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Atlantic Ocean circulatory current could collapse

Ocean Currents - Level 4

The system of ocean currents that maintains our temperate weather could collapse. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), which brings heat from the Caribbean to the north Atlantic, could fail within 50 years. It has been weakening for decades due to global warming. The northern Atlantic is the only global region that is cooling. Experts now believe the chance of AMOC crossing the tipping point this century has increased from 10 to 50 per cent.

Meteorologists say the failure of AMOC would have "devastating and irreversible impacts, which will affect the entire world for centuries". It would negatively disrupt weather and the lives of hundreds of millions of people. Temperatures in the U.K. could become 15°C lower. Colder weather could "potentially threaten the viability of agriculture" in Europe. Tropical monsoons could shift south, causing drought, famine, climate refugees and geopolitical tensions.

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Ocean Currents - Level 5

The system of ocean currents responsible for maintaining temperate weather worldwide could collapse. Experts say the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) could fail within 50 years. AMOC brings heat from the Caribbean to the northern Atlantic Ocean. Oceanographers say AMOC has been weakening for decades because of global warming. The northern Atlantic is the only region in the world that is cooling. Experts once believed there was a 10 per cent chance of AMOC crossing the tipping point this century. However, they now say there is a 50/50 possibility.

Meteorologists say the failure of AMOC would lead to "devastating and irreversible impacts which will affect the entire world for centuries to come". It would disrupt global weather and negatively affect the lives of hundreds of millions of people. Scientists predict that temperatures in the U.K. could become 15°C lower. Colder weather could "potentially threaten the viability of agriculture" in Europe. Furthermore, tropical monsoons could shift southwards, causing drought and famine. This will create huge numbers of climate refugees and escalate geopolitical tensions.

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Ocean Currents - Level 6

The system of ocean currents that is responsible for maintaining temperate weather worldwide is in danger of collapsing. Experts say the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) could collapse within the next 50 years. AMOC brings heat from Caribbean waters to the northern Atlantic Ocean between Greenland and Britain. Oceanographers say AMOC has been slowing down for the past few decades because of global warming. The northern Atlantic is the only region in the world that has cooled in the past 20 years. Experts once believed there was a 10 per cent chance of AMOC crossing the tipping point this century. However, 44 experts publicly stated that is now a 50/50 possibility.

Meteorologists believe AMOC could fail in the next few decades. They said this would lead to "devastating and irreversible impacts which will affect the entire world for centuries to come". It would disrupt global weather patterns and adversely affect the lives of hundreds of millions of people. The scientists predict that winter temperatures in the U.K. could become 15°C lower. Colder weather could "potentially threaten the viability of agriculture in northwestern Europe". The collapse of AMOC could shift tropical monsoons southwards, causing widespread drought and famine. This will create huge increases in the numbers of climate refugees and escalate geopolitical tensions.

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25 online activities    |    27-page printable    |    2-page mini-lesson