On equator the wind blows from east to west because of the earths rotation. The earths rotation on the equator is about 400 meters per second, while on 60 degrees north (Bergen) the rotation is about 200 meters per second. This means wind coming from the north will turn increasingly to the right the closer to the equator it gets. On the southern hemisphere the wind coming from the south will turn to the left. (Coriolis effect) 

The same thing happens on the equator: wind slightly north of the equator is pushed to the right, while the wind slightly south will be pushed to the left. This transport from equator goes eastwards as it works with the rotation of the planet.

This wind system ensures the heat transportation on the planet from the equator towards the poles. 

With these winds, remains of hurricanes from the Caribbean travels to Norway. As the warm air hits the mountains it raises and therefore cools down which results in rain.

 

The mild temperatures brought to Northern Europe with the Gulf Stream, means that the Norwegian temperature is high (with Bergen as the basis) compared to other locations on 60 degrees north. This part of the world can therefore be seen as the worlds largest climate oasis.

 

Throughout the century, the north has heated up more than the south. There’s more land in the north, and more water in the south which means the north will heat up faster. This logic can be explained by the balloon experiment. If we were to put a flame under a balloon with water in it, the water particles will absorb most of the heat, so the balloon/rubber doesn’t get very hot. Water has a very high heat capacity, much higher than air, so it will keep the balloon from bursting. It takes a lot more energy to heat up a volume of water than a volume of air. With air in the balloon, the rubber acts as an insulator. The air and therefore the rubber will heat up quickly, melt and burst. Video

 

The ocean currents circulates the ocean water around the world and is crucial for life in the ocean and for the climate to the land bordering the ocean. Global Thermohaline Circulation is the research about large scale ocean circulation driven by temperature and salinity. Thermo means temperature and Haline means salt. If we look at the northern Atlantic Ocean, warm ocean water travel north across the Atlantic Ocean  and will eventually lose its heat to the atmosphere. Some of it transforms to ice and leaves behind salt causing the rest of the water to become saltier and denser. This water will then sink to the bottom and is now part of the deep ocean current which will travel south across the Atlantic. This circulation is one part of the global great ocean conveyor belt and will not come back to the surface for a thousand years. Each particle of water tells a story. The water can keep information about the climate from when it was on the surface until it reaches the surface again. This makes it possible to research the history and development of our climate and planet. 

 

To measuring ocean volum transport the unit Sverdrup (Sv) is used. Sv is a unit of flow, almost exclusively used in oceanography to measure the volumetric rate of transport of ocean currents. 1 Sv equals 1.000.000 cubic meters per second. To put this in perspective: if we were to combine all the rivers in the world and measure the volume transport, it would come to about 1,2 Sv. The Gulf Stream at its greatest, at about 55 degrees north, measures at 150 Sv. 

 

The estimated change in sea level from 1880 up to today is a 24 cm rise. This has been measured with tide gauges recordings and since 1993 also satellite recordings.

Bergen has experienced storm floods before, resulting in Bryggen being under water. What would the consequences be if the sea level were to rise a meter by the end of the century?