Tag

Amoc

All articles tagged with #amoc

science17 days ago•5 min saved

Arctic Ocean’s Hidden Waterfall Is Earth’s Largest by Volume

NOAA-backed research reveals the Denmark Strait cataract, an underwater waterfall beneath the Arctic between Iceland and Greenland, draining cold Nordic Sea water downward at about 3.2 million cubic meters per second (≈123 million cubic feet per second). It’s the world’s largest waterfall by volume, though invisible to ships, and it helps drive the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, influencing Europe’s climate and marine ecosystems. Warming could weaken or alter this flow, with potential global climate implications.

via Indian Defence Review|

#amoc #arctic #climate

science26 days ago•3 min saved

Ancient volcanic bursts reveal AMOC’s vulnerability to climate disturbance

New research links the Younger Dryas cooling (12,900–11,700 years ago) to a cluster of volcanic eruptions that disrupted the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, showing the AMOC’s sensitivity to disturbances; today, scientists warn that the AMOC could weaken or collapse due to human-caused CO2, but volcanic activity is not the immediate threat, highlighting how rapid climate shifts could arise if this ocean conveyor belt slows.

via USA Today|

#amoc #atlantic-ocean #climate-change

science26 days ago•6 min saved

Atlantic circulation could weaken by 51% by 2100, reshaping coasts and climates

A new study projects the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) to weaken about 51% by 2100—roughly 60% more than standard models predict—after correcting biases in simulations. Such a weakening could raise U.S. Northeast sea levels, shift tropical rainfall belts, and usher colder European winters, with a growing risk of crossing a tipping point toward collapse. Observations indicate a 10–20% weakening since the mid-2000s, and while attribution to human-caused climate change remains uncertain for now, scenarios with strong CO2 cuts could limit the decline much more than high-emission futures.

via BBC Science Focus Magazine|

#amoc #climate-change #ocean-currents

environment28 days ago•5 min saved

Ocean heat under Antarctica melts ice shelves from below, risking faster sea-level rise

A new study shows circumpolar deep water heat is migrating toward Antarctica, melting ice shelves from below and potentially accelerating global sea-level rise. By combining decades of ship data with Argo floats, researchers built a 40-year record of warming that also suggests deeper changes in ocean circulation, which could affect currents like the AMOC and have broad climate impacts.

via New York Post|

#amoc #antarctica #argo

rivers-and-oceans1 month ago•66 min saved

unconventional geoengineering idea: could a Bering Strait dam avert AMOC collapse?

A new Science Advances study models building three dams across the 51-mile Bering Strait to see if closing the passage could strengthen the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and delay its collapse under warming. Results suggest that under lower CO2 and a mildly weakened AMOC, closure could help maintain AMOC, but with a much weaker AMOC it could accelerate decline; the plan would disrupt wildlife, Indigenous communities, fisheries, and shipping, and outcomes are highly uncertain, necessitating more modeling. Regardless, experts say reducing greenhouse gas emissions remains the most reliable way to protect AMOC.

via Live Science|

#amoc #bering-strait #climate-change

science1 month ago•3 min saved

AMOC on edge: new studies warn Atlantic current could weaken toward collapse

Two Science Advances studies warn the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is already weakening across four western Atlantic sites and could slow by more than 50% by 2100, potentially collapsing this century due to anthropogenic climate change. A weakening AMOC would cool parts of the North Atlantic, increase European winter storms, reduce Sahel and South Asian rainfall, and raise sea levels along the U.S. Northeast, underscoring the need for emissions cuts and ongoing monitoring.

via USA Today|

#amoc #climate-change #ocean-circulation

environment1 month ago•5 min saved

Amoc on the edge: billionaire power blocks climate action

George Monbiot warns that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (Amoc) could collapse due to climate breakdown, risking Europe’s winters, Amazon collapse, and irreversible global disruption, with new research suggesting the odds may exceed 50% this century. He argues that oligarchic influence and flawed economic models—especially Nordhaus’s discounting—have downplayed these risks and shaped weak policy, aided by philanthropic and corporate interests; framing the stakes as a battle between billions and billionaires, he calls for action beyond profit-driven narratives to avert civilisation-threatening outcomes.

