Ryan Staggs

jstaggs@utk.edu
Anthropology 120
Section 3
Global Waring and !ts "##ect on $liate and Archaeology
%opic 3& Archaeology& %echnical Articles and 'odern 'edia !nterpretations
When journalists (rite articles #or the ne(s) they (rite in a (ay (hich appeals to the
public. %his can cause the #actual content o# the article to decline) as the (riter (ill o#ten
e*aggerate to get their point across clearly. %his proble is also copounded because ost
ne(s (riters do not kno( uch about the subject #or (hich they are (riting. An article in the
New York Times talks about ho( (inters see to be getting (arer e+ery year. %his has sparked
talks about ho( global (aring has an e##ect on archaeology in our (orld today. !t can ha+e
good and bad a##ects) as it can lead to #inding or losing ne(#ound arti#acts. %he article is based
o## o# a scienti#ic report by the !ntergo+ernental ,anel on $liate $hange -!,$$.) and gets
across three ajor points about global (aring. %hese include the decline o# sea ice in the
Arctic) ore energy and (ater +apor entering the atosphere causing precarious (eather) and
changes in the jet strea causing (eather to stay in areas #or longer periods o# tie -Gillis and
/oster 2012.. !n this article) the (riter does a good job o# getting all o# the ain points across
#ro the scienti#ic report in such a (ay that it interests the public (hile representing the ideas
correctly. %he only (ay in (hich the ne(spaper article #ailed to retain the integrity o# the
scienti#ic article is that the (riter is soe(hat biased) but this is to be e*pected (ith any topic
and (riter. 0+erall) 1ustin Gillis and 1oanna '. /oster o# the New York Times do a ore than
ade2uate job o# putting the ajor ideas o# the scienti#ic report in the article appropriately.
0+er the past #e( years) the aount o# ice in the Arctic ocean has been declining ore
and ore each suer. %here is debate bet(een scientists o+er (hether this is caused by global
(aring or i# it is a natural (eather pattern. %he !,$$ has a strong arguent (hich sho(s ho(
global (aring #ro greenhouse gasses is causing the decline o# sea ice in the Arctic and ho(
this (ill ha+e a negati+e e##ect on the (orld -!,$$ 2012& 1345136.. %here is a study (hich has
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been done to sho( ho( the Arctic ice is dissipating) and their study in Greenland concludes ho(
(aring continues to occur at a pattern (hich (ill cause the ice sheet in Greenland to be
eliinated -Gregory and 7uybrechts 2004& 1823.. %his point is (ell represented in the ne(s
article. When talking about global (aring) the article states) 9Speci#ically) suspicion is #ocused
these days on the drastic decline o# sea ice in the Arctic) (hich is belie+ed to be a direct
conse2uence o# the huan release o# greenhouse gases: -Gillis and /oster 2012.. %his decline in
the ice sheet has helped to unco+er ore arti#acts that (ere pre+iously #ro;en (hich helps
archaeologists to gain ore kno(ledge about the beha+ior o# ancestors -'c<ie 2010.. %he
article sees to be biased to(ards global (aring) since it does not e+er ention anything to
dispro+e global (aring. !t talks about ho( scientists are coing up (ith pro5global (aring
theories and ho( they should be accepted. =ias in ne(s articles usually does not allo( the
reader to grasp the #ull concept) but in this case the authors> bias to(ards global (aring helps
readers to understand the idea-s. the original article is trying to get across.
Another e##ect global (aring is ha+ing on our cliate is ho( ore (eather systes are
started because o# increased energy and (ater +apor entering the air. %he (aring cliate is
causing (ater +apor to be e+aporated into the air (hich in turn causes ore precipitation -Gillis
and /oster 2012.. %his can be an ad+antage to archaeologists) as (ell as a disad+antage. %hey
ust hurry to e*ca+ate e+erything at certain locations because the rapid (eather changes can
cause things to (ash a(ay that (ere once locked in the ground -'ckie 2010.. According to the
?ational 0ceanic and Atospheric Adinistration -?0AA.) /ebruary o# 2012 (as the 32@
th

consecuti+e onth the teperature (as abo+e the global a+erage -"nloe 2012.. %he higher
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teperatures also ean ore energy is able to be in the air) and this has been happening #or a
long period o# tie (hich allo(s the air to becoe unstable. When these t(o things are
cobined) ore stors and droughts are bound to happen. %he !,$$ plainly sho(s this (hen
they say) 9A changing cliate leads to changes in the #re2uency) intensity) spatial e*tent) duration
and tiing o# e*tree (eather and cliate e+ents) and can result in unprecedented e*tree
(eather and cliate e+ents: -!,$$ 2012& 8.. %his idea is portrayed su##iciently in the New York
Times article. 0nce again) the (riters> bias to(ards global (aring is apparent and helps the
to #ully e*plain (hat the scienti#ic report says. A typical (riter (ithout an opinion on the subject
(ould ha+e gi+en t(o sides to the arguent) not aking the point o# the article clear. As one can
see) the (riters> e+ident kno(ledge on this subject supports their ability to do a good job o#
sho(ing the scientists> ain ideas.
