DConversi (@dconversi.bsky.social)

Atlantic current shows steady decline, with scientists warning collapse could amplify global warming and disrupt climate systems The complete collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) could lead to the release of large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, particularly from the Southern Ocean, turning it from a carbon sink into a source, according to a recent research paper published in the journal Nature Communications Earth and Environment. This additional carbon dioxide (CO₂) could contribute up to 0.2 degrees Celsius (°C) of extra global warming. However, the regional impacts would vary sharply, with cooling of up to 7°C in the Arctic and warming of up to 6°C in parts of Antarctica. A system nearing its tipping point A separate study published in the journal Science Advances suggested that the AMOC may be approaching a tipping point, particularly in the western Atlantic Ocean. Observational data from four mooring arrays across the western Atlantic, spanning latitudes from 16.5°N to 42.5°N, shows a consistent weakening of the western boundary overturning of the AMOC over the past two decades. The AMOC is a complex conveyor belt of ocean currents that ferries warm surface water to the Arctic region, modulating the weather in northern North America and Europe, and brings back deep cold water to the tropics, constituting the feedback. AMOC... https://www.downtoearth.org.in/climate-change/atlantic-current-shows-steady-decline-with-scientists-warning-collapse-could-amplify-global-warming-and-disrupt-climate-systems