via The Guardian|

#amoc #climate-change #climate-policy

environment1 month ago•4 min saved

Atlantic Conveyor on the Edge: AMOC Could Collapse and Reshape Global Climate

A new Science Advances study using real-world data suggests the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) could weaken by about 51% by 2100 (roughly 43–59% range), potentially triggering a long-lasting climate disruption: sea levels may rise across North America, Southern Europe could face severe droughts, and Europe and the US could experience much warmer or cooler shifts with broad ecological and agricultural impacts. The timing is uncertain, but researchers urge preparation and further validation of models.

via New York Post|

#amoc #climate-change #environment

planet-earth1 month ago•65 min saved

Atlantic circulation on the brink: new study suggests AMOC weakening near tipping point

A Science Advances study estimates the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) could slow about 50% by 2100—a weakening stronger than some models predicted—potentially cooling northern Europe and altering rainfall in various regions. The researchers argue that including sea surface temperature and salinity improves forecasts, but experts caution there is substantial uncertainty in the magnitude and timing of the slowdown. While a catastrophic “collapse” is unlikely in the near term, the paper underscores a real risk of crossing a tipping point, prompting calls for nations to prepare for significant climate effects.

via Live Science|

#amoc #atlantic-ocean #climate-change

environment1 month ago•174 min saved

Atlantic Conveyor Under Strain: New Studies Warn AMOC Could Collapse Soon

Two new studies warn that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a core ocean-current system that transports heat around the globe, is weakening and could be approaching collapse sooner than many models predict. A Science Advances study suggests a slowdown of more than 50% by century’s end, greater than the average model projection, raising the possibility of a tipping point; separate real-world data from moorings on the western North Atlantic show AMOC weakening at four latitudes since 2004. If AMOC collapses, Europe could face harsher winters, the U.S. East Coast could see higher sea levels, and droughts could intensify across parts of Africa, with Greenland meltwater potentially accelerating the trend. The findings underscore the urgency of improving climate models and understanding oceanic responses to warming.

via CNN|

#amoc #atlantic-ocean #climate-change

science1 month ago•3 min saved

Atlantic Conveyor Could Slow by Half by 2100, New Study Finds

A new Science Advances study using observational constraints projects the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation could weaken about 50% by 2100 (with 90% probability), a pace and magnitude stronger than many climate models, raising concerns it could approach a tipping point with widespread climatic consequences such as sea-level rise along coastlines and shifts in storms and rainfall.

via Gizmodo|

#amoc #atlantic-ocean #climate-change

science1 month ago•3 min saved

Atlantic Conveyor Near Tipping Point as Collapse Risk Rises

Combining real-world ocean observations with climate models, researchers find the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (Amoc) is likely to slow by 42-58% by 2100 and is almost certainly headed for collapse, a scenario with potentially drastic impacts on European climate, rainfall across Africa and the Americas, and Atlantic sea levels; the study in Science Advances shows the pessimistic models match observations better, and notes that Greenland meltwater could push the risk even higher.

via The Guardian|

#amoc #climate-change #ocean-circulation

science2 months ago•64 min saved

AMOC tremors, solar wanderings, nano QR codes, and oil’s uncertain future

This week’s science roundup highlights a potential AMOC weakening signal linked to a northward shift of the Gulf Stream, a Gaia-based study suggesting the Sun migrated about 10,000 light-years through the Milky Way aiding Earth’s life, the creation of the world’s smallest QR code for long‑term data storage on ceramic film, and ongoing discussion of oil’s disruption and the path toward replacing fossil fuels.

via Live Science|

#amoc #gulf-stream #oil

science2 months ago•6 min saved

Ocean's Hidden Giant: Earth's Largest Waterfall Drops Beneath Arctic Waters Between Iceland and Greenland

Between Iceland and Greenland lies the Denmark Strait cataract, the planet's largest waterfall, an underwater cascade of Arctic water plunging about 11,500 feet that helps drive Atlantic circulation and move heat northward, all while remaining invisible from the surface.

via Indian Defence Review|

#amoc #denmark-strait-cataract #dense-water-overflow

science2 months ago•6 min saved

Southern Indian Ocean Rapid Freshening Rewrites Ocean Circulation

Six decades of observations show a historically salty patch in the Southern Indian Ocean is losing salt at a rapid pace, with the high-salinity region shrinking about 30% over the past 60 years as freshwater from the Indo-Pacific pool is transported southward by shifts in atmospheric circulation; scientists estimate the freshwater input is roughly 60% of Lake Tahoe’s annual inflow each year, gradually diluting surface waters and affecting global ocean circulation, including the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, though the study notes the freshening is a gradual process rather than a single dramatic event.

via Indian Defence Review|

#amoc #freshwater #indo-pacific