Quick story:
Get some scientists, throw them in a boat. Make them go out 500mi east of New England and dive to deep coral reefs to study ancient weather patterns. (+ fun pretty pictures and swimming robots)

Detailed story:
The hypothesis states that the cyclical (over many many years) movement of the deep North Atlantic causes dramatic weather changes affecting the entire planet. To test the theory coral in the north atlantic will be sampled to reconstuct past weather conditions.

A fundemental problem in the understanding Earth's weather pattern is the movement of deep ocean currents. Specifically it seems (http://www.meteor.iastate.edu/gccourse/alumni/ocean/ocean.html) that the movement of warm north atlantic water down to the equator acts like a meteorilogical "engine" driving climate change. But very little is known about the "engine" part.

The New England Seamount is a large ridge in the middle of the atlantic ocean. It rises steeply out of the sea floor and is direct line with these north atlantic ocean currents. By studying the composition of the coral rock scientists are able to backsolve and figure out what ancient weather was like.

Dementia Wrote:

] Quick story:
] Get some scientists, throw them in a boat. Make them
] go out 500mi east of New England and dive to deep coral
] reefs to study ancient weather patterns. (+ fun pretty
] pictures and swimming robots)

] Detailed story:
] The hypothesis states that the cyclical (over many many
] years) movement of the deep North Atlantic causes dramatic
] weather changes affecting the entire planet. To test the
] theory coral in the north atlantic will be sampled to
] reconstuct past weather conditions.

] A fundemental problem in the understanding Earth's weather
] pattern is the movement of deep ocean currents. Specifically
] it seems (http://www.meteor.iastate.edu/gccourse/alumni/ocean/ocean.html)
] that the movement of warm north atlantic water down to the
] equator acts like a meteorilogical "engine" driving climate
] change. But very little is known about the "engine" part.

] The New England Seamount is a large ridge in the middle
] of the atlantic ocean. It rises steeply out of the sea
] floor and is direct line with these north atlantic ocean
] currents. By studying the composition of the coral rock
] scientists are able to backsolve and figure out what
] ancient weather was like.

This is the second time I have heard this theory now. I guess that means it is starting to gain some scientific footing.