S. Pacific Current Speeds Up 20% In Ten Years, Warms, Threatens Fisheries

[hatrack]

SCIENTISTS have discovered dramatic evidence of climate change in the South Pacific with "worrying" implications for Australia's rainfall and fisheries. Using new data from a network of floating robots, Australian, US and New Zealand scientists have detected a 20 per cent increase in the speed of a key South Pacific current over the past 10 years.

As well as moving faster, the South Pacific sub-tropical gyre, a circular current that influences the East Australian current, has warmed by up to 0.25C and risen in height by 12cm at its centre.

Authors of the study, to be presented to the Dynamic Planet 2005 Conference in Cairns on Wednesday week, say it provides worrying evidence of potential long-term climate change. Natural variations cannot be ruled out as the cause, but the changes fit those predicted by CSIRO models of greenhouse warming.

The warming of the current has major implications. It will take nutrient-poor warmer water further south along Australia's east coast, leading to an expected decline in fisheries and aiding the spread of exotic marine pests. There are also fears of a permanent decline in rainfall for southwest Western Australian, parts of South Australia and Tasmania.

EDIT

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16245009%255E2702,00.html

[MadisonProgressive]

1. We're all fucked

Time to power up the gamecube...

[mom cat]

2. Does anyone know how this relates to the potential slowdown in the North

Atlantic current?

[bemildred]

3. Hard to say.

The interesting question is where is the energy for this acceleration coming from?