Antarctic Currents and Ice Sheets at Risk of Collapse, Study Finds

A deep ocean current around Antarctica that has been relatively stable for thousands of years could head for "collapse" over the next few decades due to global warming. Such a sudden shift could affect the planet's climate and marine ecosystems for centuries to come. The loss of nutrient-rich seawater near the surface could damage fisheries. The collapse would also impact a nearby Atlantic Ocean current, known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC, which transports warm, salty water from the tropics northward at the ocean surface and cold water southward at the ocean bottom. The main impact for North America would be sea-level rise along the East Coast.