SCI/TECH: Significant Weakening Of Gulf Stream Detected

I think filling the atmosphere with very high levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases should eventually warm the planet up a great deal. This may be further enhanced if solar activity is increasing and heating up all the planets in the solar system. I think I heard the peak may be around 2012. I do wonder if solar activity suddenly plummeted in 2013 if there would still be enough greenhouse gases to keep this planet warm. Of course none of that might matter if the gulf stream shuts down before then and changes global weather patterns for the worse. I guess some are still arguing that its not worth the cost and effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions because they don't believe it will have any significant results. The problem is we really don't know for sure if it will. However if we do nothing, I wouldn't expect things to suddenly get better either.

I wouldn't enjoy a constant tug of war between hot and cold air masses with temperatures in the 80's (Fahrenheit) and then the air suddenly changes to freezing rain and snow with temperatures in the 20's overnight. We're almost experiencing that now. Was in the 70's, supposed to be in upper 20's tomorrow. I can easily imagine things like this being normal if the ocean waters were not circulating.

It looks as if the gulf stream has taken another big hit this winter. I am adding a series of three images. The first one is from the end of October. The 2nd one from the end of November and the last one from the first week of January 2008. The current looks to get wiped out around 60W. I don't know if it is diving below the surface or what is happening. But I think this is a big reason we are seeing extreme cold over Siberia and waters around parts of Greenland freezing over for the first time in a decade.

Oct 31 2007


Nov 30 2007


Jan 3, 2008


Images generated by: rads.tudelft.nl...

I don't think it is a coincidence that this anomaly shows up and so does the extreme cold.

What extreme cold? The GS supposedly warms NW Europe - specifically Britian. And we're currently experiencing another exceptionally mild winter. I've not even had an air frost (in central England) since 20th December!

reply to post by Indy


Thanks, Indy. It also would explain the cold that we are getting here in NC, and its going to be worse Sunday and Monday. its suppose to get down to 20 degrees. Time to move back to Maine when it will be that cold in the south.

Hilda

Originally posted by Essan
What extreme cold? The GS supposedly warms NW Europe - specifically Britian. And we're currently experiencing another exceptionally mild winter. I've not even had an air frost (in central England) since 20th December!

The extreme cold in Siberia. The cold is severe even by their standards. And if the Gulf Stream fails that is where the cold will be noticed first. The effects will migrate from Siberia and move west over time. It isn't about getting the U.K. cold first. It is about the air having less of a moderating effect on Siberia as it moves around the planet. And if it loses even a little punch you'll see the cold air over Siberia expanding. It will expand the snow cover which the has the domino effect as it works backwards toward western Europe. The Siberian cold air mass will be able to expand outward in all directions.

In the past few years, the water temperatures around Long Island (which is visible on the excellent maps posted in the above links), during the summer, seem to be getting lower. It's only based on my attempts to go for a swim, so not totally scientific, but the difference is startling compared to 15 years ago. This can be explained by the changing behavior of the Gulf Stream.

I can't really start swimming comfortably until July now. And it's over in early September.

Originally posted by buddhasystem
In the past few years, the water temperatures around Long Island (which is visible on the excellent maps posted in the above links), during the summer, seem to be getting lower.

The waters around the UK keep getting warmer. Must be because the Gulf Stream has stopped and all the cold water now goes to Siberia, leaving only warm water around NW Europe. Or summat like that

(Actually, there's evidence the GS has little effect on NW European temps, but that's another story).

I seem to remember the GS connection being brought up a couple of years ago when it was cold in Siberia. Never understood quite how it works given that Siberia is nowhere near the N Atlantic.

[edit on 18-1-2008 by Essan]