The Gulf Stream has been strengthening, according to new satellite observations, but does this challenge warnings about a weakening Atlantic circulation system – or are the two changes unrelated?
Gulf Stream is strengthening – so what does this mean for fears of an AMOC collapse?New satellite research has found that the Gulf Stream strengthened rapidly between 2014 and 2023, raising questions about what the finding means for concerns over the future of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC.
At first glance, the results may appear to contradict warnings that the AMOC could weaken as the climate warms. However, the Gulf Stream and the AMOC are not the same thing, and the latest research does not show that the wider circulation system is strengthening.
The Gulf Stream and AMOC are connected, but not the same
The Gulf Stream is a powerful ocean current that carries warm water northwards from the tropics, transporting heat across the Atlantic towards Europe.
It forms an important part of the much larger AMOC, which involves a vast system of ocean currents transporting warm surface water northwards and returning colder, denser water southwards at depth.
The Gulf Stream can therefore change without the entire AMOC responding in exactly the same way.
The Gulf Stream is a powerful ocean current that carries warm water northwards from the tropics, transporting heat across the Atlantic towards Europe.The new study used more than three decades of satellite observations to examine changes in the Gulf Stream. Researchers found a prolonged weaker period between around 2005 and 2014, followed
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This archived record authored by ‘Helena Mottram’ at ‘METEORED (Your Weather)’ was recovered from data set:
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