| This winter (2007-2008) snow fall and snow | | | | tropical air from the Gulf of Mexico to the |
| cover has been at its greatest over North | | | | North Atlantic. But, there is another factor |
| America, Siberia and China since 1966. And | | | | in all of this which is getting |
| the Arctic ice sheet, which for so long has | | | | climatologists and astronomers reaching for |
| been all but doomed by modern climate models, | | | | the medicine cabinet. Sun Spots. |
| has had a resurgence. Of course, this is just | | | | |
| one winter and the next one could continue | | | | Sun Spots are cooler patches on the surface |
| the warming trend of the last 2 decades. | | | | of the sun, but they are magnetically very |
| However there are now two big reasons why it | | | | active and are associated with huge solar |
| could be possible that we are on the brink of | | | | flares and coronal mass ejections. That is, a |
| a new ice age. | | | | whole load of heat and energy being pumped |
| | | | out towards us and all the other planets in |
| Firstly there is the global circulation of | | | | the solar system. However, sun spot activity |
| the ocean currents which goes something like | | | | is currently very low. The last time the sun |
| this. At the poles the sinking cold water | | | | was this inactive was back in the 500 years |
| dives rapidly downwards for thousands of | | | | from the mid 1300's to the mid 1800's, |
| feet and drive a cold water current at the | | | | commonly know as the little ice age. This |
| bottom of the ocean. Meanwhile as this cold | | | | global cooling of around 1-1.5 degrees |
| water meets the tropics it warms and rises | | | | Fahrenheit, caused livestock to die, crops to |
| and gets driven north by surface winds, | | | | fail and widespread famine and gnashing of |
| redistributing the heat. The more efficient | | | | teeth around the world. London's River |
| this global ocean conveyor belt, the warmer | | | | Thames would freeze regularly in the winters |
| the world. However as the the melting of the | | | | and little tykes would skate and chuck |
| Greenland ice sheet breaks all new records a | | | | snowballs at each other, so it wasn't all |
| huge amount of fresh water is making its way | | | | bad. |
| into our oceans. This water is less salty and | | | | |
| doesn't sink as efficiently, disrupting the | | | | So are we in for a cooler world, a new little |
| circulation of the ocean currents, such as | | | | ice age? Well who knows really. The global |
| the gulf stream. As a consequence less heat | | | | warming doom merchants are in the red corner, |
| is transferred north and we are all left | | | | and the little ice age pessimists are in the |
| reaching for our woolly hats and thermal | | | | blue corner. Who will be right? Only time |
| pyjamas. | | | | will tell, but we will continue to get along |
| | | | with our lives in the normal way whatever |
| Okay, this process is quite well known now, | | | | nature throws at us. So get the sun block on |
| and is just another theoretical model | | | | in the summer, and two pairs of socks in the |
| (although there have been signs recently of a | | | | winter. It's being so cheerful that keeps us |
| slow down in the Gulf Stream bringing warm | | | | going! |