The Gulf Stream, which currently keeps Europe warmer than it should be, could be disrupted by sudden dumping of cold fresh water from Greenland. As I understand it, the fresh water is lighter than salt water and will essentially disrupt the Gulf Stream. Previously, It was believed that if the Gulf Stream were disrupted, Europe would plunge back into the temperatures that you see at the same latitudes in North America. The equivalent latitude for Belgium would be Winnipeg, which has exceptionally cold winters.
Now, you would think perhaps this would then balance out. The problem is that the Gulf Stream dissipates heat from the equator into the northern latitudes. Heat is what drives hurricanes. With nothing dissipating heat from the equator, you have an enormous, essentially battery, to power more frequent and larger hurricanes. Now before you start saying goodbye to Florida, consider that hurricanes ride along on the Gulf Stream. With it disrupted, where are those hurricanes going to go?
This is why weather modeling is so difficult. There are way too many variables to have to account for. Go ahead, try to make a prediction for more than two-three weeks.
Where does this idea come from? European agriculture is much more resilient to cold than it is to heat, as it has historically developed to withstand harsh winters.
If they can withstand heavy winters they can also withstand heavy summers. Insulation is awesome that way. I’ve kept my well-insulated house cool by shutting the triple glazed windows and the blinds during the day and opening everything at night. And that wasn’t just one day, it was hot (35-37C) for weeks. Although we were lucky that it wasn’t hot at night, like it was in Australia.
I wouldn’t compare Belgium sans Gulfstream to Winnipeg. Center of a continent vs by an ocean makes a big difference no matter the latitude. I think it would be much more fair to compare it to someplace like St. John’s. It will still be colder but not to the same extent.
The Gulf Stream, which currently keeps Europe warmer than it should be, could be disrupted by sudden dumping of cold fresh water from Greenland. As I understand it, the fresh water is lighter than salt water and will essentially disrupt the Gulf Stream. Previously, It was believed that if the Gulf Stream were disrupted, Europe would plunge back into the temperatures that you see at the same latitudes in North America. The equivalent latitude for Belgium would be Winnipeg, which has exceptionally cold winters.
Now, you would think perhaps this would then balance out. The problem is that the Gulf Stream dissipates heat from the equator into the northern latitudes. Heat is what drives hurricanes. With nothing dissipating heat from the equator, you have an enormous, essentially battery, to power more frequent and larger hurricanes. Now before you start saying goodbye to Florida, consider that hurricanes ride along on the Gulf Stream. With it disrupted, where are those hurricanes going to go?
This is why weather modeling is so difficult. There are way too many variables to have to account for. Go ahead, try to make a prediction for more than two-three weeks.
There is no case/risk of the gulf stream collapsing it’s a slowdown that is the main concern. Issue would be charge in percipitation pattern not a mini Ice age formation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_Stream#Gulf_Stream_Collapse
This is terrifying
Is it? Why? Houses in Europe are still built to withstand heavy winters
Yeah but the food supply may not.
Where does this idea come from? European agriculture is much more resilient to cold than it is to heat, as it has historically developed to withstand harsh winters.
If they can withstand heavy winters they can also withstand heavy summers. Insulation is awesome that way. I’ve kept my well-insulated house cool by shutting the triple glazed windows and the blinds during the day and opening everything at night. And that wasn’t just one day, it was hot (35-37C) for weeks. Although we were lucky that it wasn’t hot at night, like it was in Australia.
I wouldn’t compare Belgium sans Gulfstream to Winnipeg. Center of a continent vs by an ocean makes a big difference no matter the latitude. I think it would be much more fair to compare it to someplace like St. John’s. It will still be colder but not to the same extent.