this post was submitted on 27 Sep 2023
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The Gulf Stream plays a significant role in maintaining the climate of the US East Coast and Western Europe. "We conclude with a high degree of confidence that Gulf Stream transport has indeed slowed by about 4% in the past 40 years." The full study is Here

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[–] [email protected] 37 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (8 children)

What will be the consequences to this?

[–] [email protected] 55 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Rise in sea levels on the east coast, reduced rain in the east coast, stronger storms, and more precipitation in Europe and the tropics. According to wiki.

I think it'll also make some areas cold as fuck and probably heat up the gulf.

[–] [email protected] 45 points 2 years ago

Western Europe will get pretty fucked without it, We're much further north than people realise. The Netherlands is further north than Calgary, Canada

[–] [email protected] 51 points 2 years ago

The consequences are unpredictable. More extreme weather is about the only certainty.

The energy of the heat transfer will not just be missing in Europe. It'll also be in excess in the Caribbeans, perhaps creating stronger winds worldwide.

Imagine a house with water radiators, where you turn off the circulation pump while keeping the furnace on full blast. It's gotta go somewhere.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Britain and Iceland are utterly fucked.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

So's Norway - quite a few places on the west coast (the most inhabited non-Oslo part of the country) rely on the fact that the gulf stream keeps them unusually warm for their latitude

I'm already seeing things that would normally grow fine out in the garden suffer from abnormally late and early frosts and mild summers. Rip my tomatos and onions. Everyone's complaining about 20+ degree springs in the mainland while I'm screaming that it's still snowing in late May.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

Oof, I'm sorry to hear about your veggies :(

I hope it doesn't collapse, it would mean a lot of displaced people and loss of life.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 2 years ago

East coast of Canada and US will become arid. Caribbean will become hotter and storms will become more severe. Scotland, Ireland, Iceland, and Norway will be substantially colder (compare latitude of UK with Northern Canada) and with less precipitation. Basically, everywhere that relies on warm tropical moist air currents will drastically change.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Europe is at the latitude of Canada, it lacks Canada's climate gradient because of the Gulf stream

We 'bouta see Siberia stretch its way to the Elbe!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

Welp, at least we'll get to see snow again before we drop