The Thermohaline Circulation - Worst Case Scenario?

[jimmydasaint]

I am merely an interested observer and not a knowledgeable person on the possible effects of global warming on the Thermohaline Circulation where heat is brought to Northern Europe. I have wondered if a disturbance of the THC (called AMOC in the following article) would lead to temperature differences in Northern Europe. The worst case scenario in a collapse could mean temperature drops of up to 9 Centigrade.

 

Any comments or information from the better read on this topic?

 

Motivation:

The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), often referred to as the thermohaline circulation, plays a pivotal role in the global climate system. (See the section below for a basic description of the AMOC.) The AMOC transports heat northwards in the Atlantic via the Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Current, making European climate significantly warmer than it would otherwise be. Evidence from palaeoclimate records suggests that this circulation has changed dramatically in the past (e.g., Clark et al, 2002), and there is concern that it could be disrupted in the future. As concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases increase and the climate warms, it is expected that there will be increased precipitation in mid-latitudes and less formation of sea ice (Meehl et al, 2007). This would make the surface ocean less salty, which (along with the warming) makes the surface waters less dense, and less likely to sink, meaning that the AMOC would weaken or maybe collapse completely. Previous experiments have shown that if the AMOC were to collapse, the impacts would be felt across the globe, and most severely in the North Atlantic region (see below).

 

 

Link

and also this downloaded article:

 

Link to Article

Edited November 27, 2011 by jimmydasaint