The large-scale current system of the Atlantic Ocean is approaching the “point of no return” – scientists
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The collapse of the Atlantic current system, which helps regulate the global climate, is happening much faster than expected.
Scientists emphasize that this is “bad news for the climate system and humanity.” This is stated in a study published in Science Advances, writes The Guardian.
However, scientists cannot yet predict how soon this will happen.
Scientists have developed an early warning indicator of disruption of the Atlantic meridional circulation (AMOC – Atlantic meridional overturning circulation) based on a computer model.
| Photo: welcomia/Depositphotos |
The AMOC is a vast system of ocean currents that is a key component of global climate regulation. It includes part of the Gulf Stream and other powerful currents that carry heat, carbon and nutrients from the tropics to the Arctic Circle, where the water cools and enters the deep ocean. In this way, energy is distributed around the Earth.
The researchers found that the AMOC is already on its way to a major change that hasn’t happened in more than 10,000 years. According to their predictions, this collapse of currents will have dire consequences for many parts of the world.
The current system is collapsing faster than expected due to the melting of Greenland’s glaciers and Arctic ice sheets. This causes a lot of fresh water to enter the sea and prevents the movement of saltier and warmer water from the south.
According to previous studies, the AMOC has declined by 15% since 1950 and is at its weakest state in the past millennium.
Scientists drew conclusions based on data on the salinity of water in the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean between Cape Town and Buenos Aires. They simulated changes over 2,000 years using computer models of the global climate.
Based on this data, scientists suggest that a slow decrease in salinity could lead to a sudden collapse in less than 100 years.
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| Infographic: The Guardian |
“This is bad news for the climate system and for humanity, because until now the Amoc tilt has been thought to be only a theoretical concept and will disappear once the full climate system with all its additional feedbacks is considered“, the researchers said.
They predict that in some regions the sea level in the Atlantic could rise by a meter, flooding many coastal cities.
The wet and dry seasons in the Amazon will alternate, destroying the weakened rainforest. Temperatures around the world will fluctuate much more unevenly.
The Southern Hemisphere will become warmer, and in Europe it will become colder and there will be less precipitation. Changes will occur 10 times faster than now – this will make human adaptation almost impossible, say researchers.
“What surprised us was the speed with which the shootings are happening. They will be devastating.”– believes the lead author of the article, René van Westen from Utrecht University.
In his opinion, humanity should take climate change much more seriously.
We will remind that climate changes affect not only the temperature, but also the wind speed. Therefore, hurricanes become so strong that scientists propose to introduce the concept of “megahurricanes”.
Read also: Every additional degree of warming reduces the Earth’s water resources: what it can lead to
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