Global emergency as key Atlantic current is on the brink of collapse

"The AMOC is like a giant ocean conveyor belt that moves warm water from the tropics to the northern Atlantic, with the Gulf Stream playing a key role, acting as the main current carrying that warm water along the US East Coast to the north. It helps keep places like northwestern Europe and the northeastern US milder in winter and influences weather patterns worldwide, including tropical rainfall."

"Scientists have warned that the collapse could be triggered by global warming, which stops deep ocean waters from mixing in northern seas like the Labrador and Nordic Seas by making surface water warmer and less salty. This creates a cycle where the AMOC weakens, bringing less warm, salty water north, which further prevents water from sinking and slows the current down to its breaking point."

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation could collapse after 2100, particularly under high greenhouse gas emissions. The AMOC transports warm tropical water north via the Gulf Stream, moderating winters in northwestern Europe and the northeastern United States and affecting global weather and tropical rainfall. A shutdown would likely cause colder winters and drier summers in the Northeast, raise sea levels along the East Coast, and disrupt regional fisheries. Warming and freshening of surface waters in the Labrador and Nordic Seas can halt deep-water formation, weakening the AMOC in a self-reinforcing cycle. Rapid emissions reductions are essential to lower collapse risk, though some scenarios suggest limited preventability.

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