Gulf Stream & Jet Stream

[Bozo Erectus]

A quick and possibly dumb question: Is there any link between the two, do they influence each other at all?

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Wow, guess it was an even dumber question than I thought. Ok I'll take the deafening silence as a 'no'.

 

[Sophie 378]

I'm lazy. Read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_stream and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_stream and figure it out y/s. No, I have to go to a lecture now.

 

[Scuffer]

They are both caused by differences in temperature. The gulf stream has an influence of sorts on weather patterns, so I think there is an indirect link. Don't think jet streams have any real influence on the gulf stream though.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Yeah I know, you could google all day and never come across any reference to a link mentioned anywhere. Thats why I asked the local talent. It just seems to me that the large moving mass of warm water in the Gulf Stream would have an effect on the atmosphere, maybe steering the Jet Stream.

editscuffer, I was thinking that the column of warm air over the Gulf stream must have an effect on the movement of the jet stream, and that if the Gulf Stream is slowing and in the process of shutting down (global warming), you might see that reflected in the Jet Stream.

 

[SeleucusNicator]

You really need a more exciting life is this is what you spend your free time thinking about.

 

[IglooDame]

My gut feeling is that they're not related; compared to all the territory that the jet stream covers, the Gulf Stream temperature change would be little more than a speed bump.

 

[Scuffer]

I was thinking that the column of warm air over the Gulf stream must have an effect on the movement of the jet stream, and that if the Gulf Stream is slowing and in the process of shutting down, you might see that reflected in the Jet Stream.

In the sense that the gulf stream has a role to play in transatlantic weather patterns, I believe that a change to the gulf stream would have an effect on the jet stream.

Mind you, I have no real knowledge about it. Not that that usually stops me from posting.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

You really need a more exciting life is this is what you spend your free time thinking about.

What could be more exciting than trying to understand complex interactions between global air and water currents? Facebook?

My gut feeling is that they're not related; compared to all the territory that the jet stream covers, the Gulf Stream temperature change would be little more than a speed bump.

Could be, or maybe that small speed bump adds up to alot and has a greater effect when you take into account the vast expanses of water and air that are interacting? Dunno.

In the sense that the gulf stream has a role to play in transatlantic weather patterns, I believe that a change to the gulf stream would have an effect on the jet stream.

The Gulf stream plays a big role in forming Atlantic hurricanes right? Hmm, if the Gulf stream shut down, could that mean fewer Atlantic hurricanes?

Mind you, I have no real knowledge about it.

Me either. Too bad OT is a little light in the meteorology department, except for Quasar.

 

[Ultima Dragoon]

In the sense that the gulf stream has a role to play in transatlantic weather patterns, I believe that a change to the gulf stream would have an effect on the jet stream.

Bingo. From what i've gathered, the gulf stream is a warm ocean current, and the jet stream is a strong, cool air current that runs around either pole. These both help keep the conditions of America the way they are; The warm ocean current keeps the east coastfertile, and the jet stream looks as if it cools down the gulf stream down in temperature. A change to the jet stream, like say, a reversal to a cold ocean current, would make the gulf stream a cold ocean current, therefore changing the climate of the east coast to a desert.

The Gulf stream plays a big role in forming Atlantic hurricanes right? Hmm, if the Gulf stream shut down, could that mean fewer Atlantic hurricanes?

Not just fewer hurricanes, but colder weather overall. It would drastically alter the living conditions on the east coast.

My gut feeling is that they're not related; compared to all the territory that the jet stream covers, the Gulf Stream temperature change would be little more than a speed bump.

:shakehead Imagine this. One day the gulf stream reverses. From the gulf of mexico to north of New york, and along the east coast of Canada and newfoundland, the weather is chnging so much you'ld think it is turning into a desert. Thjat's because it is. Try of thinking of it like when you choose the climate in CIV III; Having a warm ocean current makes it warm, and having a cold ocean makes it cool, with either climate being interchangeable with each other.

Me either. Too bad OT is a little light in the meteorology department, except for Quasar.

I could change that. I may be able to wrangle up some global weather and weather issues from the BoM (Bureau of Meterology) website.

 

[Quasar1011]

Bingo. From what i've gathered, the gulf stream is a warm ocean current

That's true. The Gulf Stream is part of the North Atlantic gyre. A gyre is the circulation in an ocean basin, as determined by a) the shape of the basin, and b) the prevailing surface winds. A semi-permanent high pressure system sits over the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. Mariners dreaded entering the center of the gyre, near the center of the high pressure system, for there the winds are light- known as "the doldrums". In Europe, this area is known as "the Azores high", while in North America, we call it "the Bermuda high". The winds flow in a counter-clockwise manner around this high, steering the ocean waters in the gyre. The Gulf Stream is that part of the gyre which brings warm water from the tropics, northward towards the poles, along the east coast of North America.

and the jet stream is a strong, cool air current that runs around either pole.

The jetstream is set up by temperature differences. To say that a jetstream is a "cool air current", would be incorrect.

Firstly, in the northern hemisphere, there are usually 3 jetstreams, of varying seasonal strength: the arctic jet, the polar front jet, and the subtropical jet.
Sometimes the jet streams merge into one another. You will find colder air to the north of a jetstream (in the northern hemisphere) and warmer air to its south. When a jetstream makes a shape like the letter U, the air within the center of the "U" will be cooler than outside it.

the jet stream looks as if it cools down the gulf stream down in temperature.

The jetstream has no direct effect on ocean temperatures. Keep in mind that a jetsream is thousands of feet above the Earth's surface, and does not contact the surface except at the highest mountain peaks. But, the jetstream does produce weather events, such as snowstorms or cold fronts, that could affect the temperature of the Gulf Stream. Unfortunately for this comparison, jet streams belong more in the realm of weather, whereas ocean currents belong in the realm of climate.

A change to the jet stream, like say, a reversal to a cold ocean current, would make the gulf stream a cold ocean current

It would take more than a change to the jet stream to make the Gulf Stream a cold current. The gyres respond to the high pressure systems, which in turn are set up by the Earth's rotation. You'd have to reverse the spin of the Earth to reverse the flow in an ocean gyre! I do recall Superman doing that once though...

would make the gulf stream a cold ocean current, therefore changing the climate of the east coast to a desert.

Most of the world's great deserts are next to cold ocean currents, it's true. But it is not exactly the cold current that causes the lack of rainfall; it is a phenomena known as upwelling. When the winds consistently blow from the land to the sea, the wind pushes the water away from the coast. Water from the ocean depths replaces the surface water in such cases, and it is this bottom water which is much cooler. So, the existence of a cool current next to land, is not a guarantee of a desert adjacent to a sea. In your scenario, much of the east coast would still get onshore winds, due to the shape of the coastline. What could possibly turn into desert, would be the coast from about Savannah, Georgia, southward. Because of the shape of that coastline with relation to a clockwise-spinning gyre, rainfall would be limited from the Atlantic. The east coast of Florida would be much drier; but then, you'd have to factor in moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, with hurricanes striking the west coast of Florida quite frequently, carrying over to the east coast. In such a scenario, the most likely place for a new desert would be: the coast of Norway.

 

[Ultima Dragoon]

Hey, I was jus' saying what I assumed about the jet stream

I've never heard the doldrums called that before, though.