The largest system of ocean currents nearly collapsed
The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOS) in the Atlantic Ocean has slowed to record levels. This system of currents transports tropical heat to northern latitudes and has a global impact on the planet's climate. It also includes the famous Gulf Stream, reports Nature Climate Change.
Climatologist Niklas Boer of the Free University of Berlin in Germany assessed the state of AMOS and came to the conclusion that this is not a natural decline, but a sign of impending turning points.
Over the past centuries, a system of currents carried warm water from the tropics to the Pole. Along the way, the water gradually evaporated and became more and more dense as the temperature decreased and the salinity increased. This process not only redistributes thermal energy throughout the ocean and atmosphere, but also supports the movement of minerals and organic compounds that fertilize ocean waters.
Scientists say there is growing evidence of changes in AMOS. Previous research has shown that its strength has dropped to its lowest values in a thousand years.
Given the complexity of climate models, the exact cause of the shift is unknown. Most likely, an increase in the flow of melt water from glaciers changes temperature and salinity and slows down the functioning of the entire system.
The author of the new study concluded that the current system may soon become unstable.
“The recently detected decrease in AMOS over the past decades is not just fluctuations associated with low-frequency climate variability or linear response to temperature increases,” the text of the scientific paper says.
In the twentieth century, the system of currents has changed so much that it will no longer be able to recover to its previous state and will enter a new phase, where the circulating currents will be extremely weak. The consequences of this development of events are very difficult to predict. Most scientists agree that this will cool the planet and change the global warming scenario.
“Huge changes in the distribution of energy and nutrients in Atlantic currents will have profound implications for weather systems and ecology throughout Europe and America, with enormous economic impacts on everything from agriculture to tourism,” experts say.
Thus, the Amazon may begin to receive more rainfall, but at the same time a drought will set in Europe. Scientists have previously estimated changes in the global climate over the past two years. They pointed to a record surge in natural disasters during this time.
