Monday October 28, 2024
PhysOrg —
The Arctic is warming at three to four times the global average. However, new research suggests the slowing of a key ocean current could reduce projected Arctic warming by up to 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.
For years, scientists have warned that unchecked Arctic warming could lead to devastating consequences, threatening wildlife and ushering in an era of more frequent and extreme weather events. Amid concerns for these types of outcomes, a study led by UC Riverside offers some limited relief.
The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, examined the effects that the slowing of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC, may have on the climate in the Arctic. The AMOC is the current that transports heat from the tropics to higher latitudes.
Though temperatures in the Arctic are projected to rise by 10 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, the study shows that when the slowing AMOC current is factored in, Arctic temperatures will only rise by 8 degrees Celsius.