Study Shows Weakening of Atlantic Currents
And you’re worried about your heating bill…
Scientists say they have measured a significant slowing in the Atlantic currents that carry warm water toward Northern Europe. If the trend persists, they say, the weather there could cool considerably in coming decades.
Some climate experts have said the potential cooling of Europe was paradoxically consistent with global warming caused by the accumulation of heat-trapping “greenhouse” emissions. But several experts said it was premature to conclude that the new measurements, being described in the Dec. 1 issue of the journal Nature, meant that such a change was already under way.
Source: NY Times
This reminded me of something I saw a few years back – some additional information on the global ocean circulation system from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution: Abrupt Climate Change: Should We Be Worried?
I guess the answer is “Yes”. One wonders, though, if less heat is being transfered into the North Atlantic, where is all that energy going?
Of course the official response of the U.S. is “What? Me Worry?”
Update:
Real Climate has a more in depth discussion of this study (including the implications on hurricane intensity) for those who may be interested.