Atlantic Ocean Current on Brink of Collapse, New Study Warns – With Dire Global Consequences
London, UK – A critical Atlantic Ocean current system, known as the Atlantic meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), is showing signs of instability and could collapse within decades, according to a groundbreaking new study published in Environmental research Letters. The research, conducted by an international team of scientists, delivers a stark warning: drastically reducing fossil fuel emissions is now paramount to avert potentially catastrophic climate shifts.
The AMOC functions as a vital conveyor belt, carrying warm water from the tropics towards Europe and the Arctic. As this warm water reaches higher latitudes, it cools and sinks, driving a deep return current that regulates global weather patterns. However, this delicate balance is being disrupted by the accelerating effects of climate change.
Melting ice and increased rainfall are flooding the North Atlantic with freshwater. Unlike saltwater, freshwater is less dense, hindering the sinking process that powers the AMOC. This slowdown weakens the current, impacting climate regulation and potentially pushing the system towards a critical tipping point. The influx of freshwater from the Greenland ice sheet is exacerbating this issue, adding further strain to an already vulnerable system.
Previous climate models suggested the AMOC wouldn’t begin to collapse before 2100. This new research, however, paints a far more urgent picture, projecting a potential collapse