/inally) the last e##ect the !,$$ clais global (aring has on the cliate are sall
changes to the jet strea. %he jet strea is an in+isible current 10)0005@0)000 #eet high (ith
(inds up to 300 iles per hour possible) and it a##ects (eather by changing the (ay the air #lo(s
-"(ing 16A@& 342.. Global (aring clearly causes the jet strea to change its path because the
air is (arer and o+ing at di##erent speeds. %hese changes in the jet strea change the
intensity and path o# stors) and cause the to stay in certain areas #or longer aounts o# tie
-!,$$ 2012& 1435144.. %his is one o# the original science report>s ajor ideas) and it is one o#
the best represented ideas in the ne(s article. %he article e*plains ho( the jet strea is o+ing
slo(er than be#ore because o# kinks) and this causes the stors to intensi#y and stay in one area
#or a longer period o# tie -Gillis and /oster 2012.. %he idea o# the stors staying in one area
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#or longer is especially pre+alent in the article (hen they 2uote Br. /rancis o# the !nstitute o#
'arine and $oastal Sciences saying) 9%his eans that (hate+er (eather you ha+e today C be it
(et) hot) dry or sno(y C is ore likely to last longer than it used to: -Gillis and /oster 2012..
While the stors are tending to stay in certain areas) that eans other areas are #ree #ro stors
#or longer periods o# tie. %his has helped archaeologists like ,atrick 7unt) o# Stan#ord
Dni+ersity) in ice patch disco+eries. 7e said) 9%his is the #irst suer since 166@ (hen (e
began our #ield e*ca+ations abo+e 3)000#t that (e ha+e not been inundated by e+en one day o#
rain) sleet and sno( #lurries. ! e*pect (e (ill see ore ice patch archaeology disco+eriesE
-'c<ie 2010.. All in all) the jet strea causes stors to intensi#y and last longer) and the article
does a great job o# presenting this to the public.
When (riting about science) journalists usually do not do an ade2uate job o# portraying
the ain points #ro the original scienti#ic docuent. %his is not the case (ith 1ustin Gillis and
1oanna /oster o# the New York Times in their article about global (aring. %heir article is based
on the original scienti#ic report on cliate by the !,$$. %he three ajor points #ro the !,$$>s
report that are chosen to be described in the ne(s article are the diinishing o# sea ice in the
Arctic) ore abundant energy and (ater +apor in the air causing unstable (eather) and sall
changes in the jet strea (hich cause (eather to intensi#y and o+e slo(ly -Gillis and /oster
2012.. While archaeologists ha+e been able to disco+er ore arti#acts under the ice sheets that
ha+e elted a(ay) they also ha+e lost soe disco+eries (ith the (eather rapidly intensi#ying
because o# global (aring -'c<ie 2010.. "ach o# these three ajor ideas on global (aring
are supported #ully by the (riters (ith any e*aples in the article. %he (riters see to ha+e a
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positi+e bias to(ards global (aring) (hich helps the (rite about the subject. =ias on a
subject has the potential to destroy the credibility o# the article) but here it helps because the
!,$$>s report on cliate changes has the sae type o# bias. Also to the (riters ad+antage is that
they ha+e apparent kno(ledge on the subject #or (hich they are (riting) and this helps the to
e*hibit the ain points in an interesting (ay to the reader. !n conclusion) the ne(s article is able
to accurately depict the ain details o# the scienti#ic report #ro (hich it originated.
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Re#erences $ited
1. 1ustin Gillis and 1oanna '. /oster.
2012 Weather Runs 7ot and $old) So Scientists Fook to the !ce. New York Times 23
'arch. Ghttp&HH(((.nyties.coI
2. !ntergo+ernental ,anel on $liate $hange.
2012 MANAGING THE RISKS OF EXTREME EVENTS AND DISASTERS TO
ADVANCE CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION. $abridge Dni+ersity ,ress) ?e(
Jork.
3. 1. '. Gregory and ,. 7uybrechts.
2004 Philosohi!"l Tr"#s"!$io#s% M"$hem"$i!"l& Ph'si!"l "#( E#)i#eeri#) S!ie#!es*
"+olution o# the Antarctic !ce Sheet& ?e( Dnderstanding and $hallenges Kol. 34@)
?o. 13@@. Ghttp&HH(((.jstor.orgHstableH2A16026AI
@. 1esse "nloe
2012 State o# the $liate. Web ,age) http&HH(((.ncdc.noaa.go+HsotcH accessed
'arch 23) 2012.
A. Ann "(ing
16A@ The S!ie#!e News+Le$$er. 1et Strea Steers Weather Kol. 44) ?o. 23.
Ghttp&HH(((.jstor.orgHstableH363@@32I
4. 'c<ie) Robin.
2010 7o( global (aring is aiding L and #rustrating L archaeologists. The O,ser-er.
2A Septeber&21.
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