Cold North Atlantic Patch Signals Potentially Colder European Winters as AMOC Weakens
A cooling patch southeast of Greenland, nicknamed the cold blob or warming hole, is linked to a weakening Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). New work suggests freshwater from melting Greenland ice is driving the cooling, and a weaker AMOC could reduce heat transport to Europe, potentially sparking colder, longer winters—though the data are not yet conclusive and other factors may also be involved.