Surprise! The North Atlantic Current is Stable
12 hours ago
Essay by Eric Worrall
Another nail in the coffin of climate models? A study published in Nature suggests there is no evidence for a decline in AMOC over the last 60 years.
AMOC study: Critical ocean current has not declined in the last 60 years
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In the Atlantic Ocean, a system of connected currents – the AMOC – moves water throughout the world’s oceans powered by a combination of winds and ocean density. It not only distributes the ocean’s heat, moisture, and nutrients, but regulates the Earth’s climate and weather too.
As the climate is continuously changing and the atmosphere is warming, many scientists fear that fresh water from melting polar ice sheets could significantly disrupt – or even collapse – the AMOC. While a decline of the AMOC would have grave consequences, a collapse would be truly catastrophic, as Oceanographic reported back in October 2024.
As studies about the AMOC’s long term future are still uncertain, a team of scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) took a closer look at the past to help inform the AMOC’s likely future.
In a new paper published in Nature Communications, scientists made a surprising announcement: The AMOC has not declined in the last 60 years, indicating that it is currently more stable than expected.
“Our paper says that the Atlantic overturning has not declined yet,” Nicholas P. Foukal, study author, adjunct scientist in Physical Oceanography at WHOI and assistant professor at the University of Georgia, said. “That doesn’t say anything about its future, but it doesn’t appear the anticipated changes have occurred yet.”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/01/19/surprise-the-north-atlantic-current-is-stable/
