Utoo Radio with Other News Sources - October 24, 2024 - Scientists have warned that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a network of ocean currents that maintain Earth's climate stability, could collapse. The collapse of AMOC could lead to devastating and irreversible impacts on the entire world for centuries.

The UK could experience a "new Ice Age" with winter temperatures plummeting up to 15°C (27°F) below the current average. The Gulf Stream is just one part of AMOC's massive global system, which pumps heat and water around the Atlantic Ocean. However, research suggests that AMOC's deep water engine is slowing down and could soon reach a tipping point.

The scientists argue that the risk of an AMOC collapse has been underestimated, and the authors of the open letter argue that the passing of this tipping point is a serious possibility already in the next few decades.

Research from the University of Copenhagen found that a collapse could occur any time from 2025 onwards, and by looking at ocean temperature data over the last 150 years, the researchers argued that such a scenario is '95 per cent certain' by the end of this century if current greenhouse gas emissions persist.

The collapse of AMOC would have widespread, devastating, and extremely long-lasting effects. The last time AMOC completely collapsed was during the end of the last Ice Age around 12,000 years ago, when temperatures in western Europe plummeted by up to 10°C (18°F).

The collapse of AMOC currents would also have devastating consequences, including widespread drought, famine, increased climate refugees, and geopolitical tensions.

The authors are calling on Nordic countries to seriously consider the risk of an AMOC collapse and put pressure on their global partners to stick to the aims of the Paris Agreement.