The Day After... the day after:

Hollywood predicts the future. And I managed to type that without bursting into fits of giggles. Nearly.

In the apocalyptic film, The Day After Tomorrow, sensors in the seas were used to dramatic effect to indicate the collapse of the transatlantic current. This then lead to a new ice-age in the Northern Hemisphere... in the film, that is.

It appears that the scientific community thought "hey, that seems like a good idea..."

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Ocean array acts as climate alert:
By Mark Kinver
Science and nature reporter, BBC News

Measurements from a network of monitors stretching across the Atlantic Ocean could offer an early warning of 'sudden climate change', scientists have said.

Underwater instruments measuring the temperature and salinity of seawater will detect any change to currents that regulate Europe's climate, they said.

A UK-led team of researchers said the data offered the most detailed picture of the ocean's circulation patterns.