New ice age?

Question

when will global warming shut down the gulf stream and cause an ice age?

Answer 1

It's not clear what effect global warming will have on the Gulf Stream.  One reason it might shut down is because cold meltwater running off Greenland and the Arctic Ice Cap could interupt the normal flow of the Gulf Stream - quite how this might happen requires a bit of guesswork.

Cold water is more dense (heavier) than warm water so the cold meltwater would flow UNDER the Gulf Stream but... the meltwater is also freshwater which is less dense than salt water so it would flow OVER the Gulf Stream.  No one can accurately predict which will happen.

If the Gulf Stream were to shut down it would only have a cooling effect in certain areas - namely parts of Greenland and parts of north western Europe (France, the UK, Iceland, Ireland).

The effects wouldn't be enough to trigger another ice age.

The Gulf Stream doesn't actually generate heat it just move it around, there will still be the same amount of heat in the world but it will be in different places.  Whilst some places will cool down others will warm up.

If you want more information the term to look up in a search engine is 'Thermohaline Circulation'.

Answer 2

Time magazine in 1975 said that by 2000 we would be starting an ice age, and that by 2010 Glacial Developments in the US would ve very visable.

Answer 3

isn't this an oxymoron?  Global warming causes and ice age???  I thought we were worrying about the greenhouse effect.

Answer 4

The day after tomorrow

Answer 5

It's a good question.  Look up "Younger Dryas" sometime to see a bit about the last time that ironic thing happened.

http://www.stuffintheair.com/ancient-cli...

It lets you know how hard it is, really, to predict climate.

Answer 6

One of the things scientists are finding out by collecting data is that so far, there is no sign that global warming is affecting ocean circulation.  

Doesn't mean it won't happen later.  It's another risk we can't afford to take.  We need to work on reducing global warming.