The change in the course of vital ocean currents which scientists call the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), is fraught with a number of catastrophic phenomena.
A change in the AMOC may affect rainfall in already arid regions, intensify storms, lower temperatures in Europe, lead to sea level rise, endanger the Amazon rainforest and Antarctic ice, reports goarctic.ru with reference to the scientific journal Nature Communications.
"It is unlikely that the Gulf Stream will completely stop or disappear. It will rather begin to transfer most of its waters towards Portugal, that is, the southern branch will strengthen, and the northern branch, which is called the North Atlantic Current, the continuation of which approaches Murmansk, may weaken. [...] Perhaps Murmansk will cease to be a non-freezing port," commented Sergey Mukhametov, senior lecturer at the Department of Oceanology of the Geographical Faculty of Lomonosov Moscow State University.
According to him, global warming continues to accelerate the melting of glaciers in the Arctic. The area of the ice cap that covers the Arctic Ocean is shrinking "at a serious pace," the expert said.
Alex Shishlo for Rough&Polished
