How do ocean currents regulate global climate?
A single underwater conveyor belt keeps Europe up to 10 degrees Celsius warmer than it should be.
The answer
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) acts as a giant conveyor belt, carrying warm surface water from the tropics northward and returning cold, deep water southward. This system makes northwestern Europe 5 to 10 degrees Celsius warmer than comparable latitudes elsewhere. Scientists have observed that the AMOC has been weakening over recent decades, potentially due to freshwater influx from melting Greenland ice. A significant AMOC slowdown could radically alter weather patterns across the Northern Hemisphere.
Source: Nature Climate Change
- AMOC
- ocean currents
- climate
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