Beam me to Planet Gore !
Posted on 03/31/2010 11:05:52 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Scientists say they have found the trigger of a sharp cooling 13,000 years ago that plunged Europe into a mini ice age.
Mark Bateman from the University of Sheffield in England said a catastrophic flood unleashed from a giant North American lake dumped large amounts of freshwater into the Arctic Ocean.
This led to the shutting down of the Gulf Stream ocean circulation pattern that brings warmth to Europe.
"We're talking about a lake the size of the UK emptying very quickly," Bateman told Reuters by telephone. "We don't know the exact period of time but we're talking about a catastrophic flood."
The finding has confirmed past theories about the likely cause of a sudden cooling period called the Younger Dryas when temperatures in Europe, similar to today's, quickly returned to ice age conditions. The cooling lasted for about 1,400 years.
"Our research shows that if you put a large volume of fresh water into the North Atlantic in a very short space of time, this is what happens," Bateman said. His team's work is published in the latest issue of the journal Nature.
The Gulf Stream acts like a conveyer belt by bringing warm water from the tropics to Europe while cold salty water sinks to the depths in the far north. This "overturning" circulation draws in yet more warm water from the south.
Climate scientists fear rapid global warming could trigger a sharp increase in the amount of meltwater from Greenland. This surge in freshwater could trigger a tipping point that overwhelms the Gulf Stream, shutting it down and likely plunging Europe into another deep freeze.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Is that you, Noah?
hmmmm.
Here we go again...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Agassiz
Congratulations Bateman, you re-discovered Lake Agassiz...
seen the shots of Rhode Island the last couple days? ;-)
Did Noah live in North America?
I remember seeing a theory that the Great Basin in the cental U.S. was formed by a huge lake that was suddenly emptied, perhaps due to volcanic activity in the Yellowstone area. Don’t remember the time frame that was posited for it, though.
Where was the gigantic fresh water lake? Did they provide a location, some geology or fossil record to support their speculation. Or it this theoretical mumbling based on the exactitude of climate study models?
This appears to be theorized by scientists with measurable IQs and good morals - as opposed to the warming Klan of Klods.
uummm didn't the last ice age end 10000 years ago, which means that at 13000 years ago it would have been still going strong. So how can you have a "mini ice age" on top of a real one??
13,000 years ago?
thereabouts, I suppose, maybe more like 5,000, but who’s counting.
ping
Catastrophic flood; where have I read about this before ???
Me, too. Not sure of time frame, either.
The effect of the draining of Lake Agassiz on climate has been discussed for years. Why is this “finding” different from the other dozen or so “findings” (and why is a model result called a “finding”).
Second, I guess the good professor Bateman hasn’t been watching the Arctic ice trends lately. Greenland is in no danger of sudden melting.
Third, it has been demonstrated by buoy measurements (real data, not modelled “findings”) that the N. Atlantic conveyor has not been altered one iota.
Really! Who doesn't already know about this?
The author just couldn't resist throwing in unsubstantiated crap for the global warming crowd. The Arctic sea ice extent is setting records this year.
See Fort Rock, OR. The wave terraces are about 150 feet up.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
