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 Wichtiger Meeresströmung  droht der Kollaps infographic
Graphic shows how the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Current works, and the consequences if it fails.
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CLIMATE

Lebenswichtiger Meeresströmung droht Kollaps

By Phil Bainbridge

July 16, 2024 - Eine neue Studie vermutet, dass die Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) – die Hauptströmung im Atlantik – bis zirka 2050 kippen könnte.

AMOC delivers heat to the gulf stream, carrying warm, nutrient-rich saline water north towards the pole where it cools and sinks, but the accelerated melting of Greenland’s ice cap aswell as glacial run-off is increasingly smothering the current.

The collapse of the AMOC is one of five key climate tipping points, including the collapse of ice sheets in Greenland and the West Antarctic, the widespread thawing of permafrost, the death of coral reefs in warm waters. It would likely disrupt monsoons in India, and lead to drought in South America and west Africa, while temperatures in northern Europe would experience a sudden, severe drop and storms would increase. Sea levels on the North American east coast would rapidly rise by about two feet, and part of the Amazon rainforest would dry out. The transport of essential nutrients to the North Atlantic would grind to a halt, threatening marine life.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 17/07/2024; STORY: Graphic News
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