some info on warming and the deep atlantic conveyor

[mr d]

hello

 

while doing some research on the deep atlantic conveyor came across this site that maybe be of interest to those of you wondering about climatic change. educationally related and not to deep into the subject, it still gives a bit of information on a number of areas related to climate change.

 

http://calspace.ucsd.edu/virtualmuseum/climatechange1/01_1.shtml

 

so what is the deep atlantic conveyor, the site states it better, but basically it is a deep current that circulates between the americas and europe whereby cold-dense sea water is drawn downward in the north atlantic above england. then travels southerly along england and europe towards africa, next heading south-westerly across the atlantic where it is warmed, and towards the northern part of south america. finally turning up into the caribean and along the eastern coast of the united states before heading back east towards england.

this system along with its accompanying winds is the reason early explorers in sailing ships were able to travel between the old and new world's. nice thing about this site is that it explains a little about these winds too. such items as the doledrums and the horse latitudes which you nautical types may already understand.

this conveyor system is also one reason for the formation of hurricanes in the caribean. warm tropical air and moisture brought up from the south colliding with coldern artic air coming down from the north. and also for the warm temperatures being existing in britain and europe by bringing those same warm tropical winds eastward. where as in areas of canada of the same latitude you find ice and polar bears, england enjoys temperatures in the seventies.

so why the concern? how the system words is that as the warm water reaches the north sea the colder waters cause density shift in the cooling tropical water due to salt content which causes the colder water to sink starting the process over.

currently with warming temperatures due to global warming the ice caps are melting, raising the all around temperture of oceans and and lessening salt levels(ice is mostly fresh water). meaning the conveyor system could slow or stall. resault a global cooling as those warm winds are no longer carried to higher longitudes, hello ice age.

it maybe that all of this is part of one gigantic systems the earth uses for regulationing its temperature. temperatures get hotter that triggers condictions for cooling, which intern trigger events that cause warming. (remember the earth is geologically active unlike say mars which is pretty much dead geologically. which could help to explain it loosing its standing water to space and subsuface ice millions of years ago). though i don't remember reading much here on the thermal vents that help heat the earth's water.

 

take a look might help those looking for some useful simple information.

 

mr d

[herpguy]

hello ice age.

 

You seem to be forgetting that if the warm air stops leaving the Carribean, we will see very warm weather there. Hello warmth. Although the cooling **could** cause some very serious issues, I think we should fucus more on warming. Global warming will have longer term effects than this...

 

That's an American's opinion, I am curious to see how someone here from Europe will react.

[mr d]

hello

 

the point here is not whether we are having global warming or and ice age, but that one maybe tied to the other. if you go to the site you will see they discuss global warming, causes and effects, however condictions that cause that warming have the means to trigger the cooling. we know the earth has been both cooler and warmer than the current average temperature. but what this is indicating is that there might be a system in place here on the earth that handles those changes.

the caribean is warmer due to global warming, the conveyor drives that heat north and eastward into britain and europe causing the extremely hot weather occuring there now. but at the same time the hot tropical air is serving to melt the northern polar cap changing chemical make up of the water that drives the conveyor. meaning that given time that change will lead to a lessening conveyor effect and temperatures will drop. a cycle of temperature change that appears to be normal for the earth.

however only now are we scientifically able to comprehend that such a system does exist. and the major question then is not how can we stop this global warming, or coming ice age, as mankind we will in all probability not be able to stop either. the question is, are our actions such that they could push these situations too far in one direction or the other. and until we better understand the limits of such a system, that we should curtail those activities that could effect and harm the system beyond its own means to self repair. the concern is not just how hot or cold the temperature gets, but also how quickly those extremes may be reached. time equates to adaptation.

dispite what fanatics or tekkies might believe (the almighty gave us this earth and we can do as we will, or we are so bright and are so scientifically advanced we can solve any problem with science.). ladies and gentlemen, mankind is not above extinction, nor perhaps is he intended to be. the earth has been both hotter and colder, and have humans-humanoids survived. why yes. will we survive the most current temperature changes? most likely. but the question becomes, what must we do to survive,what type of political-social system will evolve out of this, and what type of planet will be here when all is said and done.

 

mr d