Uh oh....

A curious cold spot in the Atlantic has scientists thinking their worst fears have come true.

The answer may be simple, and it’s definitely sad. The cold spot in the Atlantic is likely a symptom of a problem climate scientists have been fearing for years. Record cold temps in this condensed area of the ocean suggests that the circulation of water currents in the Atlantic is slowing. Warm and cold water should be mixing to normalize water temperatures, but the currents are functioning the way they need to. They rely on differences in temperature and salinity, which basically means that cold salty water in the North Atlantic sinks (it’s really dense) and warmer southern waters move northward to take its place. When a large influx of cold, fresh water is introduced to the picture, the system goes haywire and the water circulation patterns are weakened because the sinking doesn’t occur. And where is the fresh water coming from? The melting glaciers, of course. If the trend continues, it could mean rising sea levels along the East Coast and a change in temperature for Europe and North America.

What could possibly go wrong?

Britain has asked the United Nations to give it territorial rights to a large area of the South Atlantic Ocean.

The submission - before the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea - is for territory around the Falkland Islands, which is also claimed by Argentina.

The area in question is beyond the 200 miles of territorial rights that states almost automatically get around their coastal waters.

It covers an area around the south Sandwich Islands, south Georgia and the Falkland Islands.

And the western limits of the claim are about 300 miles or so from the Argentine coast - about the same distance as the Falklands.

I don't think he's lost

I think he's hiding:

A 5.5m long minke whale has been spotted more than 1600km (994 miles) from the Atlantic Ocean, deep inside the Amazon rain forest. The whale ran aground earlier this week but after being freed with the help of vets and biologists it disappeared shortly afterwards.

Because of this:

The UK, Australia and New Zealand have sharply criticised Japan for the launch of its largest ever whaling expedition. The hunting fleet has instructions to kill up to 1,000 whales. Humpback whales will be hunted for the first time in over 40 years.

Swim for your lives! You're food!



Update 11/20: P.Z. Myers of Pharyngula has the last word.