Only 4% in 40 years, that’s just a Sverdrup in the ocean… (±1.2Sv)… but wait, just how big is a sverdrup …?
It’s good they keep measuring such things regularly over a long time. However the implication is not yet obvious - as people confuse the subtropical gulf stream off florida - mainly driven by the spin of the earth (not changing) - with its branch that turns off up the north atlantic, pulled by sinking cold salty water at the ice-edge (which is changing) - it’s the latter which is fundamental to the carbon cycle as well as the climate of NW europe.
Only 4% in 40 years, that’s just a Sverdrup in the ocean… (±1.2Sv)… but wait, just how big is a sverdrup …?
It’s good they keep measuring such things regularly over a long time. However the implication is not yet obvious - as people confuse the subtropical gulf stream off florida - mainly driven by the spin of the earth (not changing) - with its branch that turns off up the north atlantic, pulled by sinking cold salty water at the ice-edge (which is changing) - it’s the latter which is fundamental to the carbon cycle as well as the climate of NW europe.
1 Sverdrup equal to 1 million cubic metres per second