Illustration showing the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, a complex system of ocean currents
NOAA
A vital ocean current that transports warm water to the North Atlantic is weakening faster than previously thought, according to models that simulate the impact of meltwater from the Greenland ice sheet.
Given the pace at which the world is now overshooting its emissions targets and the rate at which Greenland’s ice sheet is melting, the researchers say the current’s strength could fall by as much as a third within 15 years.
