Gulf stream question?

Question

is it true that if the gulf stream stops or slows down the uk will have colder winters cause i wish the uk can have white xmas. and what is the chance of the stream stopping, is ita good thing?

Answer 1

Yes, if the Gulf-stream stops, the average temperature in UK and the rest of northern Europe will be quite colder. You might even see the entire Norway and part of Scotland covered by glaciers.

Nobody really want to see that. Some doomsday prophets say that it might happen as a result of the global warming. The idea is this: With global warming the ice covering Greenland may melt so much that a lot of surface fresh water will be taken by the Gulf stream. Now, when arriving to the north of Norway, the Gulf-stream surface water being heavier with salt sinks under the arctic ice and turn anti-clockwise as a sub-sea current. If that pattern is changed, there is a chance - according to some - that the Gulf-stream doesn't move toward north Europe anymore but rather take a 'short cut' toward the south Atlantic.

Now, if you take that very hypothetical idea, accelerate time from a few years to a few hours, you get a Holywood movie called: "The Day After Tomorrow," an amusing farce but nothing worth being afraid of. h**l will freeze before ... er, hum, New York!

Anyway, a white Christmas in UK is not worth the climatic changes it may require. Our industry, agriculture and way of living are so depending of the climate we are used to for centuries. Don't change it, please.