Slow Atlantic Ocean may cause climate chaos
The system of currents - the conveyor belt - is at its most sluggish in 1,000 years may lead to extreme weather, warn scientists
25 February 2021 • 8:21pm
Some evidence suggests there could be a ‘tipping point’ after 2100 which could cause intense winter storms in Europe
Credit: Cover Images
The Atlantic current system which maintains mild weather in Europe is at its weakest in over a millennium, most likely because of climate change, scientists have found.
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation is part of a system of ocean currents which acts as a conveyor belt to move water around the Earth, redistributing heat and acting as a key link in maintaining the world’s climate.
Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is an ocean current
It redistributes warm water throughout our planet s oceans
This also moves warm water from Gulf of Mexico to the North Atlantic
However, a new study finds it is weakening, which would disrupt our climate
Sea levels along the east coast could rise if AMOC slows and comes to a halt
Analysis of its strength shows it has weakened dramatically since the 1950s
The Atlantic Ocean current that drives the Gulf Stream is at its weakest for more than 1,000 years - and human-induced climate change is to blame.
Known formally as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), it is the driving force which brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico up to the UK and is responsible for mild winters in Western Europe.
Scientists determined that in 2015 it to had slowed by at least 15 percent since 1950, but the latest work paints a picture of how it will develop long term.
Experts warn that by 2100 the AMOC could weaken by as much as 45 per cent, bringing humanity dangerously close to a tipping point , resulting in devastating weather conditions across the world.