New evidence of changes to the Gulf Stream during the last ice age could indicate additional sensitivity to future climatic changes, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.
New evidence of changes to the Gulf Stream during the last ice age could indicate additional sensitivity to future climatic changes, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.
The research, published in Nature, found that during the last ice age about 20,000 years ago, the Gulf Stream was stronger than today because of more powerful winds across the subtropical North Atlantic. This could mean that if climate change causes a reduction in subtropical winds in the future, as initial research is beginning to indicate¹, the Gulf Stream could also weaken. This would limit the amount of tropical heat that reaches Europe, cooling the continent and causing higher sea levels in North America, but the likely size of this potential effect is still unclear.
The Gulf Stream is a surface current that flows up the east coast of the US then crosses the Atlantic to Europe, carrying warm tropical water with it. This warm water releases heat into the atmosphere, warming Europe.
The researchers found that during the last ice age, when ice sheets covered much of the northern hemisphere, stronger winds in the region resulted in a stronger and deeper Gulf Stream. However, despite the stronger Gulf Stream, overall, the planet was still much colder than today.
Read more at University College London
Image: Coring barrel stowed along the starboard rail of the R/V Armstrong. (Credit: Christopher Griner © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
