Like the title says: How is it possible that the gulfstream is losing it’s power and what will be the consequences for e.g. Northern Europe?
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The earth heating up means oceans are heating up as well.
Oceanic currents, like air currents, are due to the movement of cold masses and hot masses of water.
The heating up of oceans is affecting those movements. In the case of the gulf stream, it slows it down.
As to the effect on Northern Europe, we could expect *much colder* winters amongst other things.
This has happened before and isn’t good. As the Gulfstream and pacific stream slow the Jet streams of air current move further south and encounter more warm air. Significant meteorological impacts are guaranteed with some proof that the NE USA will become quite arid as sea levels rise.
It isn’t good. No current means less oxygen, stagnant conditions mean bacteria create H2S – hydrogen sulphide gas (which is deadly), this will bubble up out of the sea and kill wildlife. It is theorised to have caused mass extinctions before. Take a look at https://www.wired.com/2008/03/peter-ward-qa/ and scroll down to the question on “Permian Mass Extinction” for a summary.
I read about this 10 to 15 years ago. The gulf stream slowing and stopping was predicted as a result of ice melting in the North. The idea was warm water flows North from Africa and warms Europe as it travels and cools. The cool water flows South along the Eastern US coast. As the ice melts, water flows from North to South in the Atlantic Ocean, which inhabits the gulf stream flowing North. The author thought this could lead to a mini ice age in Europe as the region would not be warmed by waters flowing from Africa.
Paris is similar in latitude to Montreal, Canada. However Paris has a daily mean temperature in Celsius of 12.8 (55 F) when Montreal is 6.8 (44 F). Paris’ winters rarely go below freezing; Montreal’s daily mean doesn’t go above it for December through April.
If the ocean didn’t keep Europe warm with energy brought up from the tropics on the Gulf Stream, year-round, it would have a very different climate.
The main theory on if the Gulf Stream collapses because of climate change is the huge heat transfer stops and Europe reverts to temperatures more in line with its amount of sun.
This is massively simplified, but you’re five, so here you go.
The Gulf Stream is driven by the differences in temperatures between the equator and the North Pole. Warm water is carried North at the surface and cold water returns along the bottom of the Atlantic. You can think of it like a conveyor belt of energy.
As our planet warms up due to climate change, the Arctic is warming faster than the equator. Therefore the difference in temperatures is getting smaller. That slows the current down. Less warm water flows North to Northern Europe and therefore less energy.
Ireland, is at roughly the same latitude as James Bay in Canada. James Bay has polar bears. Ireland has leprechauns. Without the energy transfer from the Gulf Stream, the Irish may get O’Polar Bears
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