Planet and People Connection
Planet and People Connection
Critical Ocean Current May Be Near Collapse
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According to a new analysis from the journal Nature Communications, the Atlantic Ocean’s sensitive circulation system has become slower and less resilient. Scientists are concerned that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) could collapse any time between now and 2095.
The AMOC plays a critical role in transporting warm, salty water from the tropics to the North Atlantic, and sending colder water back south along the ocean floor. However, because Arctic ice is melting at a rapid pace due to global warming, there is an overabundance of cold freshwater in the system, putting it in danger of irreversible collapse. The collapse could result in dramatic changes in weather on either side of the Atlantic.
Scientists have been using buoys, as well as proxy indicators such as microscopic organisms and tiny sediments from the seafloor, to measure the AMOC’s strength. According to the data, it has been in its weakest state in more than 1,000 years.
However, other experts are cautioning the interpretation of these studies as they exclude new observations of the entire ocean system.
REFERENCES
Ditlevsen, P., Ditlevsen, S. (2023). Warning of a forthcoming collapse of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39810-w
Kaplan, S. (2023). Scientists detect sign that a crucial ocean current is near collapse. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/07/25/atlantic-ocean-amoc-climate-change/
NOAA. (2023). What is the AMOC? https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/amoc.html
