Huge Ocean Whirpools Help Drive Weather And Climate

Look! Science! (via The Hockey Schtick)

Huge ‘whirlpools’ in the ocean are driving the weather

11:08 27 June 2014 by Michael Slezak New Scientist

Giant “whirlpools” in the ocean, up to 500 kilometres across, are driving the world’s climate on a scale previously unimagined. We just don’t know exactly how yet.

The bodies of swirling water, called mesoscale eddies, are 100 km to 500 km in diameter. They form when patches of water are destabilised by obstacles like islands. The eddies carry huge volumes of water and heat across the oceans, until they slowly stop spinning over days or months and reintegrate with the surrounding water.

The assumption was that they gradually diffused the heat they carried in all directions as they travelled, which would hardly do anything to the climate. Now, for the first time, the amount of water and heat they carry has been measured and it turns out the eddies have a big effect after all. (snip)

It’s not clear what this means for the weather, but it is likely to be significant. Some of the world’s biggest sources of climate variability, such as the El Niño Southern Oscillation, are powered by heat moving around the oceans, driven by wind and ocean currents. The eddies could have similar effects, says Qiu, and once we understand them it should help us create more accurate predictions of the regional effects of climate change.

As the Hockey Schtick notes

Amazing what climate scientists can discover about natural climate change by making measurements and observations instead of assuming what “the consensus” previously believed to be true. The junk output of climate models does not incorporate very important natural phenomena such as these newly discovered large eddies or ocean and atmospheric oscillations, which are the true drivers of weather and climate, not CO2.

Next up, Warmists will surely tell us that the whirpools have increased and have a bigger impact because of Mankind’s “carbon pollution” output.

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18 Responses to “Huge Ocean Whirpools Help Drive Weather And Climate”

  1. Jeffery says:

    Yikes. More bad news for Deniers. Actual scientists have discovered another potential mechanism for explaining climate variability.

    Why are Deniers mostly pundits, lobbyists, bloggers and ex-employees of big energy? Why are there so few Denier scientists? Since global warming is so obviously a “hoax”, why don’t Denier scientists present their evidence? It’s always bloggers misinterpreting the work of real scientists.

    Do you and the Hockey Schticker (that makes you the Schtickee) have a reasonable explanation for where the extra heat is coming from if not being trapped by greenhouse gases?

    The El Nino’s, La Nina’s, the whirlpools described here and other currents redistribute heat that the oceans absorb. But why are the oceans and the atmosphere warming? Where does that extra heat come from? You know the answer, but you deny it. That’s why you are Deniers.

  2. gitarcarver says:

    Yikes. More bad news for Deniers. Actual scientists have discovered another potential mechanism for explaining climate variability.

    If you mean science deniers such as yourself, you are correct. This is bad news for you.

    You have always claimed there are no unknown mechanisms and interactions that can affect climate. Now we continue to see more of them and yet you want to claim that you were right.

    One cannot argue with your type of ignorance.

  3. Jeffery says:

    g2,

    Since I rarely if ever refer to “climate change” I suspect you are wrong. I very specifically try to refer to “global warming” which is a less weaselly description.

    I ask Deniers for an alternative explanation to greenhouse gases causing the Earth to warm. These gyres, currents and oscillations redistribute heat, but do not create it. As I’ve stated many times, and you have willfully misinterpreted, Earth’s climate is very complex with many known and unknown phenomena causing variability in the surface temperature record. BUT, the primary cause of the warming of the Earth’s oceans and atmosphere is the greenhouse effect.

    It IS hard to discuss these important issues with someone who Denies basic physics.

    Let me help you. Go visit WUWT where he’s discussing Force X and a solar “notch” model (via Jo Nova and David Evans) that predicts massive cooling starting in 2015 and lasting perhaps 20 yrs. Their model has no physical underpinnings yet, and depends on an undiscovered gas or force that holds solar energy, or something like that. Anyway, there’s an alternative physical mechanism for warming for you to chew on.

  4. gitarcarver says:

    So because you claim that you rarely use a term, we should discount your own conclusions?

    You were the one that constantly asked for other reasons for climate change. In fact, at one point in time you denied that the tern “global warming” had changed to “climate change” but of course, you were shown to be wrong there as well.

    There were those of us who said there were unknown variables as evidenced by the models not working correctly.

    You dismissed that as well because the logic was against you so you threw a hissy fit.

    Now more data showing how wrong you have been and how wrong you are and you want to say “see? I was right!”

    No data, no science, no logic will ever convince you that you are wrong.

  5. jl says:

    J-“If global warming is a hoax, why don’t denier scientists present their evidence.” J, really? Did you just say that? We don’t have to prove a negative. If global warming is true, why don’t climate astrologers present their evidence? “Warming” isn’t evidence, unless, of course, it’s never warmed before. “Where does the extra heat come from?” What heat? So what you fools are saying is that heat can only come from one source, greenhouse gasses? Don’t think so. “Why are deniers mostly pundits, lobbyists, bloggers and ex-employees of big oil?” Well, why do you think assertions are facts? Why are most astrologers funded by the government? “Let me help you. Go to WUWT where he’s discussing force “x” and…” Let me help you, J. Go to WUWT where he’s discussing how NOAA has altered temperature data. And surprise, surprise, it’s always cooling the past and warming the present.

