Glacier waters slowed down the Gulf Stream

2001/12/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Klima

At the end of the last glaciation, the system that drives the Gulf Stream was paralyzed. With the melting of glaciers, the north of the Atlantic received abundant fresh water and the balance of marine currents changed. The main bomb driving the Gulf Stream is in that region and its balance also broke.

As a result, the Gulf Stream slowed noticeably and Western Europe cooled, as less heat came from the ocean. The phenomenon lasted hundreds of years. Those distant times are of great relevance, since in the medium term similar events have been announced as a result of climate change. This type of research is very useful to improve the climatic computer models used by researchers.