Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumJames Hansen Says Greenland Melt May Cool North Atlantic
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-17/james-hansen-says-greenland-melt-may-cool-north-atlantic.htmlIcebergs drift by the mountains in Scoresbysund, Greenland. Inflows of cold, fresh water from Greenland would slow deep currents that carry cold water south, cooling the North Atlantic.
Greenland ice melting at an expanding pace may begin cooling the North Atlantic and increasing the severity of storms by 2075, said James Hansen, the former NASA scientist who raised concerns about global warming in the 1980s.
If we stay on this path where the rate of mass loss from Greenland doubles every 10 years, we would get to a situation by about 2075 or 2080 where the mass loss is so fast that it causes the whole North Atlantic to be colder, Hansen said in London.
The findings are from computer models using current rates of ice melt and will be detailed in a paper that Hansen plans to finish writing in the summer, he said yesterday in an interview.
Inflows of cold, fresh water from Greenland would slow deep currents that carry cold water south, cooling the North Atlantic as tropical waters get warmer, Hansen said. That would increase a temperature gradient thats conducive to stronger storms.
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
3 replies, 1445 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (7)
ReplyReply to this post
3 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
James Hansen Says Greenland Melt May Cool North Atlantic (Original Post)
xchrom
May 2013
OP
jpak
(41,757 posts)1. and depress the freezing point of surface water - more sea ice and persistent ice bergs
yup
SheilaT
(23,156 posts)2. I wonder if the Greenland ice melt could shut down the Gulf Stream.
If that happens, much of northern Europe will be more or less uninhabitable.
kestrel91316
(51,666 posts)3. That's what he's talking about. The media doesn't like to use
those words and scary concepts, though.