Most recent data: 2024-12

AMOC (Gulf Stream) Collapse

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is one of Earth's most crucial climate systems, of which the Gulf Stream is a part. A collapse of this vast ocean circulation system could trigger abrupt climate changes, including severe cooling in Europe, disrupted rainfall patterns across the tropics, and accelerated sea-level rise along the North American coast.

What is the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)?

The AMOC is a vast ocean circulation system that transports warm surface waters northward and cold deep waters southward across the Atlantic. A key component of this system is the Gulf Stream, a robust warm current that traverses North America's eastern seaboard towards Europe, significantly influencing temperature regulation and weather patterns on both continents.

Recent studies have shown signs that the AMOC might be weakening. This website aims to collect and visualize current data on key indicators that help track the system's stability. The site is currently under development, with more data and features being added regularly.

North-South Atlantic temperature difference

One indicator for the stability of the AMOC could be the temperature difference between the north and south Atlantic.

As the AMOC works by exchanging warm surface waters flowing northward with cold deep waters flowing southward, the temperature difference between these regions could serve as an indicator of the system's strength. The graph displays this temperature gradient from 1854 to present, showing the difference between northern and southern Atlantic temperatures. The blue line represents monthly temperature gradients, revealing substantial short-term variability, while the green line shows a 10-year moving average that smooths out seasonal fluctuations. Most notably, the yellow trend line demonstrates a clear downward progression from approximately -13.3°C to -14.5°C over this period.

This increasing negative gradient suggests that the temperature difference between north and south is growing larger over time. Such a trend could indicate that the AMOC's efficiency in transporting heat northward is diminishing, as an effectively functioning AMOC would maintain smaller temperature differences between these regions.