According to its own data, an international team of researchers has dafürgefunden evidence that Gulf Stream has weakened over past decades. The current in Atlantic has become slower by 15 percent, reports Potsdam-Institut FürKlimafolgenforschung (PIK) in journal Nature.

The Gulf Stream brings warmer water from subtropical south across Atlantic to coasts of Europe and Greenland. The temperature patterns associated with it Meeresoberflächehaben enormous influence on wear and climate.

The researchers had combined computer simulations with measurement data derMeeresoberflächentemperatur. The team, led by an PIK expert, analyzed DieWassertemperatur in long series of measurements and encountered characteristic patterns. According to report, Dieoretischen assumptions from models were confirmed. A special pattern had been discovered, said lead author Corey Caesar of Potsdam Institute. The ocean south of Greenland cools down because water flowing into it is not so fast sinking into depth and refore less hot water can flow. At same time, water is heating up along norrn half of US Atlantic coast, as Gulf Stream moves closer to coast.

According to scientists, climate change could be responsible for slowdown. Melting ice on Arctic, heavier rainfall and higher Temperaturenbeeinflussten salinity and density of water. Since Dichteunterschiededie circulation, this has an impact on currents, according to explanatory memorandum.

Second study comes to similar result

Scientists have been discussing for a long time wher Gulf Stream could completely dry up as a result of climate change. DasSzenario is considered to be one of so-called tipping elements that auslösenkönnten irreversible, yourselfly reinforcing global trends with drastic consequences. Sichdas, however, did not deal with future development of flow system in investigation.

"We expected global warming to show up in all oceans, even if not everywhere," says Caesar. The long-range cooling in North Atlantic, however, shows how much derKlimawandel is now disturbing ocean currents – Istbeunruhigend. "

A second study published in journal Nature also concludes that Gulf Stream system is slowing down. The slowdown, however, already started about 100 Jahrefrüher, i.e. at beginning of industrialisation. "This has consequences for search for triggers of slowdown," writes summer Praetorius from US Geological Survey in Menlo Park. DieForschergruppe to David Thornalley of University College London is a natural process reinforced by man-made GlobaleErwärmung. "Neverless, Hauptverantwortlichein two scenarios is dilution of surface water."

Date Of Update: 12 April 2018, 12:03