美研究：北半球恐進入冰河時期 《明天過後》成真？

根據美國最新研究，在不久的將來，全球海洋環流模式可能崩解，以致北半球陷入冰河時期，猶如好萊塢電影《明天過後》情節成真。2017年冬天(Jan.)異常溫暖，令人擔心末日即將降臨。根據美國研究，在不久的將來，全球海洋環流模式（ocean circulation patterns）可能崩解，以致北半球陷入冰河時期，猶如好萊塢電影《明天過後》情節成真。

先前的研究估計，西元2100年前，全球二氧化碳水平將於倍增至700ppm。在此情況下，全球海流在西元2400年前就會崩解。

不過，加州大學聖地牙哥分校斯克里普斯海洋研究所（Scripps Institution of Oceanography）指出，此前的氣候模型可能大幅低估海洋環流模式崩解的機率。該機構發現，多數氣候模型誇大了大西洋經圈翻轉環流（AMOC）的穩定性，當研究人員移除這項迷思後，他們估計全球海流在不久未來可能崩解，導致北大西洋大規模冷卻。

研究人員預測，高水平的二氧化碳會造成北極和格陵蘭的冰融，增加淡水流入海水的容量，進而破壞大西洋經圈翻轉環流。海流可能在300年內將會全部停止，導致災難性結果。

參考新聞 http://news.ltn.com.tw/index.php/news/world/breakingnews/1939391

'The Day After Tomorrow' could become a reality: Climate change could cause ocean currents to COLLAPSE plunging the Northern hemisphere into an ice age, warn scientists

• -Researchers suggest that previous models may have underestimated the risk
• -A new model predicts currents will collapse 300 years after CO2 levels double
• -They looked at the stability of the Atlantic Meridonial Overturning Circulation
• -If currents collapse, temperatures over northwest Europe could plumme
• In the 2004 film, 'The Day After Tomorrow', ocean currents around the world stop as a result of global warming, leading to a catastrophic storm which wipes out major cities around the world.

And experts believe that the terrifying plot could soon become a reality.

A new study suggests that ocean circulation patterns could collapse in the near future, plunging the Northern hemisphere into an ice age.

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This graphic shows the Atlantic ocean circulation. In red, the relatively warm surface flow is seen, in blue the cold deep water flow. The northward surface flow and southward deep flow together make up the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)

WHAT IS THE AMOC? 

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is an important component of the Earth’s climate system.

The pattern carries warm, salty water in the upper layers of the Atlantic northward, and colder fresh water in the deep Atlantic southward. 

This ocean circulation system transports a substantial amount of heat from the Tropics and Southern Hemisphere toward the North Atlantic, where the heat is transferred to the atmosphere.

High levels in carbon dioxide would cause Arctic and Greenland ice melt, increasing the amount of freshwater run-off into the ocean.

This increase in freshwater would dirupt the AMOC, which relies on a balance between fresh and salt water.

 

Previous studies have estimated that carbon dioxide levels will double to 700 ppm by 2100. If this is the case, ocean currents could collapse by the year 2400. 

Researchers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego have shown that climate models may be drastically underestimating the possibility of ocean circulations collapsing.

They found that a bias in most climate models exaggerates the stability of a pattern, called the Atlantic Meridonial Overturning Circulation (AMOC).

When the researchers removed this bias, they predicted that circulation could collapse in the future, setting off large-scale cooling in the North Atlantic.

The collapse would stop the AMOC, which delivers warm water towards Greenland then sinks as it cools and flows back towards the equator.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4090226/The-Day-Tomorrow-reality-Ocean-currents-COLLAPSE-near-future-plunging-Northern-hemisphere-ice-age-warn-scientists.html#ixzz4lsFTeJPD 
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