Part of the ocean circulation system that regulates the planet’s weather and temperature is slowing down at a rate that may be faster than anticipated. This could result in a tipping point that would result in severe weather changes.
The Gulf Stream is part of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), which moves water around the world. This feature flows off the coast of Jacksonville and keeps our climate humid. It also prevents the ocean from getting too hot where it receives more sunlight.
This is important in keeping the planet’s climate steady by removing excess heat from the equatorial areas northward to the poles. This mechanism keeps the planet’s temperature in balance as warm water sinks to the bottom of the ocean around the polar latitudes.
A new study shows this process may dramatically slow down and then completely shut down in the next few decades.
The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, uses statistical methods to tease out early warning signals of an AMOC collapse. These signals include a slow-down in the current and increasing variability.
Climate models indicate that an abrupt stop in the AMOC could trigger extreme cooling across parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Rainfall patterns around the world would be disrupted and major floods and storms would increase. This would lead to further sea level rise in the North Atlantic basin, among other effects.
The study’s authors warn that the AMOC is already showing signs of weakening and that we need to take action to mitigate climate change in order to prevent its collapse.