Atlantic Current
Atlantic Current
The Atlantic Meridonal Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is an ocean current that helps to control heat around the planet It is in danger of collapse, which would cause major weather problems for different countries. In the UK the sea level would rise rapidly; the country would be 30C colder on average; and rainfall would drop sharply.
AMOC is the ocean mechanism responsible for moving heat around the planet. It brings sun-warmed tropical water to Europe and the Arctic, where it cools and sinks to form a deep return current. This is what gives the UK its temperate climate suitable for farming. Now, the Arctic is rapidly heating up due to rising carbon emissions, which is slowing down this whole cycle of heating and cooling that gives us stable weather patterns. At the Arctic Circle conference in October 2024 in Iceland more than 40 of the world's leading ocean and climate scientists signed an open letter, warning that the network of Atlantic Ocean currents keeping the Earth's climate stable could be on the brink of collapse. This would lead to devastating and irreversible impacts for countries around the world. Britain would see rapid sea level rise. Average temperatures would drop by around 30C and rainfall would drop sharply. Experts have suggested that it would make farming difficult across much of the UK. Storms coming from the Atlantic would not pick up warm moisture over the ocean, and harsh wintry storms would become the norm. Snow could lie for months at a time.