ocean Flashcards
1.Consider the following statements regarding Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC).
The AMOC is a large system of ocean currents.
It distributes heat and nutrients throughout the world’s ocean basins.
AMOC shutdown would increase the temperature over the northern hemisphere.
Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is a large system of ocean currents. It is the Atlantic branch of the ocean conveyor belt or Thermohaline circulation (THC), and distributes heat and nutrients throughout the world’s ocean basins.
AMOC carries warm surface waters from the tropics towards the Northern Hemisphere, where it cools and sinks. It then returns to the tropics and then to the South Atlantic as a bottom current. From there it is distributed to all ocean basins via the Antarctic circumpolar current.
What happens if AMOC collapses?
Gulf Stream, a part of the AMOC, is a warm current responsible for mild climate at the Eastern coast of North America as well as Europe. Without a proper AMOC and Gulf Stream, Europe will be very cold.
Modelling studies have shown that an AMOC shutdown would cool the northern hemisphere and decrease rainfall over Europe. It can also have an effect on the El Nino.
