Nov 24, 2024 02:52 AM
https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth...ic-current
INTRO: Scientists have pinpointed the ocean engine with the biggest role in driving key Atlantic currents that regulate Earth's climate, new research suggests.
The Irminger Sea off southeastern Greenland is where warm waters that transport heat northwards from the Southern Hemisphere sink and then return south along the bottom of the ocean. As such, this region plays a critical role in powering the ocean conveyor belt known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC).
"The key finding of this study is that the Irminger Basin (eastern Greenland) plays a crucial role in driving changes in the AMOC, a conclusion supported by recent observations," study lead author Qiyun Ma, a postdoctoral researcher at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Germany, told Live Science in an email. The work highlights the urgent need for better monitoring in this particular location, he said.
The AMOC, which includes the Gulf Stream, maintains a temperate climate in the Northern Hemisphere and regulates weather patterns across the globe. But due to climate change, the AMOC may not keep temperatures stable for much longer.
Research shows that Arctic meltwater gushing into the North Atlantic is reducing the density of surface waters and preventing them from sinking to form bottom currents, thus slowing the machine that powers the AMOC.
And it turns out the Irminger Sea is particularly important for keeping these bottom currents flowing... (MORE - details)
INTRO: Scientists have pinpointed the ocean engine with the biggest role in driving key Atlantic currents that regulate Earth's climate, new research suggests.
The Irminger Sea off southeastern Greenland is where warm waters that transport heat northwards from the Southern Hemisphere sink and then return south along the bottom of the ocean. As such, this region plays a critical role in powering the ocean conveyor belt known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC).
"The key finding of this study is that the Irminger Basin (eastern Greenland) plays a crucial role in driving changes in the AMOC, a conclusion supported by recent observations," study lead author Qiyun Ma, a postdoctoral researcher at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Germany, told Live Science in an email. The work highlights the urgent need for better monitoring in this particular location, he said.
The AMOC, which includes the Gulf Stream, maintains a temperate climate in the Northern Hemisphere and regulates weather patterns across the globe. But due to climate change, the AMOC may not keep temperatures stable for much longer.
Research shows that Arctic meltwater gushing into the North Atlantic is reducing the density of surface waters and preventing them from sinking to form bottom currents, thus slowing the machine that powers the AMOC.
And it turns out the Irminger Sea is particularly important for keeping these bottom currents flowing... (MORE - details)