L'AMOC, rouage essentiel du climat, se grippe

A new study warns the Atlantic's vital ocean current is slowing faster than predicted, threatening more extreme European weather and severe Sahel droughts. | Contesto: cronaca

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• L'AMOC, rouage essentiel du climat, se grippe

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A critical ocean current system that helps regulate the Northern Hemisphere's climate is weakening at an accelerated pace, according to new scientific research. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a vast conveyor belt of water that moves warm surface currents northward and cold deep water southward, is slowing down more rapidly than previous climate models had projected. This deceleration, driven primarily by meltwater from Greenland's ice sheets and increased rainfall diluting the North Atlantic's salinity, directly threatens the temperate climate patterns upon which Europe and parts of Africa have long relied. The AMOC functions as a planetary heat pump, transporting immense warmth from the tropics toward Western Europe. Its stable operation is a primary reason for the region's relatively mild winters compared to other areas at similar latitudes. The new findings indicate that as this circulation weakens, its capacity to moderate Europe's climate diminishes. The anticipated result is a paradoxical yet deeply concerning shift: winters on the continent are expected to become significantly harsher and colder, while summer seasons will trend toward more intense heatwaves and elevated temperatures. Beyond Europe, the impacts of a faltering AMOC will reverberate across the Atlantic to the Sahel region of Africa. Scientists warn of a "very strong" decrease in rainfall for this semi-arid zone, which stretches across the continent south of the Sahara Desert. This dramatic reduction in precipitation poses an existential threat to rain-fed agriculture, the backbone of food security for millions of people. The resulting crop failures could trigger severe humanitarian crises, exacerbating poverty, displacement, and regional instability. The study directly links the current's accelerating slowdown to human-induced climate change. The mechanism is clear: rising global temperatures are accelerating the melt of the Greenland ice cap and increasing precipitation at high latitudes. This influx of fresh water is less dense than salty seawater, inhibiting the sinking process in the North Atlantic that is the crucial engine driving the entire AMOC. This...

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Categoria: cronaca