The AMOC, which contains the Gulf Stream, is currently at its weakest state in over 1,000 years, and new evidence has indicated that it could already be nearing complete shutdown.
Climate scientists have detected early warning signs that the Gulf Stream is in a state of collapse, indicating that it may have already been losing stability over the last century, which could lead to severe consequences for the climate, a new study reported.The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is a major Atlantic ocean current, to which the Gulf Stream belongs, and at the top of the ocean it transports warm water masses from the tropics northward, while cold water is transported south, at the ocean bottom. It influences weather systems worldwide, making the consequences of a potential collapse all the more dangerous.The AMOC is currently at its weakest state in over 1,000 years, meaning the currents have slowed, and new evidence has indicated that it could already be nearing complete shutdown.Such an event is considered one of the tipping points of climate change, which are defined as large, fast, and irreversible changes to the climate.