Reply #12: What it says in the article is that *warmer* Arctic sea temperatures are affecting the wind [View All]

[muriel_volestrangler]

There is a lot of difference between "warmer Arctic sea temperatures" and "dissipation of the Gulf Stream". They are almost the opposite of each other - the Gulf Stream helps transport heat towards the Arctic, so, if the Gulf Stream dissipates, you would expect to see cooler Arctic sea temperatures. The article says the warmer Arctic sea temperatures are due to the loss of sea ice, especially in autumn, not a decrease in the Gulf Stream.

There were claims during the summer that the Gulf Stream could be altered by the BP oil spill. But they weren't by scientists familiar with it. And, as far as I know, no-one ever saw any evidence of any slow down. Over the years, people have suggested it could slow down. The most recent science on it I can find is from March this year, which says there had been no slow down then:

The Gulf Stream does not appear to be slowing down, say US scientists who have used satellites to monitor tell-tale changes in the height of the sea.

Confirming work by other scientists using different methodologies, they found dramatic short-term variability but no longer-term trend.
...
The research is published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8589512.stm