Our ocean currents are essential parts of the earth and what lives on it. They determine the weather, what lives or dies in the ocean, and our human life styles. The currents are always changing but, because of how much greenhouse gasses are being released, they are being altered in ways that could be damaging. Humans are the indirect cause of changing ocean currents. If we continue our lifestyle the way it is now, it will lead to severe changes in the way we live today.Humans are the cause of the changing ocean currents. Our greenhouse gasses are making the earth’s climate warmer. The gasses work just like a greenhouse. As the gasses stay in the atmosphere, it prevents a portion of the suns rays to enter and then exit the atmosphere. Therefore it warms the planet. As the globe gets warmer, so do the oceans. The constant flow of warm and cold currents captures the heat from the surface. The water stores the heat and carries it to other parts of the world. This is a continuous cycle. Even the slightest change of temperature in the oceans can change the climate in a curtain area or destroy an entire ecosystem that has adapted to a previous temperature.
Ocean currents are the force that propels the direction and force of the water. They are created by wind stirring up water far out at sea and propelling the water in a certain direction. The temperature of the wind also becomes the temperature of that ocean current. They are important because they influence polar ice caps, and the overall climate of the planet.
The consequences of the changes in ocean currents can and will be dire. Natural disasters such as hurricane Katrina and delayed seasonal changes in the temperature of the oceans will become increasingly common. These things would cause even more catastrophic events to occur, and on a grander scale than hurricane Katrina.
Western Europe experienced a general cooling of the climate between (approximately) the years 1150 and 1460 and a very cold climate between (again, approximately) 1560 and 1850 that brought dire consequences to its populace. The colder weather impacted agriculture, health, economics, social strife, emigration, and even art and literature. Increased glaciation and storms also had a devastating effect on those that lived near glaciers and the sea.
If the worst occurs, life on earth will be unfathomably different. The temperature of the ocean would change to be hotter in some areas and would be colder around polar icecaps, where they would melt, due to climate change. Many forms of marine life will be unable to survive in these new situations. This will lead to a much, much different palate for most humans, eliminating most fish and many of other species from consideration for eating, or for creating a different environment for other animals.Another potential change we could experience from changing ocean currents would be that as the pattern or force of the currents changes, the landmasses on which humans live could be changed in shape. This could be potentially caused by the force of an ocean current on one side of a small land mass gaining a significant increase in strength or speed, while the opposite happens to the other side. This is an accelerated version of aquatic erosion.
Anyone and everyone needs to help with this problem. Obviously, this is an urgent concern; it will require some of the best resources of modern science, and the cooperation of all governments, in the interests of preserving the planet. Without proper care and attention, the vastness of the consequences will be cataclysmic. This problem may be sweeping enough in scope to require countries and governments to cooperate in ways they never have before, in order to preserve and protect their own interests.
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