Scientists Warn Major Ocean Current System Could Collapse

LOADING ERROR LOADING An important system of ocean currents that circulates water around the planet could significantly slow down or even stop completely in just a few decades, according to a shocking new study released Tuesday. It’s a series of ocean currents that brings warm water north, and cold water south across the Atlantic Ocean, part of a “global conveyor belt” that impacts weather patterns across North America, Europe, Asia and Africa, according to NOAA. NOAA A collapse “would have severe impacts on the climate in the North Atlantic region,” the authors wrote, and represent one of the most important “tipping points” as the planet’s climate changes. The sudden shutdown of the AMOC was the key element in the 2004 disaster movie, “The Day After Tomorrow.” While the actual collapse of the current system is unlikely to produce immediate catastrophic weather changes, it could cause colder temperatures in northern Europe and warming in tropical zones, Peter Ditlevsen told the Post.