Scientists find 'red flags' hinting the Gulf Stream is near collapse

"The AMOC current functions like an enormous conveyor belt transporting warm water around the globe, and the 'engine' driving this system is the sinking of cold salty water in the Arctic. As warm water freezes around Greenland, it cools and becomes saltier, leaving the dense cold water to drop to the bottom of the ocean and travel back down south."

"In the simulation, the Gulf Stream reached a breaking point 25 years before AMOC completely collapsed, suddenly jumping 136 miles (219 km) North. Worryingly, the researchers say that these changes may have already begun in the real Gulf Stream."

"However, the melting ice is now pouring vast quantities of fresh water into the ocean, with the Greenland Ice Sheet alone releasing 2.5 million litres of fresh water every second. Scientists have warned that this is diluting the ocean, making the water around the poles less dense and weakening the AMOC current."

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), which includes the Gulf Stream, transports warm water from the Tropics to North America and Europe, maintaining stable climate conditions. Scientists created a high-resolution computer model simulating ice sheet melting by adding freshwater to the system. The simulation revealed that the Gulf Stream reached a breaking point 25 years before complete AMOC collapse, suddenly shifting 136 miles northward. AMOC functions as a conveyor belt powered by cold, salty water sinking in the Arctic. Melting ice, particularly from Greenland's ice sheet releasing 2.5 million liters of freshwater per second, dilutes ocean water and reduces density, weakening the current. Recent measurements show AMOC strength has declined five percent over the last decade, with researchers warning of potential total collapse if this trend continues.

Read at Mail Online