Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)

AMOC: Is global warming tipping the key Atlantic ocean currents towards ‘collapse’?

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is a vast system of ocean currents that helps to distribute heat around the world. The AMOC is under threat from human-caused climate change, as warming seas, melting ice and increased rainfall upset the temperature and salt balance of the North Atlantic. A growing body of research has suggested that, with enough warming, the AMOC could reach a “tipping point” and transition to a weak state for many centuries. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has projected that the AMOC will decline over the course of the 21st century as the world warms. This article explains what the AMOC is and explores scientific debates around the future of the AMOC. 

YouTube video: An Ocean in Motion: NASA's Mesmerizing View of Earth's Underwater Highways

This data visualization showing ocean currents around the world uses data from NASA’s ECCO (Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean) model. The model pulls data from spacecraft, buoys, and other measurements.

YouTube video: Uncertain Currents - Predicting Tipping Points in our Ocean and Climate

University lecture on the scientific data explaining the instability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). 

Is the Atlantic Overturning Circulation Approaching a Tipping Point?

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) has been unstable in the past. These instabilities are due to two different types of tipping points, one linked to amplifying feedbacks in the large-scale salt transport and the other in the convective mixing that drives the flow. These tipping points present a major risk of abrupt ocean circulation and climate shifts.