Bili Buzz - Popular Science, Nature, Medicine, Archeology, Future & Myths

Global warming is set to stall over the next 10 years as natural variations in ocean currents counteract manmade climate change.

Researchers modelling the climate of Europe and North America found that a major ocean current that brings warm water northwards is set to weaken, potentially offsetting temperature rises caused by human activity.

A team led by Noel Keenlyside at the Leibniz Institute for Marine Science in Germany focused on an ocean current known as the meridional overturning current or MOC. The current acts as a huge conveyor belt, bringing warm water into the North Atlantic and returning cold water to the south.

Scientists believe the ocean current strengthens and weakens on a natural cycle with a 70 to 80-year period. When the current is strong, it brings warmer water and a milder climate to northern regions.

The team’s models, which were checked against historical temperature changes, suggest the current will weaken enough to cool the North Atlantic, while temperatures in the tropical Pacific are unlikely to change.

The study appears in the journal Nature today.

“Our results show that global mean temperatures may plateau or cool weakly over the next 10 years because of natural fluctuations, but in the long term temperatures will continue to rise,” said Dr Keenlyside. “This doesn’t change the bottom line on global warming.”

Reports from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change suggest carbon emissions could drive global temperatures up by as much as 0.2C each decade.

At a magnitude of 7.9, the earthquake that rocked China’s Sichuan province is now estimated to be the country’s deadliest in recent history. Fatalities have tallied over 15,000 in an industrial city that was reduced to a living situation most closely resembling a refugee camp. As national guards continue rescue efforts in rain drenched rubble, the potential for after-shocks has driven most families from their homes. Access to any type of building or upright structure still standing is prohibited by Chinese officials. Without shelter, citizens unable to evacuate the area sleep in plastic bags to keep dry.

Despite the Chinese governments efforts, the rain-drenched hillsides remain unstable and prone to landslide. International sympathy has started to come in from the United States, international relief organizations and even from the Dalai Lama who offered his prayers to the victims.