A Major Ocean Current Is On The Verge of Collapse. Scientists Say The Effects May Reach California
A new study suggests that the weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) could significantly alter global weather patterns. Researchers indicate that this shift may lead to intensified storms along the California coast by the end of the century.
Why it matters
Understanding the potential collapse of major ocean currents is critical for long-term climate adaptation and disaster preparedness for coastal communities.
Add ScienceAlert on Google An atmospheric river accosting California in January 2023. (NASA) Earth's climate systems are inexorably and often unexpectedly interconnected.
Dust from North Africa's Sahara Desert drifts thousands of miles to fuel food webs in the Amazon and the ocean's depths, while pollution-eating microbes hitch a ride through the atmosphere on gusts of wind or wisps of fog.
Among the most influential planet-shaping forces is the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), an immense Atlantic Ocean current system that acts as a planetary conveyor belt. It brings balmy water northward from the tropics to Europe, then cycles the cooled water back south along the seafloor.
However, human-caused climate change is slowing this vital system and even threatening a potentially near-future collapse .
Given the gravity of the situation, there has been much debate among scientists about how likely this is to happen – and when.
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