Researchers sound the alarm! Gulf Stream change threatens the climate in Europe

The weather in Europe could soon change: the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic is approaching a critical threshold.

The consequences for the climate could be felt worldwide.

Europe - Our weather could soon change - research from the journal

Nature Climate Change has

shown this. Scientists observed that ocean currents in the Atlantic are increasingly losing stability. This Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) also includes the Gulf Stream. They ensure the mild temperatures in Europe. A collapse of these currents would therefore have devastating consequences for the weather and climate.

The Atlantic circulating current works as follows: "It transports warm water masses from the tropics to the sea surface to the north and cold water on the sea floor to the south," as the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research (PIK) explains.

“That is why the current is one of the most important circulation systems on our planet,” says researcher Niklas Boes.

The Atlantic overturning current is currently as weak as never before.

Researchers amazed at the condition of the Gulf Stream: "I would not have expected."

Niklas Boers, author of the study, is surprised at the effects of climate change on ocean currents. According to him, this weak state can be explained by the additional freshwater masses that have entered the Gulf Stream. In the past century, these were mainly caused by the melting of the poles, increasing rainfall and water from rivers.

Boers was already aware that the overturning current is just as weak as never before. Whether this change is a simple change in the state of circulation or a reduction in dynamic stability should now be examined more closely. According to Boers, there has already been a change in the state of circulation towards a weaker flow in the past. If the stability of the Gulf Stream and other ocean currents have changed, however, then this transition to the weak circulation mode would be irreversible, says the scientist.

In order to assess how far the development is from this critical threshold, the researchers' models have to be adjusted, as the PIK explains.

However, these investigations are sometimes difficult because there are no long-term observations on the strength of the circulation of the current.

So far, however, analyzes of the salinity and temperature patterns have shown that the change indicates the approaching of a critical threshold, according to the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research.

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Researchers warn of more weather extremes in Europe.

© Frank Molter / dpa

What influence does the Gulf Stream have on the climate?

The Gulf Stream is responsible for the mild temperatures in Europe.

By weakening this current, according to

wetter.de,

heavy weather events such as winter storms and heat waves would occur more frequently.

On the other side of the Atlantic, the poor circulation of the Gulf Stream could make the climate even colder.

Even if there are other factors that influence the change in the Atlantic overturning currents, Boers sees a connection with man-made climate change.

The PIK scientists are not yet aware of the effects these changes will have on humans and animals.

But current weather events already show that these will not be to our advantage.

(Stefanie Fischhaber)

List of rubric lists: © Frank Molter / dpa