Global Climate Change Blog
Warm Water the Reason for Cold Winters?
Apr 4, 2011; 9:36 AM ET
Interesting study about the influence of warmer ocean water on winter temperatures.
Winters in northern Europe and over the Pacific Northwest are normally several degrees warmer on average compared to those in the Northeast U.S., eastern Canada and northeastern Asia.
Conventional explanation for one of these differences in temperature has been the fact that the Gulf Stream, which is shown in orange off the U.S. East Coast below, delivers warm water from the Gulf of Mexico all the way to northern Europe, making that region noticeably warmer in the winter compared to the Northeast U.S. and eastern Canada.

However, research from 2002 concluded that warm ocean currents can only contribute up to 10% of the warming.
So what is the reason for the big difference in winter temperatures?
According to researchers from CalTech, its the fact that the warm waters off the Northeast U.S., eastern Canada and northeast Asia coasts is actually causing these regions to run colder, which is the main reason for the temperature difference.
The researchers found that the warm water off an eastern coast will heat the air above it and lead to the formation of atmospheric waves, drawing cold air from the northern polar region. The cold air forms a plume just to the west of the warm water. In the case of the Atlantic Ocean, this means the frigid air ends up right over the northeastern United States and eastern Canada, according to Eurekalert.
Latest global sea surface temperatures.

"It's not that the warm Gulf Stream waters substantially heat up Europe," says Yohai Kaspi, a postdoctoral fellow at Caltech. "But the existence of the Gulf Stream near the U.S. coast is causing the cooling of the northeastern United States."
More Global Climate Change
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How did 2011 compare to the last 130+ years?
Feb 22, 2012; 3:27 PM ET
The National Climatic Data Center put together a nice review of the global climate of 2011 and how it compared to the last 130+ years.
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Climate Impact of Alberta's Oil Sands
Feb 20, 2012; 1:36 PM ET
Emissions from Alberta's oil sands may only have a minimal impact on global warming compared to coal.
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Episodes of Extreme Summertime Heat becoming more Common
Feb 17, 2012; 10:35 AM ET
New research says more extreme heat in the Lower 48 during the summer over the next several decades.
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January Arctic Sea Ice Growth Rate Slowest in the Satellite Record
Feb 16, 2012; 3:01 PM ET
The growth rate of sea ice in the Arctic during January 2012 was the lowest recorded for January in the satellite record that goes back to 1979.
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January 2012 Surface Temperature Anomalies
Feb 15, 2012; 5:23 PM ET
The Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) has released their January 2012 global surface temperature anomaly data.
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Explaining Global Warming through the use of Steroids in Baseball
Feb 13, 2012; 2:22 PM ET
Scientists at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado have come up with an interesting cartoon to explain global warming.
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Has Global Warming come to a Halt?
Feb 10, 2012; 11:54 AM ET
Has global warming come to a halt over the past decade?
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How much are melting Glaciers and Icecaps contributing to Sea Level Rise?
Feb 9, 2012; 5:25 PM ET
How much are melting glaciers and icecaps contributing to sea level rise?
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Satellite Verdict is in on January Temperatures
Feb 7, 2012; 2:27 PM ET
Remote Sensing Systems (RSS) has just released their January 2012 satellite measured temperature anomaly data for the lower troposphere.
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Politics and Public Opinion on Climate Change
Feb 6, 2012; 3:24 PM ET
A new study that was published in the journal Climatic Change concludes that the main driving factor (no surprise) that influences public opinion on climate change is the political mobilizing efforts......
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Mystery Tree Decline may be finally Solved
Feb 3, 2012; 12:18 PM ET
The Yellow Cedar, which is a valuable, slow-growing and long-living tree that grows from southeastern Alaska through parts of British Columbia has been mysteriously declining
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UK Met Office Responds to Misleading Article
Feb 1, 2012; 1:18 PM ET
UK Met Office Responds to Misleading newspaper article....
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Globally, 2011 will go down as Warm and Wet
Jan 30, 2012; 3:49 PM ET
Despite the cooling influence of La Nina during the early and late part of last year, 2011 will still go down as the 11th warmest year on record globally
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USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map adjusted to Account for Warming
Jan 26, 2012; 1:07 PM ET
The USDA has released an updated version of their plant hardiness zone map for the first time in 22 years.
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Diminishing Solar Output will have little Impact on Greenhouse Warming
Jan 25, 2012; 11:47 AM ET
Solar activity is predicted to slowly decrease through this century. How much will this slow projected greenhouse gas warming?
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Global Climate ChangeIn the AccuWeather.com Climate Change Blog, you will find links to the latest research, commentary by experts with various points of view on all aspects of Global Warming and Global Cooling.
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