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The Younger
Dryas was probably
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caused by a
massive flooding of
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the North
Atlantic by freshwater
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outflow from
the melting ice
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sheets.
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Studies with
numerical models of
|
|
the climate
system indicate that a
|
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large
meltwater pulse could cause
|
a shutdown of
the thermohaline
|
|
circulation
and cooling of the
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magnitude
observed.
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As we have
noted in earlier
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lectures, the
thermohaline
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|
circulation
transports warm water
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from the
tropics to the northern
|
|
North
Atlantic, maintaining warm
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temperatures
in this region.
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