date: Fri, 13 Feb 2004 10:37:37 +0000
from: Asher Minns <A.Minns@uea.ac.uk>
subject: unhelpful NERC press release: Rapid Climate Change
to: m.hulme@uea.ac.uk

An unhelpful press release from NERC today, in terms of public perceptions. It 
jumps on the impending ice-age bandwagon - no mention of timeframes or 
anything like that. An okay press release, but bad science communication.
Asher

British scientists set sail today from Glasgow to begin work aimed at 
discovering if Britain is indeed in danger of entering the next ice age.

Scientists on the Royal Research Ship Discovery are on their way to deploy 
oceanographic instruments across the Atlantic Ocean from the Canary Islands to 
the Bahamas. The instruments will spend the next four years measuring the 
temperature, salinity and speed of currents.

The work is part of a research programme called Rapid Climate Change, funded 
by the UKs Natural Environment Research Council and the USAs National 
Science Foundation. This measurement ptogramme across the Atlantic is being 
carried out by scientists from Southampton Oceanography Centre (SOC) and the 
University of Miami.

Dr Stuart Cunningham, of SOC, explained, These specially developed 
instruments will be attached to wires up to 5000m metres long. The wires are 
anchored to the seabed and buoys at the top hold them straight just under the 
surface. Some instruments will motor up and down the wires every two days, 
taking measurements, for the next four years.

Were taking measurements at 22 moorings on the continental slope off Africa, 
either side of the mid Atlantic ridge, and on the continental slope of the 
USA.

The measurements will help discover what, if anything, is going on with 
currents circulating in the Atlantic that act as Europes central heating 
system. Warm surface water is driven by the wind from the Gulf of Mexico north 
towards Europe. It moves fast, transporting heat equivalent to the power 
generated by one million nuclear power stations. The warm surface water gives 
its heat off to the atmosphere, which in turn keeps Europe about 5-10C warmer 
than it would otherwise be. In the seas around the Arctic it cools and sinks 
and returns south  the Atlantic overturning circulation.

Stuart said, We know that in the past disruptions to this system of currents 
have coincided with rapid transitions in and out of ice ages.

Now as the climate warms more ice is melting at the North Pole. This extra 
cold fresh water could halt the overturningcirculation, stopping all this 
extra heat reaching Northern Europe. There is speculation that this could 
quickly plunge us into a mini ice age.

This pilot scheme will monitor variations in the circulation. It might show 
the circulation is slowing down. It might be speeding up. We dont know.





>===== Original Message From "Catharine Stott" <cast@nerc.ac.uk> =====
For information.

-----------
Asher Minns
Communication Manager
Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
Tel: 07880 547843 / 01603 593906

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