Prepping for shut down in thermohaline circulation

[highland-bushcraft]

One of the scenarios that i have been prepping for the alst few year in a shut down in thermohaline circulation other wise known as the north Atlantic drift or current. This is the body warm surface water of the Atlantic that moves northwest ward from the east coast of America and the gulf of Mexico and brings the warm westerly weather systems that we are used to in the uk.

As the water gets colder and more saline from evaporation as it moves north it sinks to the deep ocean floor and is circulated back down to the Antarctic were it up wells and brings nutrients with it which is one of the reason why the southern ocean is so productive.

Link to image added http://www.flickr.com/photos/43478117@N00/4973633114/

Anyway melting permafrost from Siberia and from polar ice is diluting the dense salty water slowing the rate at which it descends to the ocean floor and thus slowing the north Atlantic current.

A slow down was confirmed when a 50 year study of the ocean finished in early 2000 showed the rate of current had slowed by 30% and that this was out of timing with the natural variation that happened on a 70 year cycle. Google thermohaline circulation and Bryden et al 2005 scientific paper.

The predicted result of the slowing and possible shut down of the drift is that Europe would cool by 1 degree and Scandinavia by 2 degrees in average temperature.

That does not sound like a big deal but basically it would give the UK the climate of places on earth at the same latitude like Canada and Russia and Siberia.

This whole theory was popularised in the disaster move "day after tomorrow" where the whole world turns into an ice cube and we enter a new ice age in one week. Which is a load of BS

But their is a chance that Brittan’s winters would become more and more severe weather and less warm water and air was brought to our shores. So 5 years ago i started prepping so that severe cold weather would not effect my day to day life if the theory was turned out to come true.

I also have experience of living in working in extreme winters conditions as i did work in Norway for 2005/2006 150 mile from the arctic circle. Their cars have heaters in the engine bay and fuel tank with a mains plug on the out side of the car so that you can plug it in at night and stop your fuel and engine from freezing. Also the fitting of winter tires that can grip snow and Iceland the correct oil and fuel for the temperature conditions

most families have a snow plough or snow blower to clear deep snow and water pipes and waste pipes go straight down inside the house before leaving the building to prevent freezing

So since 2005 i have been prepping for cold weather using my experience living in Norway and right now i am feeling quite smug after the last winter and the start of this winter.

Some of my cold weather preps include.

For my tractor

Snow Plough for loader
heater in fuel tank
Screw in ice studs for tread
antifreeze down to minus -35
trickle charger to keep battery topped up
engine happed up in blankets for good measure

For my petrol car
Winter Snow tires
snow chains
shovel
car survival kit ie jumper cables, blanket, ect ect
Methanol mixed into screen wash improves on freezing
5w30oil engine rated to -40 C
Anti freeze -35 C

Landrover 90

heater in fuel tank
BF Goodrich Mud terrain 265/75 16
supper winch 9500lb
2 sets of snow chains front and back
usual survival kit shovel, blankets ect ect
trickle charger

both the land rover and tractor have a 240v connection for fuel tank heater and trickle charger all i have to do is plug them in.

I also have snow shoes, and cross country skis.

I am feeling quite smug right now because for the last night because the temp in the glen fell to -18 and we have had a 1ft of snow and i have been completely unaffected by this winter and last winters weather business as usual i just find it so frustrating when i get closer to the village in the car and their are un prepared people blocking the road waiting for the AA to dig them out. I also feel that extreme snow fall and cold weather will continue to effect us this winter and for winters to come.

I am going to give it till next winter and if we get bad snow and cold again that will confirm my fears and i will seriously be think of investing in a snowmobile to complete the winter transport preps.

More to come on my cold weather preps

[Meyou]

Wow....and I thought I was well prepared for Snow. Hats off to you. This did raise a question in my head: Where do I get an engine/fuel heater? I drive a Petrol at the moment, but if I ever switched over to a Diesel, and after hearing about NR's Diesel waxing up, I think I'd probably like to invest in one!

Also, I've never heard of the Methanol trick in the screen wash. I'm going to have to try that, as my "Winter" screen wash I bought from Tesco's a month or so ago was frozen solid this morning

Any other tips and tricks you can share which we may not be aware of?

[Magz]

By next year I will have snow chains and boots!
All above my head, but I wonder would the oil spill have an effect on what you just said.

[highland-bushcraft]

I thought methanol buggers up wind screen wiper rubbers.

screen wash has alcohol in it anyway what is why when you spray it on the windscreen is smells a bit lit sniffing the top of a vodka bottle what you smell is the alcohol vapour

wether meths will bugger up wind scren wipe rubber, it certainly has not damaged mine but it is up to you if you want to try it works for me. what realy does bugger wind screen wiper rubber is trying to clear ice or 8 inches of snow that has just slid off your roof on to you windscreen while you are driving at 40 because you did not clear it. it is a pet hate of mine

[highland-bushcraft]

By next year I will have snow chains and boots!
All above my head, but I wonder would the oil spill have an effect on what you just said.

