In some parts of Europe, collapse of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation could lead to a decrease of more than 3°C per ten years.
In some parts of Europe, collapse of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation could lead to a decrease of more than 3°C per ten years. Researchers from Utrecht University have successfully simulated the collapse of the large-scale ocean circulation in the Atlantic Ocean using a complex climate model, revealing severe global climate repercussions with Europe bearing the brunt. They published their findings in the scientific journal Science Advances today. The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation is an important component in the global climate system, redistributing heat through the ocean and regulating global and regional climates. Alarming trends indicate a gradual decline in its strength over recent decades, raising concerns of an abrupt weakening under future climate conditions. Researchers observed these abrupt changes in simplified climate models, but not yet when using the latest generation of state-of-the-art climate models. The research team, consisting of Henk Dijkstra , Michael Kliphuis , and René van Westen , designed a simulation in which they were able to measure a sudden weakening of the ocean circulation.
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