The Atlantic Ocean, crucial for regulating temperatures, is facing the threat of collapse. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, commonly referred to as the AMOC, spans the entire length of the Atlantic Ocean, reaching the southern tip of South America, the Caribbean, and extending northward to Greenland. A significant advantage of this system is its role in sustaining the climate of Europe by transferring warm air from the Equator northward.
Sandro Carniel, a climatologist and oceanographer at the National Research Center, clarified the AMOC’s operation to Renewable Matter. “This circulation, which includes the Gulf Stream, serves the essential role of a climate equalizer and is fundamentally driven by the pressure of water and its density. With colder and saltier water, density increases, making it easier for its mass to descend. In contrast, warmer and fresher water (i.e., less salty) is lighter and tends to remain on the surface.”
The critical role of the AMOC is under threat from greenhouse gas emissions, a primary factor in global warming. Global warming poses a direct risk of causing an AMOC collapse. If this scenario isn’t mitigated, the resulting effects could be disastrous, including significant temperature fluctuations, changes in weather patterns, and potentially the onset of an ice age.
