Gulf stream weakening

Research conducted by Peter Wadhams, professor of ocean physics at Cambridge University, found that the Gulf stream is weakening. Peter Wadhams findings confirms previous predictions that the ocean current that keeps Britain and Northern Europe from freezing over, would slow down as the melting of the Greenland ice sheet escalates due to global warming.

The Gulf stream transports energy equivalent to 27,000 times that of all Britain's power stations to the shores of the British Isles and northwest Europe each year. This provides a significant boost to annual temperatures of 5-8 degrees.
In the event that the Gulf stream shots down, the temperature is expected to drop rapidly. Within 1-2 years the UK and parts of Europe would experience longer and harder winters. The impact on the growing season would be affected as would food production in general.

The high concentration of salt in the water under the Greenland ice sheet is the engine of the Gulf stream, as it makes the cool water sink downwards in the Greenland Sea. As the cool water sinks downwards to the bottom of the ocean, it is replaced by warm water flowing in from the south.

Peter Wadhams found two factors disturbing the salinity in the water. The melting of Greenland's icecap is causing vast amounts of freshwater to poor into the ocean.
In recent years the ice sheet covering the ocean has thinned and retracted with 46%. As less ice is formed, less salt is expelled into the water under the ice. Both factors is causing the salinity in the ocean to fall, making it difficult for the water to sink and drive the current.