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posted by Fnord666 on Saturday August 10 2019, @06:18PM   Printer-friendly
from the because-Florida dept.

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

The Gulf Stream, the warm current that brings the east coast of Florida the mixed blessings of abundant swordfish, mild winters and stronger hurricanes, may be weakening because of climate change.

Visible from the air as a ribbon of cobalt blue water a few miles off the coast, the Gulf Stream forms part of a clockwise system of currents that transports warm water from the tropics up the east coast and across the Atlantic to northwestern Europe. In the frigid climate near Greenland, the water cools, sinks and flows south again, rolling through the deep ocean toward the tropics.

This marine circulatory system has reached its weakest point in 1,600 years, recent studies show, having lost about 15% of its strength since the mid-20th century. Scientists disagree on whether climate change or natural cycles account for the slowdown. But a consensus has emerged that climate change will lead to a slower Gulf Stream system in the future, as melting ice sheets in Greenland disrupt the system with discharges of cold fresh water.

A weaker Gulf Stream would mean higher sea levels for Florida's east coast. It could lead to colder winters in northern Europe (one reason many scientists prefer the term climate change to global warming). And it could mean that a lot of the heat that would have gone to Europe would stay along the U.S. east coast and in Florida.

"If you slow down the sinking of water in the North Atlantic, that means you have a pileup of waters along the eastern seaboard of the United States and the Gulf of Mexico," said Brenda Ekwurzel, director of climate science for the Union of Concerned Scientists, an environmental group. "That means that you have increased regional sea level rise just from that ocean circulation change. So that's not good for New York City, Norfolk or along Florida."

-- submitted from IRC


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  • (Score: 4, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 10 2019, @07:21PM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 10 2019, @07:21PM (#878414)

    Mar-a-lago sinks.

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    Total Score:   4  
  • (Score: 2, Touché) by fustakrakich on Saturday August 10 2019, @08:18PM

    by fustakrakich (6150) on Saturday August 10 2019, @08:18PM (#878441) Journal

    At taxpayer expense of course...

    --
    La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
  • (Score: 4, Informative) by julian on Saturday August 10 2019, @09:08PM

    by julian (6003) Subscriber Badge on Saturday August 10 2019, @09:08PM (#878471)

    Trump's company has acknowledged climate change and is building a seawall to protect Mar-a-lago. [politico.com]