Research hints at tipping point in the Atlantic’s currents
Lots of fresh water from melting ice could radically alter the Atlantic’s currents.
John Timmer - 3/14/2018, 4:00 PM
All of the world's oceans have a similar pattern of currents. Surface waters warm near the equator, then flow toward the poles, where they cool and sink. The cold, dense bottom water makes its way back to restart the cycle. This pattern has particular significance in the North Atlantic, where the flow of warm surface water helps moderate the climate of Northern Europe, parts of which might otherwise resemble Greenland.
A lot of people have pondered whether the warming induced by climate change could interfere with this conveyor belt, preventing the water that nears the Arctic from cooling and sinking. Most analyses, however, suggest that this could only happen after the world had warmed enough that Europe wouldn't need the currents to moderate its temperature.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/03/research-hints-at-tipping-point-in-the-atlantics-currents/
