3 ms·

Can't read the whole article, but how radically can the Gulf Stream really change? Isn't a current going in that general direction more or less mandated by the

Can't read the whole article, but how radically can the Gulf Stream really change? Isn't a current going in that general direction more or less mandated by the Coriolis effect? It's why I figured the west and east coasts of continents at similar latitudes (both in the Northern and Southern hemispheres) have similar climate patterns. (West coasts more temperate, east coasts more variable and humid).

frankbreetz 5y ago
Barcelona and Washington D.C. are on the same latitude, the weather difference is caused by the gulf stream pushing warm air north, I would imagine it could stop doing that.
- wil421 5y ago
  Chicago is below Rome. My latitude puts me somewhere in Syria. Not sure what is worse the humidity where I live or Syrian Desert. https://matadornetwork.com/read/mapped-united-states-canada-latitudes-europe/ https://matadornetwork.com/read/mapped-united-states-canada-...
- arethuza 5y ago
  "Barcelona and Washington D.C." I don't think that's correct - a quick check on Google maps suggests that Barcelona is much further north - about Cape Cod or so.
  - frankbreetz 5y ago
    I don't think that changes the point trying to be made. Cape Cod and D.C. have essentially the same weather
progbits 5y ago
For the first part of your quesition, to quote wikipedia (feel free to check the primary sources yourself): > Atlantic overturning is not a static feature of global circulation, but rather a sensitive function of temperature and salinity distributions as well as atmospheric forcings. Paleoceanographic reconstructions of AMOC vigour and configuration have revealed significant variations over geologic time [34][35] complementing variation observed on shorter scales.[36][14] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_meridional_overturning_circulation#AMOC_stability https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_meridional_overturnin...
- chrisco255 5y ago
  Why would the AMOC be driven by atmospheric forcing? The amount of energy and heat stored in the ocean (due to specific heat capacity of water and sheer volume and mass of the ocean) dwarfs that of the atmosphere by orders of magnitude.
the8472 5y ago
The coriolis effect only applies to things in motion, it adds a perceived bend. Something still has to drive the motion. Currently that's the cold water sinking in the arctic. Fresh water influx from melting and additional warming can lead to stratification which prevents it from sinking. This will lead to overall less ocean circulation which will have more detrimental effects beyond just altering europe's weather patterns.

frankbreetz 5y ago

Barcelona and Washington D.C. are on the same latitude, the weather difference is caused by the gulf stream pushing warm air north, I would imagine it could stop doing that.

wil421 5y ago
Chicago is below Rome. My latitude puts me somewhere in Syria. Not sure what is worse the humidity where I live or Syrian Desert. https://matadornetwork.com/read/mapped-united-states-canada-latitudes-europe/ https://matadornetwork.com/read/mapped-united-states-canada-...
arethuza 5y ago
"Barcelona and Washington D.C." I don't think that's correct - a quick check on Google maps suggests that Barcelona is much further north - about Cape Cod or so.
- frankbreetz 5y ago
  I don't think that changes the point trying to be made. Cape Cod and D.C. have essentially the same weather

progbits 5y ago

For the first part of your quesition, to quote wikipedia (feel free to check the primary sources yourself): > Atlantic overturning is not a static feature of global circulation, but rather a sensitive function of temperature and salinity distributions as well as atmospheric forcings. Paleoceanographic reconstructions of AMOC vigour and configuration have revealed significant variations over geologic time [34][35] complementing variation observed on shorter scales.[36][14] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_meridional_overturning_circulation#AMOC_stability https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_meridional_overturnin...

chrisco255 5y ago
Why would the AMOC be driven by atmospheric forcing? The amount of energy and heat stored in the ocean (due to specific heat capacity of water and sheer volume and mass of the ocean) dwarfs that of the atmosphere by orders of magnitude.

the8472 5y ago

The coriolis effect only applies to things in motion, it adds a perceived bend. Something still has to drive the motion. Currently that's the cold water sinking in the arctic. Fresh water influx from melting and additional warming can lead to stratification which prevents it from sinking. This will lead to overall less ocean circulation which will have more detrimental effects beyond just altering europe's weather patterns.