Scientists say a critical Atlantic Ocean current is weakening and the effects could be global

A major Atlantic Ocean circulation system that plays a central role in regulating Earth's climate has been weakening across a broad region for nearly two decades, according to new research. The trend could have important consequences for weather, rainfall, storms, and sea level in regions around the Atlantic and beyond.

The study, led by researchers at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science, provides some of the clearest direct observational evidence so far that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is losing strength.

AMOC is a vast system of ocean currents that moves warm water northward near the surface and transports colder, denser water southward at greater depths. By redistributing enormous amounts of heat through the Atlantic, it helps shape regional temperatures, rainfall patterns, sea level, and weather.