New research highlights the similarities between current ice melt from Greenland and historical Heinrich Events, suggesting that while the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation faces risks from increased freshwater and global warming, it is robust enough to avoid complete collapse. The work provides crucial insights into past and potential future changes in ocean circulation, offering a hopeful perspective against climate doomism.
This scene describes a Heinrich Event, or a period of rapid iceberg discharge from the Laurentide Ice Sheet during the last glacial maximum. These episodes greatly weakened the system of ocean currents that circulate water within the Atlantic Ocean. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC for short, brings warm surface water north and cold deep water south.
Zhou went back in history to study the most recent period when the AMOC was severely weakened — from 68,000 to 16,000 years ago, during the last glacial period. During cooler periods there is more water locked up in ice sheets, creating a reservoir for quickly flushing the ocean with freshwater in the form of icebergs or runoff. Scientists call these episodes Heinrich Events when they came from the Laurentide Ice Sheet. “Today it does not exist.
Heinrich Events also lasted for tens to hundreds of years. In contrast, the Industrial Revolution only began around the late 18century, with carbon emissions ramping up much later. “It is possible that we simply haven’t screwed up badly enough for long enough for it to really mess up the AMOC,” Zhou remarked.
“This presents a tug-o-war between these two factors: the more disruptive but decreasing ice discharge and the less effective but accelerating runoff,” Zhou explained. “It’s going to be a competition, and the interplay between the two will determine the future of the AMOC.”
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Source: CNBC - 🏆 12. / 72 Read more »