i've read that it would be the outbreak of a new ice age.
scientists say polar caps melting could provoke such a scenario.

i've read that it would be the outbreak of a new ice age.
scientists say polar caps melting could provoke such a scenario.

I did a search on that for you Phud.
Technically We are still in an Ice Age, it's just a WARM period, a very warm one at that.

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Savoir-Faire is everywhere!
The T1 Trust, T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, America's First HST

I think it would be very difficult for the ocean currents to stop. It's more likely that some may get extremely redirected. Such as the gulf stream, if that happened England, Ireland and most of northern europe would most likely get much colder.

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Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

From what I've read there is evidence that this happened 13,000 years ago, so it's not impossible.
And it has in recent years slowed down, Greenland is dumping a lot of cold water into the ocean.

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Savoir-Faire is everywhere!
The T1 Trust, T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, America's First HST

Given what drives the currents, I can't see them stopping. However- they can change significantly, having a huge impact on the climate & weather.

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Grant
Darwin NT

One site says it did stop 13,000 years ago and another said it temporarily reversed.
That's all I know. It's a fascinating subject, as is the magnetic pole flip, the North Magnetic Pole is currently heading towards Russia.
https://sciencing.com/happens-ocean-currents-stop-8318706.html
https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/07/elusive-trigger-for-cooling-13000-years-ago-might-have-been-found/

sciencing.com wrote:

Rocks and ice provide evidence of ocean currents stopping for periods of time in history. One example can be found around 13,000 years ago when the warmth experienced at end of an ice age caused large masses of ice to melt into the sea. The resulting changes in water density stopped ocean currents from flowing and caused freezing conditions in some parts of the world for over 1,000 years.

arstechnica.com wrote:

About 13,000 years ago, the warming out of the last ice age temporarily reversed course around the North Atlantic. This cold “Younger Dryas” period lasted almost 2,000 years. Like most climate events that primarily affect the North Atlantic region, ocean circulation is the prime suspect.

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Savoir-Faire is everywhere!
The T1 Trust, T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, America's First HST

Hmm. Seems like scientists cannot agree on this issue...
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2018/04/11/bbc-climate-explainers-recycle-yesterdays-the-day-after-tomorrow/
One study (models) says that the Gulf Stream decreased by 15%. Another (measurements) says that it increased by 20%.
It is more often popular with disaster scenarios that Europe's climate is changing.
In reality, it's not even certain that it will be colder in our part of the world if the circulatory system completely stops.
"It would probably not be colder than today. Global warming tends to take over, says Johan Nilsson, a professor of oceanography at Stockholm University.

The British popular science magazine 'New Scientist' covered this subject at the beginning of August this year (1st August online, 4th August for the weekly print edition). The online article is behind a paywall for subscribers only, but here's a link which will show the opening paragraphs: Extreme heat: Why its origins could lie deep in the Atlantic.

The key discussion relates to the Atlantic ocean conveyor belt, also known as the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation or AMOC. The Gulf Stream is just a small component of AMOC.

I'll go and scan my print copy, and upload it so you can read the whole discussion.

New Scientist on AMOC (google drive link: 4MB pdf file)
New Scientist editorial leader (online version, viewable by all)

Seems to me --by now--we should have a model of the Earth's climate drivers that is a lot more accurate in predicting the results of chaotic inputs. Such a model could be tweaked when compared to reality. I wish that I were a little smarter and knowledgeable --I might try it myself.
It occurs to me that week-long forecasts are better than ever right now of predicting diurnal temperatures and rainfall. Can we extrapolate these model predictors to determine longer term trends. We would have to figure out what drives the patterns and intensities of the Jet streams and ocean currents of the world.

I surmise that there is adequate measures and data of all the requisite inputs --even going back a few decades. Massive computing power is now available and affordable for most all research ventures.

Could we run the models backwards and see the Ice Ages etc.

The best models are run backwards to check their calibration - the trouble is that the "good" data is only goes back about a hundred years, not the thousand or so needed for a really accurate calibration. Just now, even the best models are good at showing trends not accurate predictions.

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

ice cores can go back quite a few years...

There are just too many variables for accurate predictions beyond a day or two.

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Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

My Samsung Gear watch gives me a 6 days prediction updated by the Weather Channel via WiFi, and it is mostly right.
Tullio

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True. If you are sailing you still cannot rely on weather predictions longer less than two days.
And on land as well that you in the US know very well when hurricanes and tornados hits.

Oh. That's weather predictions.
Climate predictions is even harder to do.