Atlantic Current System Faces Possible Collapse by 2037

Recent forecasts indicate that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a crucial ocean current system, may collapse as early as 2037, with a likelihood exceeding 50% before 2050, earth.com reported in an article yesterday.

This potential failure could drastically alter global weather patterns, affecting ecosystems and human societies. The AMOC functions as a vital conveyor belt, transporting warm water from the tropics to the North Atlantic, while dispersing essential nutrients.

Research highlights that rising ocean temperatures and changing salinity levels—consequences of human-induced climate change—are weakening this system. Should the AMOC fail, Europe and parts of North America could experience significant temperature drops, while the Amazon rainforest’s seasonal patterns may invert.

The Utrecht University team emphasizes the need for immediate climate strategies to avert this crisis, warning that the impacts of an AMOC collapse would exacerbate existing climate challenges, including heatwaves and flooding.