Excerpt: A new study by experts at University of Gothenburg and the German Alfred Wegener Institute reveals that rapidly melting freshwater ice in the Arctic could be one cause. This melted ice could weaken or even cause a collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) – Earth's vast system of ocean currents.
Described as 'the conveyor belt of the ocean', AMOC transports warm water near the ocean's surface northwards from the tropics up to the northern hemisphere, keeping Europe, the UK and the US east coast temperate.
If and when AMOC does collapse, much of the northern hemisphere, including Europe and North America, could experience harsh, freezing cold winters.
But study author Dr Céline Heuzé, senior lecturer in climatology at the University of Gothenburg, said it's 'scary' that the exact effects of weaker global ocean circulation are as yet unknown.
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