Study: the Gulf Stream System May Already Be Weakening. That's Not Good

A newly published study suggests climate change may be weakening the thermohaline circulation of the North Atlantic (responsible for the Gulf Stream). Scientists (and Hollywood screenwriters) have long feared that such a scenario could bring sudden climate shifts and unpleasant surprises.

"In the 2004 disaster flick The Day After Tomorrow, climate change causes a major disruption of ocean currents in the North Atlantic, which in turn brings about a sudden ice age in New York City.

That scenario was mostly ridiculous and overwrought. Still, the underlying idea that global warming could alter some key ocean circulation systems isn't actually that far-fetched. Such an event wouldn't blanket Manhattan in ice, but it could wreak havoc on fisheries or speed up sea-level rise in cities like Boston and New York.

That's why, over the last few decades, scientists have been paying close attention to the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), an ocean pattern that transports warm water from the tropics up to the North Atlantic and Nordic seas. (This is sometimes called the Gulf Stream system.)"

Brad Plumer reports for Vox March 23, 2015.

SEE ALSO:

"What’s Going on in the North Atlantic?" (RealClimate)

"The Day After Tomorrow Might Kinda, Sorta Come True" (Slate)

"Global Warming Is Now Slowing Down the Circulation of the Oceans — With Potentially Dire Consequences" (Washington Post)