The Gulf Stream & Climate Change: heading for disaster?

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Presentation transcript:

The Gulf Stream & Climate Change: heading for disaster?

Extract from a documentary on climate change https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a2K4pcAFIM

The impact of the Gulf Stream on world climate... Transport of cold and warm water from poles to equator and vice versa Like a conveyor belt transporting packages

How does this Gulf Stream Conveyor Belt work? A. From poles to equator Step 1: Ice is formed from water  salt is ejected Step 2: running water that remains contains more salt  that water is heavier  it drops to bottom of ocean Step 3: The ‘conveyor belt’ transports the cold water to the equator

How does this Gulf Stream Conveyor Belt work? A. From equator to poles Step 1: The cold water moves towards the equator where it will warm slowly. Step 2: To replace the cold equator-bound water, the Gulf Stream moves warm water from the Gulf of Mexico north into the Atlantic. Step 3: American East coast and Western Europe get higher temperature

Summary: what have we learned so far? Conveyor belt moves cold water from poles to equator on a deep level. Why deep? Because water contains more salt and is heavier! Around the equator the water is heated, is less salty, so doesn’t sink. Result? Warm, shallow, fresh water brings higher temperatures north (US and Europe)

Nightmare scenario? So… Salty water has a major impact on the conveyor belt system But… Global warming makes more ice melt, which means less salty water  more fresh water enters the system  the conveyor belt might get stuck. And then?

Possible consequences (scientists disagree to some extent on these factors)

Negative impact on food chain and agriculture  droughts, temperature too high or too low

Biodiversity A quarter to half the plants and animals – on land and at sea – might be threatened with extinction

Temperature Widespread cooling in Europe REMARK: no new ice age is expected because the cooling down of the earth is being compensated by global warming / CO2 emission

Stronger North Atlantic Storms

Rising sea levels