Reply #3: Fire, then Ice [View All]

[Dogmudgeon]

This is troubling.

First, we have the reports that the Arctic's ice sheet broke up, in 1999.

Over the last five years, we've seen a dramatic reduction in the salinity of the subsidiary currents to the northern Gulf Stream flow, which will soon lead to the "collapse" of these currents.

Now, the Ward Hunt ice is breaking up. By itself, it's not that bad, but it's an indicator of "global warming", whether caused by humans or not.

Once the subsidiary Gulf currents collapse, we get colder winters. If a couple of cold winters aren't enough to re-establish the ice pack and re-salinate the northern currents, I'd expect a generalized collapse of the Gulf Stream current "any time".

That means "Ice Age".

Surf to this link:
http://www.whoi.edu/institutes/occi/currenttopics/ct_abruptclimate.htm

--bkl