The Gulf Stream has slowed down noticeably – MK

Frontiers in Marine Science: Atlantic currents have slowed down noticeably

Scientists from the University of Maryland in the US have discovered a significant slowdown in global ocean currents, including the Gulf Stream, due to climate change. The results of their research were published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science.

The researchers analyzed data on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a system of ocean currents that transport heat from the equator to the north. The system remained stable from 1955 to 1994, but the AMOC began to move more slowly in the mid-1990s due to warming ocean surfaces and changes in upper-water salinity.

Scientists warn that if the AMOC continues to slow, it will lead to reduced heat transfer, leading to even hotter conditions in hot areas and even colder conditions in cold areas. This could increase global climate change, sea level rise, impacts on marine ecosystems and other climate impacts.

Although the entire North Atlantic is warming, different regions are showing different decadal variability. For example, in the more northern Atlantic Ocean, temperatures first fell from 1955 to 1994 and then increased from 1995 to 2017, while other regions showed a consistent upward trend. Similar patterns are also observed in the salinity and density of water.

These changes in climate patterns indicate that it is not possible to accurately predict whether the AMOC slowdown will continue, accelerate, or decrease over the next decade. However, the study authors suggest that scenarios involving a slowdown or collapse of the AMOC cannot be ruled out.