Geological evidence questions the role of Agulhas Leakage in Atlantic Ocean circulation
New research published in Nature Geoscience challenges the long-held theory that Agulhas Leakage is a primary driver of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Scientists found that the link between Indian Ocean water entering the Atlantic and deep-water formation is more complex than previously understood.
Why it matters
Understanding the mechanisms behind the AMOC is critical for predicting global climate shifts and the stability of ocean circulation systems.
edited by Sadie Harley , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add as preferred source Agulhas Leakage (visualized by white dots circumventing Southern Africa) entering the Atlantic Ocean. Screenshot from NASA Goddard film "An Ocean in Motion: NASA's Mesmerizing View of Earth's Underwater Highways." Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center—https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5-s6O8qyvE For decades, scientists have asserted that the leakage of warm, salty Indian Ocean water south of South Africa into the Atlantic is a major contributor to the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a component of the global ocean conveyor system.
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