by Playfuls Staff |
5th December 2006
U.S. scientists say they've determined the Gulf Stream was weaker during the Little Ice Age -- a time of [more] unusually cold conditions in the North Atlantic.
That finding by David Lund and colleagues at the California Institute of Technology suggests changes in Atlantic Ocean circulation might have had a significant impact on climate during historical times.
The researchers analyzed sediment cores from the Florida Straits -- the region where the Gulf Stream enters the North Atlantic Ocean. They discovered the Gulf Stream was about 10 percent weaker during the Little Ice Age, which occurred between approximately 1200 and 1850.
The heat transported by the Gulf Stream is known to be an important control on North Atlantic climate, and the possibility of changes in that flow is one of the main uncertainties hampering the forecasting of climate change.
Since current knowledge of Gulf Stream behavior on long timescales relies in large part on geologic records of past changes, the scientists say studies such as theirs should contribute to future climate prediction.
The research appears in the current issue of the journal Nature.
© 2006 UPI
