Avoid Gulf stream disruption at all costs, scientists warn

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/apr/13/avoid-at-all-costs-gulf-streams-record-weakening-prompts-warnings-global-warming

by thirduncle • 8 years ago

5 2 8 years ago

theguardian.com

HankB99• 8 years ago

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16838058 (My post before I found this one.)

cs702• 8 years ago

There's a great little book called "Ice Age"[a], written by a Cambridge University astrophysicist and his wife, in which they discuss in lay language what would happen if this "underwater conveyor belt" in the Atlantic, which helps regulate global temperatures, were ever to stop or (gasp!) reverse: global weather patterns likely would drastically change and the planet would likely accelerate towards a glacial period.[b]

For example, if you look at a map of the world, you will notice that the UK is at roughly the same latitude as some of the northernmost parts of Canada but is much warmer. This is partly due to the warm waters brought by the Atlantic's "conveyor belt" to the waters surrounding the UK's coasts. If these warm waters stop flowing toward the UK, its weather would likely evolve to resemble that of northern Canada.

There are other complicated factors and feedback loops involved, but this example should give you an idea of how important this Atlantic current is to the stability of global climate.

[a] https://www.amazon.com/Ice-Age-John-Gribbin/dp/1511926422

[b] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glacial_period

Avoid Gulf stream disruption at all costs, scientists warn

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