How does the gulf stream affect the climate of Europe?

If the Gulf Stream dies and Europe cools down, how will that affect climates elsewhere?

• According to the UN, the Gulf Stream is now slowing down, which would lead to Canadian conditions in Britain and Europe soon. But all the currents go all over the planet one way or ...show more

• Answer:

  The specific scenario you're talking about is a bit more complicated--but you've got the gist of it. Here's the deal. Right now--and for centuries, the Gulf Stream has flowed north in the Atlantic , across, and then south again, warming the ocean. That has a big influence on climate, keeping the northeastern US, southeastern Canada, and northern Europe, much warmer than they would othr wise be. If the Gulf Stream goes away, or changes course, average temperatures would drop in those regions, creating a much colder climate. One of the odd things that's going on is that this may (scientists aren't entirely sure yet, as far as i know) be a side effect of global warming. If not, global warming might make it a good deal worse. Here's why: as the Gulf Stream flows north, it is forced along its path partly by the undersea geography--and there is what amounts to a barrier formed by undersea geography and islands that pushes it north. But if global warming raises sea levels too much bymelting the icecaps, glaciers, etc, that northward flow could be able to continue to flow west (as it does in the tropics)--heading into the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. If that happened, the warm water would never reach the North atlantic. So we may be looking at a truely ironic scenario in the future: an Earth in the midst of global warming, with higher averge temperatures worldwide--and a colder climate int he North Atlantic and surrounding countries. BTW, there is some evidence (I don't know howdefinitive this is) that such diversions ofthe Gulf Stream in the distant past may have been the trigger for the Ice Ages--or at least a contributing factor. A final note--possibilities like this--with the attendent damage to local ecosystems--are the sort of complex "domino effects" that has scientists so concerned about the global warming human activity is producing. Its not that things are a bit warmer on average--its the danger of these complex interactive effects tat ccould have devastating effects on our civilization.