I don't know if the oil spill has effect the circulation i don't realy see how it would but only time will tell. Some souses say that the spill as flipped the switch and the north atlantic drift has shut down but i don't pay much attention to them because they have no scientific proof and it is mostly conjecture of the crazy 2012 web sites.

I dont think that the flow will switch off like a light bulb but i do think that the slow down will continue and well will begin to see our seasons change and colder and more prelonged weather only time will tell

[diamond lil]

I remember we were told at school (in the 60s) that this would happen one day, the Gulf Stream would slow or divert, and Scotland would be like Hudsons Bay. It bloody well feels like it this week anyway ! Still got 2 foot of snow here and not thawing at all apart from a few icicles dripping in the sun earlier. Nowhere left to dump snow, the whole village is covered with white mounds of it.

[Huorn]

There's been much talk of winter tyres lately, no surprise really. I was heard one radio presenter saying that you only need winter tyres on the drive wheels. Do you use just two, or have the full set? Seems logical to me to have all four, five if you include the spare changed to. After all, it's not just traction required to propel you along. I'd like all four to grip when I brake!

H

[Huorn]

There's been much talk of winter tyres lately, no surprise really. I was heard one radio presenter saying that you only need winter tyres on the drive wheels. Do you use just two, or have the full set? Seems logical to me to have all four, five if you include the spare changed to. After all, it's not just traction required to propel you along. I'd like all four to grip when I brake!

H

Bit pointless just having them on the driving wheels if the driving wheels are at the back and the directional steering wheels are at the front.

Fair point, but I'll hazard a guess and say the majority of cars today are front wheel drive. Both of ours are. There seems to be so much rubbish talked about winter tyres these days it's hard to get to the truth of the matter. Are the 'only two tyres' advocates just being tight and should be fitting all four winter tyres to front wheel drive cars, what's the score?

H

[highland-bushcraft]

There's been much talk of winter tyres lately, no surprise really. I was heard one radio presenter saying that you only need winter tyres on the drive wheels. Do you use just two, or have the full set? Seems logical to me to have all four, five if you include the spare changed to. After all, it's not just traction required to propel you along. I'd like all four to grip when I brake!

H

Bit pointless just having them on the driving wheels if the driving wheels are at the back and the directional steering wheels are at the front.

On a front wheel drive car you can get a way at a pinch with them just on the front that is how i started out. That will get you going in the snow but you realy need to have them all round to have have the best brakeing and steering. If you just have them on the front you back end will tend to slide on corners and your breaking didtance will be longer ..... but atleast you can move !!!

For rear wheel drive NR is right you definatly want them on all four wheels.

It still amazes me that we don't routinely fit winter tyres in this country. The tempreature only has to fall below 7 degrees C for them to be more effective than summer tyre at braking

When Holand started encouraging the fitting of winter tyre they saw a 25 percent decress in fatal winter road deaths. One could wonder if those 2 girls who dies when they smashed into a royal mail truck in icy weather would be alive today if thier car was fitted with winter tyres.

The reason why this the roads grind to a haul when we have a few inches of snow is because thier is always one person who will venture out in it with bearly legal semmer tyres... then they will spin out and then everybody who is prepared with 4x4's and cars with winter tyres and chains are stuck behind them

excuse the pun

but it is time that the UK got a "Grip" with winter tyres

Also i think that skid pan training for new driver like in scandinavia would not be a bad idea either

[Huorn]

On a front wheel drive car you can get a way at a pinch with them just on the front that is how i started out. That will get you going in the snow but you realy need to have them all round to have have the best brakeing and steering. If you just have them on the front you back end will tend to slide on corners and your breaking didtance will be longer ..... but atleast you can move !!!

Thanks HB, that's the info I was after.

I asked a mate who spent some time in Switzerland about them, he reckoned they made quite a difference simply driving in the wet, though they may be a different compound to those available to us here. I'm thinking more and more it makes a lot of sense to fit them.

Could you myth-bust another thing for me please. I've heard a lot about how short a life span they have. Is that true or is the difference less significant? I'm thinking of a visit to the scrappy for a set of steel rims to fit winter tyres to and stash them in the shed to fit during bad weather if they are short lived. I can't really see this being true though as I know in several mainland European countries the fitting of winter tyres is compulsory from Oct - March and it seems unlikely that a set of tyres would last less than say a couple of winters for an average mileage driver.

H