[tnjed123 (OP)]

I have read several articles postulating that if the saline concentration of the Gulf stream current continues to drop Europe and North America may experience another ice age. What information can you provide on this hypothesis and what is the latest information on this phenomenon?[8D]

[jysk]

I remember reading something about a fellow who thought we should construct a dam across the Straight of Gibraltar to prevent another ice-up episode. I'm sure other forum members have heard this one.

I think the theory was that super-salty Mediterranean seawater would spill into the Atlantic Ocean somehow and because it is more dense, plunge right down to the bottom. This will force very cold water from the bottom of the Atlantic, up. The consequence is that precipitation that normally forms and falls on England as rain will form further west and fall on Northern Canada as snow. The problem is that the old snow won't melt before new snow falls. There is more to it then that, but those are the key points that I can recall. A clever thought really.

Your original post is asking for opinions of something completely different but it reminded me of this idea.

Mike

[VAlibrarian]

Tim Flannery in his book the Weather MAkers seemed to feel that a collapse of the Gulf Stream is not that likely as a result of global warming. Other results of global warming such as coral deaths, floods, extinctions of polar bears, increased hurricane activity, seemed more likely to him.

chris wiegard

[ukmicky]

I read once but cant think where that the possibility does exist that if it wernt for us pumping all that crap into the atmosphere we could be on our way now towards another ice age.

Michael

[jysk]

Ya, I remember that too. It had something to do with "dimming". I don't recall the mechanics of it though.

Mike

[another_someone]

Global dimming (caused by particulate matter we used to throw up into the atmosphere) did certainly cool down the global temperature slightly, and by cleaning up some of the pollution, we actually have caused an increase in temperature.

There have been lots of extrapolations looking at historic cycles of warm and cold periods (incidentally, technically we are still in an ice age, but simply not in the deepest depths of it) that indicated that enough time has elapsed that any time soon the temperature should start cooling again.  So far, none of the indicators seem to indicate that, with or without human activity, the Earth is ready to start cooling quite yet – but who can tell in another 10, or 50, or 100, or 500 years?

George

[crandles]

Try

http://www.realclimate.org/index.php?p=225

and

http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2006/01/atlantic-circulation-changes/

quote:
Everyone quoted is however agreed on one thing: "the notion that [a future change in the themohaline circulation] may trigger a mini ice age is a myth”.

[ukmicky]

I read once but cant think where that the possibility does exist that if it wernt for us pumping all that crap into the atmosphere we could be on our way now towards another ice age.

Michael

[jysk]

Ya, I remember that too. It had something to do with "dimming". I don't recall the mechanics of it though.

Mike

[another_someone]

Global dimming (caused by particulate matter we used to throw up into the atmosphere) did certainly cool down the global temperature slightly, and by cleaning up some of the pollution, we actually have caused an increase in temperature.

There have been lots of extrapolations looking at historic cycles of warm and cold periods (incidentally, technically we are still in an ice age, but simply not in the deepest depths of it) that indicated that enough time has elapsed that any time soon the temperature should start cooling again.  So far, none of the indicators seem to indicate that, with or without human activity, the Earth is ready to start cooling quite yet – but who can tell in another 10, or 50, or 100, or 500 years?

George

[crandles]

Try

http://www.realclimate.org/index.php?p=225

and

http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2006/01/atlantic-circulation-changes/

quote:
Everyone quoted is however agreed on one thing: "the notion that [a future change in the themohaline circulation] may trigger a mini ice age is a myth”.

[mark71]

try...