Oil in the gulf stream?

[greenarrow]

I think this is a relevant question to Global Warming and Weather.

There is a theory that states the dumping of fresh water into the gulf stream could change the balance in the oceans density which would bring the gulf stream current to a halt causing an ice age. What will happen when the oil in the gulf starts to get into the gulf stream? Report are from the keys that the oil my be getting into the loop current.

Will it have the same effect and stop the current?
Nothing will change?
Or would it speed the current up?

Just a thought I had last weekend.

Thank you. Look forward to an answers.

[poitsplace]

The general consensus (even from alarmists) is that it would take several times the combined flow of all the rivers on earth...to impact the gulf stream. There lots of variables its hard to take into account for the oil spill. The warm water and large area will tend to make it spread out force the lighter hydrocarbons to evaporate...leaving the much less damaging tar behind. We're still not entirely sure what the flow is...you can't just look at the footage and say X flow out of the pipe equals X oil...because a lot of it is natural gas. And of course...there's no way the oil spill is going to slow the gulf stream.

[scpg02]

Jun 1, 2010 16:09:29 GMT greenarrow said:

I think this is a relevant question to Global Warming and Weather.

There is a theory that states the dumping of fresh water into the gulf stream could change the balance in the oceans density which would bring the gulf stream current to a halt causing an ice age. What will happen when the oil in the gulf starts to get into the gulf stream? Report are from the keys that the oil my be getting into the loop current.

Will it have the same effect and stop the current?
Nothing will change?
Or would it speed the current up?

Just a thought I had last weekend.

Thank you. Look forward to an answers.

I have a thread on this down in the general section. Sadly I have a bunch of articles to add to it but haven't had the time.

[hunter]

To answer your question:
Nothing to negligble.

[karlox]

Saddly enough are increasing damages to come if the area is hitted by any big storm -not even yet hurricanes- which -I suppose- is a possibility being currently discussed by US State and Federal Agencies involved. Is it?

[stranger]

Karlox, the local marine biology people seem quite hopeful that a major storm will hit the areas where crude has washed ashore. Their thought is most of the landfalling crude will have outgassed and be denser than water. A major beach washing storm should tend to accumulate the tarry residue in low places where the crude eating bacteria found in abundance in the Gulf can munch away at leisure.

As far as oil in the Gulf Stream is concerned - that river in the ocean is far too wide and deep to be much affected by the relatively small volumes of high density crude coming from one well. The rather poetic description of "a hundred Amazons" drastically understates the size of the Gulf Stream.

Stranger

[nautonnier]

The BP oil-spill is not the first or (currently) the largest in the GOMEX caused by a blowout see

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ixtoc_I_oil_spill

Ixtoc in the GOMEX in 1979 took 10 months to cap. A hurricane went through the area and 'cleaned the beaches' although that cannot be said to be definitely what would happen this time. It has happened before see

www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a902646310

The Braer tanker run aground in the Shetllands lost around 84,000 tons of oil on pristine beaches - but after a week or so of high winds there was little to try to clear away.

There is some discussion on whether a hurricane in the GOMEX would clear the current spill. I would think a lot would depend on the success of the capping efforts. See:

www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/06/17/eveningnews/main6592855.shtml

There is also some discussion on the natural increase in algae that feed on hydrocarbons (oil naturally bubbles through the sea bed in places in the GOMEX) that could lead to the oil in the spill being consumed but with the potential effect of an algal 'bloom' that could also have negative effects.

Its another subject that does not have straight line answers. Although it would really help if all the non-US expertise had been allowed to assist rather than have been turned away.

[poitsplace]

And as always...people forget that humans are steadily reducing the flow from natural seeps as they're tapped. But even now...the natural seeps are spewing about as much oil humans.