Human-caused warming has led to an “almost complete loss of stability” in the system that drives Atlantic Ocean currents. Scientists have warned about a weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), which transports warm, salty water from the tropics to northern Europe & then sends colder water back south along the ocean floor.This circulation is at the heart of Earth’s climate system, playing a critical role in redistributing heat and regulating weather patterns around the world. As long as the necessary temperature & salinity gradients exist, AMOC is self-sustaining.The predictable physics that make dense water sink and lighter water “upwell” keep the circulation churning in an endless loop. Ancient climate change evidence shows that the AMOC can turn off abruptly, causing wild temperature swings & other dramatic shifts in global weather systems."
At www.washingtonpost.com