  6. john says:

    GC The US Navy and the Vatican all believe in AGW
    Both are now filly onboard the Earth goes around the Sun thing also

  7. jl says:

    J-Let me help you again. Go to WUWT for a new post on “NOAA’s temperature control knob.” “Two months ago, July 2012 replaced July 1936 as the hottest month on record in the US, according to NOAA. Now, if as by magic and according to NOAA’s data, July 1936 is now the hottest month on record again.” This is obviously in part due to Godddard blowing the whistle on the data tampering day after day in his blog. But I like the “control knob” assertion. It’s as if the astrologers ignorantly think that what happens in our climate boils down to one single giant control knob called CO2. Yikes. More bad news for the hoaxers.

  8. Jeffery says:

    g2,

    I see you still have reading comprehension problems.

    The evidence supporting the theory of AGW is overwhelming. But obviously, research continues. Will research overturn the theory? It’s unlikely at this point.

    Do you have another explanation for why the Earth is warming? Unfortunately for the Denier class, the evidence for increasing greenhouse gases causing the Earth to warm is overwhelming. Some Deniers even try to Deny that the Earth is warming!

    What the Deniers practice is a strategy referred to as FUD, spreading Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt. Your strategy is political, not scientific. That explains why there are few Denier scientists – Denialism is not about science.

  9. gitarcarver says:

    GC The US Navy and the Vatican all believe in AGW
    Both are now filly onboard the Earth goes around the Sun thing also

    john,

    We have gone around on this before. You don’t believe or agree with the Vatican so trying to use them or the Pope as some sort of authoritative source shows your hypocrisy, rather than your understanding or beliefs.

    Secondly, the “Navy” does not believe in AGW. There may be some within the Navy that agree, but the Navy is an organization, not a person.

    And besides, you hate the military so I don’t understand why you think your using them means anything.

  10. gitarcarver says:

    I see you still have reading comprehension problems.

    You mean because I read and remember what you say and then remind you of it when you try and walk away from your previous statements?

    Maybe you need to revisit “comprehension” and “integrity.”

  11. Jeffery says:

    j,

    Steve Goddard is wrong, once again. He was wrong about Arctic Sea Ice and had to retract that. Now, he’s wrong (as is WUWT and Steve Doocy) about the US temperature record (2% of Earth’s surface).

    He was wrong about Antarctica.

    Goddard (not his real name) is not a climate expert or a scientist. He’s just another Denier blogger intent on Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt.

    The Earth is warming. Only the most extreme Denier, like Goddard, continue to Deny that.

  12. Jeffery says:

    g2,

    You’re a liar. You make stuff up. You attribute to others what you think they wrote.

    Earth: still warming. Cause: Carbon dioxide.

  13. Jeffery says:

    j,

    Not even other Deniers trust Goddard. This is what skeptic/Denier Judith Curry tweeted about Goddard’s data manipulations:

    Judith Curry
    ‏@curryja @VariabilityBlog @th3Derek I agree what Goddard did to the data was bogus, I say this in my post. This is not the concern raised in my post.

  14. gitarcarver says:

    You’re a liar. You make stuff up. You attribute to others what you think they wrote.

    See?

    There you go again trying to foist your faults on others.

    I wish that you would stop drinking or taking drugs.

  15. Fred Z says:

    The same Vatican that excommunicated Galileo? That Vatican?

    “Appeal to authority” dear boy, look it up.

  16. Jeffery says:

    g2,

    Perhaps your friends can arrange an intervention before you misinterpret again.

    Earth is warming because of atmospheric CO2 added by humans. Ocean whirlpools, gyres, currents redistribute this heat. Can you point to evidence that refutes this interpretation?

    Do you have an alternative explanation for why the Earth is warming?

    The Deniers heart;
    To confuse, raise doubt, distract;
    At the Earth’s expense.

  17. Jeffery says:

    http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/03/denial-science-chris-mooney?page=1

    Interesting article discussing science denial, including liberal-based anti-vaccine denialism and conservative-based climate science denialism.

    Money quote: “… when we think we’re reasoning, we may instead be rationalizing. Or to use an analogy offered by University of Virginia psychologist Jonathan Haidt: We may think we’re being scientists, but we’re actually being lawyers. Our “reasoning” is a means to a predetermined end — winning our “case” — and is shot through with biases.”

    Scientists are interested in the truth – lawyers in winning the argument.

  18. gitarcarver says:

    Perhaps your friends can arrange an intervention before you misinterpret again.

    “Again” implies that it has happened before.

    Clearly you are projecting your failures again.

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