Scientists warn that the system of ocean currents is close to collapse
[ad_1]
Due to the warming of the planet, there are signs that the ocean current system is on the way to collapse. This will lead to a sharp drop in temperatures in some regions and an increase in others.
In a study published in the journal Science Advances, scientists used extremely complex and expensive computing systems to find a new way to detect a signal that would serve as an early warning of collapsing ocean currents.
As CNN writes, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), of which the Gulf Stream is a part, works like a giant global conveyor belt, bringing warm water from the tropics to the North Atlantic, where the water cools, becomes saltier and sinks deep into the ocean before spreading. southward.
Currents transport heat and nutrients to different parts of the globe and play an important role in maintaining the relatively mild climate of much of the Northern Hemisphere.
Due to climate change, there is warming of the ocean and melting of ice, as well as disturbance of the balance of heat and salt, which determines the strength of currents. So scientists have been sounding the alarm for decades about the stability of the circulation.
Many scientists believe that under the influence of climate change, the AMOC will slow down and may even stop completely. However, it has not yet been possible to establish how quickly this can happen.
| Photo: oporkka/Depositphotos |
This new study is a ‘major breakthrough’said René van Westen, a marine and atmospheric researcher at Utrecht University in the Netherlands and co-author of the study.
For three months, scientists used a supercomputer to run complex climate models. For example, they simulated a gradual increase in the supply of fresh water to the AMOC and observed how the circulation gradually weakens and eventually collapses completely.
This is the first time that scientists were able to record a collapse. They called the results of the study “bad news for the climate system and humanity”, although they could not name a time frame for the potential collapse.
“But we can at least say we are moving towards a tipping point in climate change.” said van Westen.
The consequences of a collapse of the AMOC could be catastrophic. The study suggests that temperatures in some parts of Europe could drop by 30°C within a century. This will lead to significant climate change within a decade or two.
“No realistic adaptation measures can cope with such rapid temperature changes,” – write the authors of the study.
The countries of the Southern Hemisphere may experience increased warming, which will affect the wet and dry seasons of the Amazon and cause serious disturbances in the ecosystem.
A collapse of the AMOC could also cause sea levels to rise by about 1 meter, van Westen said.
We will remind you that the ice sheet of Antarctica is rapidly shrinking – in 200 years it has become thinner by 450 meters.
Read also: Coral reefs are threatened with “bleaching” and death due to rising temperatures – scientists
[ad_2]
Original Source Link
