Wednesday, 2 April 2014

Weather Backcast





A thin week because of this and that in the diary.  This was intended for 1st April, but any blog for that date would be suspect.  Given the subject of this one all debate is suspect.

 With the new information on Global Warming And All That the debate will erupt again.  My view is that weather systems, never mind climate, can and will change.  But what when why where and how is another matter.

Naked Capitalism has a long complex piece by Gaius Publius to exercise the mind.  It deals with the complications that can arise notably in social discontinuities and food supplies.

But one salient feature is that while periods of Global Warming in the past have occurred they can trigger Ice Ages all too quickly and suddenly.  One minor one was in the early 1300's and in the centuries following Europe experienced some very cold periods.

The picture above is what can happen if The Gulf Stream stops working.  Europe quite quickly could have another Ice Age.  From the text there is this quote:

Quote:

Finally, a view of the animation showing Europe with the northern part of the Gulf Stream switched off. The extent of the glaciation (down to just before the Pyrenees) is not a guess.

(To orient yourself, find Spain near the bottom, then look north to find the British Isles.) 

Glaciation in Europe with the northern Gulf Stream “switched off” (from “The Gulf Stream and the Next Ice Age”)
                           
Dramatic? These cooling events have occurred before, often starting suddenly from periods of warming, lasting as little as a few decades, then reversing. The cause of sudden glaciers in Europe following periods of warming is still being discussed. But the interruption of the natural Gulf Stream flow one of the most likely candidates.

Unquote.

Yes I know it was for the 1st April, All Fools Day, but who are the fools and who are not?

It may not be fun finding out.

Enjoy. 
             



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