Deep Atlantic Cold Blob Signals a Slowing Ocean Conveyor and Looming Climate Shifts
A new climate reanalysis-backed study links a persistent cold patch southeast of Greenland to a weakening Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). While surface heat loss has declined since 1955, deep-water temperatures drop as much as 1,000 meters below the surface, suggesting less warm water entering the region. If AMOC continues to weaken or collapses, Europe could cool, tropical rainfall patterns could be disrupted, and sea levels near the US East Coast could rise; however, scientists caution that the debate over the cold blob and AMOC's status is not yet settled.
