As a general comment, it is fair to state that climate scientists are “atmospherically” biased. The Gulf Stream current resumed its normal flow, and most importantly, a recently released research study has shown that inflow of freshwater from glaciers was not the cause of the 2010 Gulf Stream “shutdown.” Confused and dismayed climate scientists have retracted doomsday predictions and revised invalidated climate … Meaning, parts of the northern hemisphere would be looking at temperature drops of up to 7 degrees Celsius (almost 13 degrees Fahrenheit). Counteracting the cooling influence on the Atlantic, in a warmer world, would be the tendency of oceans to be warmer in general. What If the World Lost Oxygen for Five Seconds. What If We Are Not the First Technologically Advanced Civilisation on Earth? How would the melting ice change the world? This explanation seems extremely unlikely for several reasons. And so would North America. That’s because the Gulf Stream is warmer when it gets to Europe. The Rhine can barely be seen from the windows of Deutsche Welle in Bonn, even though the river is just some 200 meters (yards) away. The Gulf Stream, the warm current that brings the east coast of Florida the mixed blessings of abundant swordfish, mild winters and stronger hurricanes, may be weakening because of … While less visible than beaches and sunshine, the current plays a powerful role in establishing Florida's identity. You heard it right. On this week's Eco Africa, we check out Uganda's mountain gorilla baby boom, cutting food waste by extending fruit's shelf life and South Africa's virtual safaris. "So that would tend to reduce hurricane activity, all else being equal.". "Detecting the climate change signal on top of the natural variability has really been a challenge," Kirtman said. “A Chilling Possibility | Science Mission Directorate”, “Arctic Sea-Ice Decline Weakens The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation”, “Melting Arctic Sea Ice And The Global Ocean Conveyor – Windows To The Universe”, “Extreme Sea Level Rise Event Linked To AMOC Downturn | US CLIVAR”, “What Is The Global Ocean Conveyor Belt?”, “NOAA’s National Ocean Service Education: Currents. And it could mean that a lot of the heat that would have gone to Europe would stay along the U.S. east coast and in Florida. | Mobile version. Northern Europeans might sometimes crave a little global warming in winter, but they should be careful what they wish for. And the temperatures are extremely low at present, going down to -50 C in some places - some 15 degrees less than is usual at this time of year. (23.12.2016), The year 2016 is likely to be the warmest year since records began. What would happen if this warmth-bearing current was cut off? “Gulfstream Aerospace today confirmed that one of our Savannah-based employees has tested positive for the coronavirus. "We see a cooling southeast of Greenland, although everywhere else on the globe you see a warming," said Levke Caesar, a scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany and co-author of a study that found the current to be 15% weaker. Hosts Neil King and Gabriel Borrud are forced to improvise amid the COVID-19 crisis. Result? Deep Ocean Vents and Fault Systems, MIT Study - Volcanoes Put a Chill On Global Warming Theory, NOAA: Natural Weather Patterns Behind California's Drought, Not Man-Made, The geographical location / extent of the 2010 North Atlantic warm cell and the 2010 Gulf Stream current shutdown point perfectly match the geographical location / extent of a portion of the Mid-Atlantic Rift System (Figure 3). They’re created out of differences in water density. But there’s one more thing that determines the density of water – the amount of salt in it. And if the Gulf Stream weakens, just the opposite happens. "It's a funnel. Keep in mind these areas are underexplored and under-monitored. A weaker Gulf Stream could lead to higher sea levels along the Florida coast. Featuring laminated, vacuum-bonded fiberglass walls and welded aluminum skeleton frames, for the ideal combination of strength and lightweight. What Happens If You Wake up During Surgery? This can turn pavements or roads into dangerous patches of ice within seconds or minutes. Season 2 of "What If" takes you to an imaginary world where the laws of nature have been altered... People on Earth talk a lot about colonizing Mars. Furthermore, they stated that world climate patterns would be altered resulting in a wide range environmental catastrophes. We benefit because the Gulf Stream is so close to land. Humans didn’t study climate back then. A slowdown also adds to the regional sea-level rise affecting cities like New York and Boston.” Meanwhile, a sufficient weakening of the stream could make for very cold winters in Britain. They push hot equatorial waters toward the poles and return cold polar waters to the equator. There are seemingly more questions than answers. No catastrophes, no complicated current or wind transfer of energy into distant deep ocean regions. The warming effect of the Gulf Stream can be seen from water temperatures. And while the east coast of America and Western Europe get chilly in their local Ice Age, temperatures in the rest of the world would keep rising. As per previous CCD postings, it has been shown that geologically induced heat flow from deep ocean rift systems and volcanic regions east of Papua New Guinea are the likely cause of strong El Nino’s. And that takes us back to the doomsday predictions. A warmed atmosphere during the last glacial period acted to melt the polar ice caps. Sleet can also crystallize on aircraft. "To make the wider climate modeling community aware of a potential risk that has not been properly evaluated, and to inform the public that there are risks of tipping points in the climate system that are poorly understood, and that may well have been underestimated in the past.". What If Birth Control Was Free Everywhere? It carries warm seawater all the way from the Gulf of Mexico to the eastern coastlines of the U.S. and Newfoundland, then across the Atlantic ocean, where it splits in two – crossing to Northern Europe and recirculating off West Africa. No one knows how fast glaciers will melt or how much sea level will rise and how quickly this will happen. Why did it dissipate? Normally, sea levels on the U.S. coast are lower compared to those on the coasts of Europe. And we should be concerned. If the Universe is full of stars, why doesn’t it appear white? A key piece of evidence for a possible weakening of the current is a strange patch of cold water—dubbed by scientists the "cold blob"—south of Greenland. "There are articles saying it's not weakening, articles saying it's weakening. While there's a consensus that the climate is warming and that this is happening largely because of human activities, scientists disagree on the likely impacts. Warm water has a lower density and rises to the surface. It could lead to colder winters in northern Europe (one reason many scientists prefer the term climate change to global warming). The role of climate change in hurricanes is the subject of extensive scientific inquiry, with some research suggesting we may see fewer hurricanes, with the ones that do form tending to be stronger and rainier. This less dense fresh water disrupted set current patterns of the more dense Gulf Stream sea water. The Fourth National Climate Assessment, published last November by a group of federal agencies, says there's insufficient data to conclude that the system has lost strength but says weakening over the next few decades is "very likely.". The reason lies in the global thermohaline circulation, also known as the great conveyor belt. Evidence substantiating this contention is abundant and very strong: Man-made global warming was not the cause of the May 2010 Gulf Stream shutdown. Ocean currents dictate the Earth’s climate. Professor Rob Jackson explains why it gets overlooked, and how we can tackle emissions. If the Gulf Stream weakens, it will exacerbate sea level rise.". Nothing that the Earth hasn’t seen before. New research suggests the Gulf Stream system that grants Europe and parts of North America its temperate climate cannot weather global warming. "If you slow down the sinking of water in the North Atlantic, that means you have a pileup of waters along the eastern seaboard of the United States and the Gulf of Mexico," said Brenda Ekwurzel, director of climate science for the Union of Concerned Scientists, an environmental group. I think the scientific consensus is that the jury's still out.". They often force fit data and observations into an atmospherically based global warming context. Everybody loves a good sleep, but we probably wouldn’t enjoy it as much if we had no control over when it happened. This perfectly explains the sudden appearance and subsequent disappearance of the 2010 North Atlantic Ocean warm cell. Temperatures in eastern Europe have dipped far under freezing point. He says the model he used for this study was based on a "moderate" one, but that it has "opened a window" for further research.