1 / 8

Keeping Europe from Freezing

Keeping Europe from Freezing. Alyson Hoegg Meteo 482 http://geology.com/world/europe-physical-map.shtml. Average Winter Highs in Madrid and Chicago. Madrid, Spain December - 48°F January - 50°F February - 54°F Chicago, Illinois December - 35 °F January - 31 °F February - 36 °F

finian
Télécharger la présentation

Keeping Europe from Freezing

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Keeping Europe from Freezing Alyson Hoegg Meteo 482 http://geology.com/world/europe-physical-map.shtml

  2. Average Winter Highs in Madrid and Chicago • Madrid, Spain • December - 48°F • January - 50°F • February - 54°F • Chicago, Illinois • December - 35°F • January - 31°F • February - 36°F http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIL0225 http://www.madrid-tourist-guide.com/en/weather/weather-madrid.html

  3. Why is this the case? • AixueHufocuses on the globe-spanning, endlessly looping current known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. • Brings warm water from the South Pacific, Indian, and South Atlantic Oceans northward along the eastern coast of the Americas. Screenshot from NASA's High-Def animation of surface currents. Credit: NASA.

  4. Why is this the case? • At about Massachusetts, the warm water turns toward Europe. • Due to how the warm water effects the weather, surface temperatures are warmer in western Europe. • The water then cools, becomes denser, and sinks to create a sub-surface current that runs south. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_Stream

  5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermohaline_circulation

  6. Fresh Water Problems • Adding fresh water from melting ice caps in the North Atlantic causes the ocean water in the current to become more dilute. • Makes it harder for surface water to sink when it is cold. • If enough ice is melted, the conveyor belt could stop completely. http://futurepredictions.com/2012/03/future-melting-ice-cap-details-beyond-belief-as-coastal-regions-get-ready-to-move-to-higher-ground/

  7. Solution to the problem!! • The Bering Strait • When open, water flows into the Arctic Ocean and into the North Atlantic. • Pacific Ocean water is less salty than the Atlantic. • The current is in a constant state of mild dilution. • More freshwater dumped into the Atlantic, only adds to the dilution and slows the conveyor belt gradually. http://psc.apl.washington.edu/switchyard/overview_pages/circulation.html

  8. Solution to the problem!! • The Bering Strait • When it is closed, the conveyor belt is undiluted. • A lot of freshwater put into the conveyor, it can cause a shock to the system and cause the conveyor to completely stop. • Western Europe will lose a source of heat!! http://www.eoearth.org/article/Climate_Solutions:_Chapter_4

More Related