Global warming could be a dramatic cooling of northern Europe

link!

Quote:

---

Changes in Gulf Stream could chill Europe
New data on global warming; thinning polar ice cap

By Marsha Walton
CNN

Tuesday, May 10, 2005 Posted: 2019 GMT (0419 HKT)

The orange represents warm ocean surface temperatures and the blue cool temperatures in the Gulf Stream.

The Gulf Stream is a pattern of warm water extending from the Gulf of Mexico to the British Isles. It is responsible for the mild climate of Western Europe, which is at a much higher latitude than most of New England, but experiences much milder weather. Wind patterns over the ocean pull the warm water from the Gulf into the Northeast Atlantic.

(CNN) -- One outcome of global warming could be a dramatic cooling of Britain and northern Europe.

Scientists now have evidence that changes are occurring in the Gulf Stream, the warm and powerful ocean current that tempers the western European climate.

Without the influence of the Gulf Stream and its two northern branches, the North Atlantic Drift and the Canary Current, the weather in Britain could be more like that of Siberia, which shares the same latitude.

Cambridge University ocean physics professor Peter Wadhams points to changes in the waters of the Greenland Sea. Historically, large columns of very cold, dense water in the Greenland Sea, known as "chimneys," sink from the surface of the ocean to about 9,000 feet below to the seabed. As that water sinks, it interacts with the warm Gulf Stream current flowing from the south.

But Wadhams says the number of these "chimneys" has dropped from about a dozen to just two. That is causing a weakening of the Gulf Stream, which could mean less heat reaching northern Europe. The activity in the Greenland Sea is part of a global pattern of ocean movement, known as thermohaline circulation, or more commonly the "global conveyor belt."

Wadhams presented his findings at a meeting of the European Geosciences Union in Vienna, Austria, last month.

When Wadhams began his studies of Arctic Sea ice more than 30 years ago, there was not a focus on a warming of the region or the ice becoming thinner. His research aboard British Royal Navy submarines began as a way to use new tools, such as sonar, to study this harsh region of the planet.

"Initially the idea was just to map what the ice thickness distribution was," Wadhams said. "You cannot measure it with satellites, and to drill through it is difficult," he said.

But year after year, a dramatic pattern emerged.

"We discovered the ice was getting rapidly thinner. It has thinned by 40 percent in the past 20 years," said Wadhams.

Wadhams and other scientists say the slowing of the Gulf Stream could contribute to other severe effects on the planet, such as the complete melting of the Arctic ice cap in the summer months. That could eliminate the habitat and lead to the extinction of Arctic wildlife, including the polar bear. Current predictions indicate that could happen as early as 2020 or as late as 2080.

Scientists are getting other information about the disappearing ice cap from Alaskan Inuits. They report changes in where and when certain species of fish have been found, and in populations of seals and polar bears.

Other oceanographers stress that Wadhams' findings are one piece of a very complex earthly puzzle.

Terrence Joyce, senior scientist in the department of physical oceanography at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, says it's important not to get alarmist, but instead to keep up a wide array of research.

For a dramatic climate change to take place, "A whole bunch of pieces have to fit together. Certainly this is one of them. We need to keep paying attention, and people are doing that," he said.

Woods Hole is conducting research that measures the path and temperature of some parts of the Gulf Stream.

Such a dramatic climate change would not take place in five days, but rather several years, said Joyce.

---

Discuss!

Too...cold..to...type...

Saw movie. Bad.

Quote:

---

Discuss!

---

Ask me nicely

That is like very old news.

Last time I red about it, the global warming was expected to more than compensate of the weakening of the Gulf stream.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ja'chyra

Ask me nicely

---

Dicsuss NOW!!! :furious3:





How's that?!?!?

Well this is clearly coporate americas fault.

Actually it is all Australias fault because we control both Britains and USA's media.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Papewaio

Actually it is all Australias fault because we control both Britains and USA's media.

---

No way. Our Jews are much more powerful than your's.

:deal2:

Kerry Packer and 'ex-Aussie' Rupert Murdoch...

Touche. Glad I have dual Aussie-US citizenship after all.

It would not be good for old Sweden if the Golf stream decided to vanish.....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Byzantine Prince

Dicsuss NOW!!! :furious3:





How's that?!?!?

---

You catch more flies with honey than with a stick my young friend.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bmolsson

It would not be good for old Sweden if the Golf stream decided to vanish.....

---

pretty much wouldnt be good for anyone! :bow:

tho, I live in Sweden, and is just getting warmer each year it seams.... oh *looks at the weather outside* yepp, pretty "hot" here atm.

Something for old times sake.

Old times Sake. The best.

Also the article seems to be incorrect by climate standards.

Considering how hot it is here in Sweden I rather take the cold.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Marshal Murat

Something for old times sake.

Old times Sake. The best.

Also the article seems to be incorrect by climate standards.

---

so... why did you dig up a 2 year old thread ?

I decided to see if anything has changed, if anyone thinks different about this sort of report. I really enjoyed reading about the Iraq War. :laugh4:

Quote:

---

The Gulf Stream is a pattern of warm water extending from the Gulf of Mexico to the British Isles. It is responsible for the mild climate of Western Europe, which is at a much higher latitude than most of New England, but experiences much milder weather. Wind patterns over the ocean pull the warm water from the Gulf into the Northeast Atlantic.

---

False.

In other global warming news, it turns out that 1998 wasn't the warmest year on record afterall- 1934 was.

Actually, no. Unless of course there is an ice-dam in Greenland no one knows about and it collapses (or the glacial melting there accelerates to an amazing rate). As I understand it the collapse of such a dam in the 1300's is what caused the mini-iceage that lasted until the 1850's - all that cold fresh water disrupted the thermohaline circulation of the oceans. [is why all those Viking settlements disappeared - zero growing time means zero food]

http://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=12455&tid=282&cid=9986

That is, that disrupting the flow of warm water moving to Europe and cooler water moving south again, that the water moves north, but the lack of circulation actually causes a cooling affect. It also disrupts all the other water cycles in the world. Ultimately, a new iceage since the melting og the icecaps would feed the break in the thermohaline cycle.

Would be a good thing for all those little island nations disappearing due to the present meltdown. With every negative action, there can be a positive one. Sort of. :2thumbsup:

The Cold will make a man oughta you.

I decided to be a woman and move to California :2thumbsup:

Thread Necromancy is Necromancy!

And Necromancy is banned in Cyrodiil, dammit!

*raises his Mages' Guild membership card*

Hi there, welcome to 2005!

Seriously, check the date on things before you post them. We've known for a while now that Europe might become an ice-box.

EDIT: Maybe i should dates as well, lol. Nice necrothread.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by AntiochusIII

Thread Necromancy is Necromancy!

And Necromancy is banned in Cyrodiil, dammit!

---

LOL. Like, a genuine, actual out-loud laugh. Thanks!