No, really, it might.
This is an article describing thermohaline circulation in the North Atlantic.
Basically, cold salty water is denser than cool less-salty water, so it sinks, forming North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW). This behavior releases massive amounts of heat into the atmosphere in the North Atlantic, moderating Europe's climate (all that stuff about Europe being warm because of the Gulf Stream is hooey).
Periodically, events have occurred that have curtailed or stopped the formation of NADW. Anything that increases the flow of freshwater into the North Atlantic can alter the thermohaline characteristics such that NADW formation ceases, less heat is released, and Europe gets colder than hell.
The Younger-Dryas Event is a well-documented example of this process. Oddly, and seemingly paradoxically, "global warming" can potentially result in Europe getting colder than hell: increased riverine output in Siberia (as a result of increased liquid precipitation in a warmed temperate or high latitude climate) will decrease the salinity of the North Atlantic, which will influence NADW formation. But of course, it's really way more complicated than that.
Neat. Global warming could make Europe colder. Try explaining THAT to Rush Limbaugh...
Posted by jbuie at January 3, 2003 03:12 PMArticle in todays Charlotte Observer talking about beach erosion on Figure Eight Island. Knew Fig 8 was near Wrightsville Beach, but not sure exactly where. Couldn't find on any map. Called AAA. They couldn't find, either, but came up with a connection between Fig 8 and your site address, www.netbuie.net.
Fig 8 location confirmed. Enjoyed looking thru your site. Having seen you thru your site, my internal computor says that you live near the coast and or about early to middle forties.
My wife and I live in Charlotte. I'm retired from a great life of Industrial Chemical Sales. Graduated from the UNC, Feb 1957. I've eaten in many of the finest across the country, but my most enjoyable meal, ever, was at the Ship's Chandler, South Point, NC many years ago.
Again, enjoyed your site. John B
Posted by: John Barkley at February 17, 2003 04:51 PMArticle in todays Charlotte Observer talking about beach erosion on Figure Eight Island. Knew Fig 8 was near Wrightsville Beach, but not sure exactly where. Couldn't find on any map. Called AAA. They couldn't find, either, but came up with a connection between Fig 8 and your site address, www.netbuie.net.
Fig 8 location confirmed. Enjoyed looking thru your site. Having seen you thru your site, my internal computor says that you live near the coast and or about early to middle forties.
My wife and I live in Charlotte. I'm retired from a great life of Industrial Chemical Sales. Graduated from the UNC, Feb 1957. I've eaten in many of the finest across the country, but my most enjoyable meal, ever, was at the Ship's Chandler, South Point, NC many years ago.
Again, enjoyed your site. John B
Posted by: John Barkley at February 17, 2003 04:52 PMHi! As a fellow MT blogger, I just stumbled across your site. I am compelled to comment on this entry because of one comment: "all that stuff about Europe being warm because of the Gulf Stream is hooey".
Actually...The Gulf Stream is a warm surface ocean current which originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows northeast across the Atlantic, driven by the prevailing southwest winds. The evaporation of moisture from the Gulf Stream (as it travels north) makes the sea salty. When this heavy salt water enters the cold North Atlantic it sinks, forming the deep ocean current that is the NADW. The NADW then acts as a pulling mechanism for the Gulf Steam, maintaining its direction and intensity and keeping the European climate mild.
In summary, the Gulf Steam is the reason for the NADW and the warm air that keeps Europe mild (see http://www.doc.mmu.ac.uk/aric/eae/Climate/Older/Gulf_Stream.html for a little more detail). Changes in global climate affect the NADW and as a result, the Gulf Steam's course, which is why Europe will cool.
I haven't set out to be a smartarse, but it's nice to see the facts straightened and as a European, I have a vested interest ~; )
To John B:
I agree about Southport. One of my favorite coastal towns anywhere. I'm in my mid-30s, and unfortunately live about 3 hours from the coast...
To s3d:
You're correct in that I should have been more precise; I was instead trying for glib.
My reference was to the common misperception that because the Gulf Stream is warm, Europe is warm.
The process is a bit more complicated than that, obviously, and involves an extremely complex ocean-atmosphre coupling. I can drag out my copies of Pickard and Knauss, since it's been almost 10 years since my physical oceanography class (YIKES!).
A google search on "NADW formation" will yield way more info on this than you probably care to read.
See this account of NADW formation for more info:
http://geosun1.sjsu.edu/~dreed/onset/exer12/10.html
Europe's climate and NADW formation cannot be attributed simply to the Gulf Stream being warm, resulting in higher salinities...
Evaporation of Gulf stream waters does assist in the cooling and increase in salinity, as does sea ice formation, and interaction with cold offshore winds from Greenland.
Have a good one...
Posted by: John at February 25, 2003 11:03 AM