CLIMATE change, medieval bridges and pollution will be subjects covered by a new series of online talks provided by a river trust this spring. These online talks are a first for the Ribble River Trust as part of their Ribble Life Together programme, a project supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund with the aim of delivering a healthier river system for the benefit and enjoyment of local communities and local wildlife. Harvey Hamilton-Thorpe, Head of Learning & Engagement for RRT said: “In normal times, we would be visiting groups and giving presentations about the Ribble and our work but because everyone is encouraged to stay at home during the pandemic, we’ve organised these environmentally themed online talks.
Scientists warn that if global warming continues unabated, it will weaken further, and could reduce by about 34% to 45% by the end of this century, bringing it closer to a 'tipping point'
Slow Atlantic Ocean may cause climate chaos
The system of currents - the conveyor belt - is at its most sluggish in 1,000 years may lead to extreme weather, warn scientists
25 February 2021 • 8:21pm
Some evidence suggests there could be a ‘tipping point’ after 2100 which could cause intense winter storms in Europe
Credit: Cover Images
The Atlantic current system which maintains mild weather in Europe is at its weakest in over a millennium, most likely because of climate change, scientists have found.
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation is part of a system of ocean currents which acts as a conveyor belt to move water around the Earth, redistributing heat and acting as a key link in maintaining the world’s climate.
Climate Change is Weakening the Ocean Currents That Shape Weather on Both Sides of the Atlantic
The change in the main ocean heat pump could bring more heat waves to Europe, increase sea level rise in North America and force fish to move farther north.
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Since the end of the last ice age, a swirling system of ocean-spanning currents has churned consistently in the Atlantic, distributing heat energy along the ocean surface from the tropics toward the poles, with heavy, cold water slowly flowing back toward the equator along the bottom of the sea.
Collectively known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, the currents played a key role in shaping the climate of eastern North America and Western Europe, and thus the development of civilizations there. But in the 20th century, the circulation has weakened more than at any other time during at least the last 1,000 years, new research shows.