posted on Feb, 1 2007 @ 10:26 AM
Originally posted by JessicaS
I was once told that when the oceanic conveyer stops, we go into another Ice Age. With the polar ice caps melting, I've been told that this will
stop the current. Has anyone else heard this? Is it true?
This idea was popularised in recent years by the film 'Day After Tomorrow'
The truth is, although this film had its basis in science fact... the film took this and then added Hollywood science magic to create a dramatic
film.
"What is the science fact" I hear you say...
Here in Britain we are roughly on the same latitude as Canada and Siberia... But thanks to the warming effects of the Gulf Stream Britain is kept
temperate.
However, if the Gulf Stream were ever to be disturbed, cold air would indeed push down and Britain would find itself in a deep freeze...
Alarm over dramatic weakening of Gulf Stream
The Greenland Ice Sheet is comprised of fresh water and is melting at an alarming rate... caused by global warming... Global warming is now in a run
away effect caused by the lessening of Global dimming....
Now... the fresh water dilutes the saline solution that is the Arctic Ocean and this stops the warm water circulating....
The Gulf Stream has been measured to be reducing at a rate of about 30% over the last 12 years....
At that rate it would be completely no existent in less than one quartet of a century...
What's more is that when one looks upon matters of nature and the environment, one this is very clear.... There are far too many variables to be able
to come up with anything better than attempting to read a trend.
A true accurate forecast of what will happen is something that is so far beyond our capabilities that even the worlds fastest computers could spend
thousands of years running simulations and still get it wrong.....
The sun has been shown to be a major cause of ice ages on the earth, with mini Ice ages happening roughly every 100'000 years.. Though this is by no
means a set time frame. The last Ice Age ended 10,000 years ago…
The Sun’s Chilly Impact on Earth
All the best,
NeoN HaZe.
[edit on 1-2-2007 by Neon Haze]