A mysterious ‘cold blob’ in the North Atlantic Ocean, south of Greenland and Iceland, has puzzled scientists. The area has cooled by nearly 1 degree Celsius since 1900, while the rest of the ocean heats up.
Study Reveals Weakening Ocean Current System
A new study suggests the ‘cold blob’ is a sign of a weakening Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) system, which transports heat from the tropics to the Northern Hemisphere. The study combined real-world ocean heat data with climate models to reach this conclusion.
The AMOC system is crucial for regulating the Earth’s climate, and its weakening could have severe consequences, including accelerated sea level rise on the US East Coast, plunging Europe into a winter deep freeze, and shifting the monsoon in Africa, driving prolonged droughts.
Scientists warn that the AMOC is heading toward a tipping point, potentially as early as this century, which would mean a future collapse is locked in. The ‘cold blob’ has been interpreted as a fingerprint of AMOC change, as it is the region to which the AMOC brings much of its heat.
While uncertainties remain, the study strengthens the evidence of a link between the ‘cold blob’ and a weakening AMOC. The finding points to a worrying future and highlights the need for continued research and monitoring of the AMOC system.
Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.
