Ice Age Britain

[Les Marshall]

I'm doing a bit of research about the probable threat from global warming and the onset of a new ice age in the Northern hemisphere and I just knew you good people will be a font of ideas, so can I ask for your thoughts on the following:

Imagine that ten years ago the Gulf Stream shut down, England is now affected by the same kind of weather/climate of Northern Canada (ish). What do you think the effect would be on the flora and fauna, the social and economic impact on our fare Albion?

Looking forward to your replies :wave:

 

[Gary]

Crikey Les thats a big one.

Research into thelast ice age showed that the glaciation stop in a rough NE to SW line across the centre of London so pretty much everything north of that line would be an ice world and everything south ****** cold. Also that much ice would see sea levels drop so walking to france or ireland might be possible.

Mass emigration south would have finished long before the ten year point so those left would be pretty well adapted to the cold. It would be harsh, hunting/fishing the main stay.

It is also possible in that time span that northern beasties would be back so polar bears on the thames would be a thought. Of course we would also have wild dogs hunting in feral packs too.

Interesting subject and one I find most fascinating.

I could literaly go on about it all day!

 

[Les Marshall]

Garry,
You've come up trumps, its a subject that fascinates me no end, so much so, I am trying to write a story round the situation and as such, done a bit of research. Thanks for your input mate, most welcome, any more?

 

[tenbears10]

I'm with Gary in the main but we are addressing two slightly different points. If the gulf stream cut off and our climate was similar to Labrador (same latitude as us but not warmed by the gulf stream) then we would be a long way from an ice age. Canada is a lovely place to visit and many people live a very similar life to Britain summer and winter. They just have warmer coats and snowchains.

I have looked again and we are talking about quite a high latitude. Most people in Canada live within 200 miles of the border with the USA. The further north the more hostile the conditions. Hudson Bay freezes but not year round. I think Gary's right on the southern migration it would be very cold in winter but not so bad in summer. I do think that it would take governments more than 10 years to cope with the necessary changes to infrastructure, trains can't cope with leaves at the moment no matter 6 foot of snow. Possibly I underestimate but I can remember problems in the country 10 years ago and most seem to have got worse not better. I think adjustment to sudden change would take a long time.

Can anyone put a figure on time it would take to cut the gulf stream and switch to a Canadian climate? I will have a look if I can find anything as well.

Bill

 

[Gary]

Bill wheres your imagination? Ice age is much better!!

As for the gulf stream cuting - no one knows, they have guessed but no-one knows for sure. Currently the great desalination danger is posed by the thawing of Greenlands ice and melt water run off from Russia. Currently they beleive this has increased ten fold in volume but as I say no one knows how much or little salt is needed to keep the gulf stream going.

If it goes it will happen suddenly and I think that years winter will tell the world!!

Ages ago I read a book called the Seventh Winter set in Russia after a nuclear winter - excellent story!! Good luck with yours Les.

And Les I'm away as of tomorrow for a week but if you want to discuss stuff in detail or bounce ideas feel free to email me via Bearclaw.

Wouldnt it be cool, blue sea ice reflecting the suns cold rays back at the white cliffs of dover!!

 

[tomtom]

:biggthump it certainly would be cool gary.. IMO!

 

[Les Marshall]

Thanks Tom, Tom,
I had in mind the sort of scenario that Garry described with the desalination of the huge ocean conveyor current. I can still remember the winter of 63. I have read somewhere that this was the first indication that something was wrong.
There also seems to be some research to show that the world has suffered this switching off of the warmer water current in times past, even the "Little Ice Age" has been put down to this, but I do not personally think that one was caused by the switching off of the currents, even though the little ice age lasted about 250 years.

Thanks for the offer Garry, I may well take you up on it.

 

[leon-1]

when you say when it goes it will go suddenly, I am not quite so sure, I think that before the gulf stream failed totally there would be precursors in the form of some phenominal storms as the two areas of varying water pressure and density moved in and out of flux.

The change to the gulf stream could change the planets overall climate, which means that we could have the same weather as Canada, but what weather are they going to be enjoying since the warm thermal current that normally keep the winds from the poles at bay would now be missing.

Every now and again Canada has very sudden freezes which are due to weather patterns coming in from the North and it becomes very very cold very quickly and then passes on, what hapens if it does not pass on????

Do we then enjoy the same deep freeze. in England, lets face it most people aren't equipped in time for normal wintery weather in the UK even though they know it's coming.

Due to this, the new Ice age isn't quite as far fetched as it may initially sound, I don't think that it would get glacier style traditional Ice Age, but I do think that it could get very very cold, I also believe that we would have warmer periods where everything seemd quite pleasant, but that freak storms (not unlike those that hit Canada today where it can snow in June / July time) would be common place and hit without or with very little warning.

For the first ten years the country would undergo a considerable reduction in population as freak storms caught people out and they died of the cold in thier cars in snow drifts, through general lack of planning for the winter period and there would be massive disruptions to all services including power and water.

Hopefully by then I will have evolved into this fella

:rolmao: :rolmao: :rolmao:

 

[Adi007]

Another issue that you have to consider with global warming that most seem to forget about is that greenhouse gases are trapping heat in the troposphere increases the temperature there while decreasing the temperature of the stratosphere - and since warm air is of lower density than colder air, this is an unstable system.

 

[Gary]

Leon, your not far off that now mate!!

Adi, can you clarify unstable system? Do you mean weather/temp swings or jsut the freak weather as per global super storm scenerio?

 

[leon-1]

Very good point Adi :biggthump

Gary I am working on the tail and the teeth ):

 

[Adi007]

Both swings and super storms Gary ... we're already seeing greater excesses of pressure in the troposphere as in El Nino/La Nina and more powerful weather fronts. But the scope for superstorms seems a true possibility.

 

[Gary]

Leon forget the tail it will only get in the way!!

OK with you now - yes I agree and lets not forget more flooding as more water vapour lifts off the sea do to warming - worse case scenerio, reoccuring storms causing huge floods that cant drain off, then temperature drops and they freeze. Snow drops freezes, more snow drops and freezes - hey presto glacier!! :chill:

 

[TheViking]

It would be a disaster, but also quite an adventure if everything was flooded and the water was about 2-3 m. from the treetops. :yikes:
Think I would build a raft if it was possible and make a home in the middle of the water in a treetop. Just like in this image.

 

[leon-1]

I seem to recall that when trees get to a certain temperature they effectively shatter due to the sap and water content freezing in them so that could be a bit of an issue.

 

[Kath]

I get the idea from reading this thread that everyone would quite like the idea of an ice age!! :biggthump

(Er can we hold off on it for a few months though, as don't have a Landy atm! )

 

[leon-1]

I get the idea from reading this thread that everyone would quite like the idea of an ice age!! :biggthump

(Er can we hold off on it for a few months though, as don't have a Landy atm! )

Kath we'll try and get an ice age arranged for the time just after you have a BV206 like this one

 

[Gary]

cAN I HAVE ONE IN RED - RED ONES GO FASTER!!

 

[JakeR]

So, first we're (UK) is gonna get warmer, then the gulf stream will cease and we'll get colder? I wanna be colder!

 

[CLEM]

A very interesting thread this,i read a fictional book when at school about this very thing happening,damn i wish i could remember the title as i would like to read it again.