. true - it used to be yellow - and you could stay out in the sun

for much longer times without getting sunburned.

nowadays 15 min. and you start to burn.

[skids]

6. I seem to remember...

...reading an article about the effect of extra moisture in the stratosphere bouncing light to make the "twilight" up there brighter.

(EDIT: ...but then again, maybe it isn't that the sun's position is changing, but the village's orientation... I don't know they are on ice pack right?)