With the icebergs melting in Greenland- would the ocean/surf be too cold for a swim? Or is it too far away to affect the Danish coastline.?
From a no clue poster.
In the long run, yes.
The climate is getting hotter, there is no denying that. We can discuss the reasons for that. Climate fluctuations is nothing new.
When the ice melts in Greenland, mainly west Greenland and Canada. The icebergs float south and if they survive long enough they eventually float into the Gulf Stream, going from the Caribbean Sea, across the Atlantic to western Europe, ensuring a mild climate here.
It was BTW such a rogue iceberg that got Titanic back in 1912.
But if there are many icebergs and they are big, they won't melt right away and go deeper into the Golf Stream. It's basically like pouring a little cold water into hot water. - It chills.
That means the water reaching Europe will be colder, cooling down the climate.
So while the globe is getting warmer, the north will get colder. Leading to more icebergs - floating south...
And if it happens over a certain time period the result is a new ice age. (*)
That affects the global air-currents as well. The warm currents will be pushed south, cooling off the climate even more.
So instead of a mild climate, with the odd ice-winter. Ice-winters will be the norm, fueled by an icy wind coming from the Arctic and Siberia.
During the last genuine ice-age 12.000 years ago, glaciers covered most of Denmark, the north coasts of Germany and Poland as well.
On the plus side there will be more land, and after some time we will be able to walk over to Britain and a while longer travel along the ice-rim to North America, just like our ancestors did.
Ironically, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea will empty, as the global water level drops and in a surprisingly short time they will be reduced to parched salt-deserts.
Sahara on the other hand will eventually become green and fertile again.
In North America the Badlands will be remolded over and over and over again whenever the ice-dams holding back a huge inland sea breaks down and gigantic floods break through.
I have no idea what will happen to you down south, but at least you can walk to Thailand and Bali for your vacations there.
So to answer your question: Yes, after a some time, perhaps a generation, perhaps even less, the sea around DK will be too cold for recreational swimming except during the warmest summers.
(*) Strictly speaking we are living in an ice age right now, we've just had a long summer, so far lasting some 12.000 years.
The current ice age has been going on for millions of years and will continue for some millions of years more.
That lack of rain sounds serious. The water looks way too rough to swim in. Is that typical?
It is. The grain harvest is bad this year. Almost halved.
At present DK produce grain enough to feed our own population and to feed all living in New York city. If that is halved the prices on ecological bread will go up.
But there are huge stocks of grain, so it won't affect the general bread prices that much. Unless we get a couple of more summers like this.
However, ecological farm products will become more expensive this winter. Many ecological farmers have had to reduce their stock because there will not be fodder enough.
The prices for central heating will also go up, as shells from grain is among the things used as fuel at the heating plants. Less grain = less shells = less fuel = higher prices. - So let's hope we have a mild winter.
But at least the grapes are doing wine. This will be one of best years yet for wine-producers here in DK.
- All that is a general problem all over large parts of the northern hemisphere.
As for the surf. It's not that bad for the west coast. It's usually windy with a high surf, which is why so many love to go there at all times of year. Especially Germans and Norwegians!
And of course the sea still claim a few tourists a year. In my childhood it happened several times a week during the summer, (mainly Germans) with an upsurge after the fall of the Wall in 1989. Now they have learned to read the sea too and there are lifeguards at most beaches now.
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Yes, I reckon that means the tour has ended now and the family is back at home. It looked as if they enjoyed their trip; there were lots of wonderful photos and I'm sure the children learnt a lot about Denmark whilst they were travelling!
