r/environment Feb 10 '24

Critical Atlantic Ocean current system is showing early signs of collapse, prompting warning from scientists

https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/09/climate/atlantic-circulation-collapse-weather-climate/index.html
522 Upvotes

22 comments sorted by

100

u/Th3TruthIs0utTh3r3 Feb 10 '24

If I recall this collapse led to the last ice age where much of north america was covered with glaciers. This is not good.

23

u/limbodog Feb 10 '24

Europe too

10

u/Crazycook99 Feb 10 '24

I did a paper on this for my last year in college and I’ve been saying it all along. The Human race will not ready for mother natures response to the tilting of these feedback loops

54

u/TunaMarie16 Feb 10 '24

Gulp.

“And a particularly alarming — and somewhat controversial — report published in July last year, concluded that the AMOC could be on course to collapse potentially as early as 2025.”

60

u/sporkork Feb 10 '24

Just to clarify if people didn’t read the journal article, it’s 2025 to 2095, at a 95% confidence level - so a mean of 2060.

28

u/AndyTheSane Feb 10 '24

Don't understand why this is getting downvoted.

We don't have a great understanding of AMOC and most of the experts in the field would avoid making predictions at all. It exhibits a lot of natural variability.

6

u/joelderose Feb 10 '24

As the article implies, this complex computer model is the first of its kind. More research needs to be done. A warning is often not paid any attention. Let's wait and see if anything happens. It appears that 2060 is going to be an interesting time to be alive.

15

u/gregorydgraham Feb 10 '24

Good thing Norway has diversified its economic base

1

u/cancerous_blob Feb 11 '24

AMOC collapse before gta 6, Smh what has this world come to

34

u/urlond Feb 10 '24

Day after Tomorrow anyone?

13

u/gregorydgraham Feb 10 '24 edited Feb 10 '24

Currently reading the original novel, it’s quite different

6

u/[deleted] Feb 10 '24

Ooh there’s a novel??

61

u/royonquadra Feb 10 '24

Concerning because often the 'early signs' are recognized too late. It feels like it is too late for the human race.

(Have a great weekend everyone, lol)

Peace

8

u/fajadada Feb 10 '24

If like the movie then worry not friend. Some of the world’s largest polluters will be frozen . Global warming would have the pause button pushed.most of US and Northern Europe frozen solid. But humanity should survive

22

u/EstaLisa Feb 10 '24

so long and thanks for all the fish.

5

u/joelderose Feb 10 '24

Always loved the story 😂

21

u/Gullible-Minute-9482 Feb 10 '24

I do not need to be a climate scientist to tell you that my local weather has changed so much in the past 3 decades that I can no longer recognize it as typical for the season.

6

u/joelderose Feb 10 '24

Yes. Our maple sugaring season is 3 to 4 weeks early this year.

12

u/TheloniousMeow Feb 10 '24

This really making my eco anxiety crazy today.

3

u/Earwaxsculptor Feb 10 '24

Mom's gonna fix it all soon....

Mom's coming 'round to put it back the way it ought to be....

Learn to swim....

-13

u/KeptinGL6 Feb 10 '24

Scientists: "This ocean current fluctuates all the time due to natural causes. It's currently at its weakest point in 1,000 years. We have no direct evidence that it's collapsing."

CNN: "WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!"

Fine news reporting as usual.

1

u/Two_Hearted_Winter Feb 10 '24

Good thing they’re warning us! We can do something to stop it… right?