James Stewart

It's actually at its lowest levels since measurements began 120 years ago. Because of this, the water is an awful lot less dense. And that's really significant because it's becoming much harder for that water to sink down and join up with the deep colder currents we talked about before.

It's actually at its lowest levels since measurements began 120 years ago. Because of this, the water is an awful lot less dense. And that's really significant because it's becoming much harder for that water to sink down and join up with the deep colder currents we talked about before.

It's actually at its lowest levels since measurements began 120 years ago. Because of this, the water is an awful lot less dense. And that's really significant because it's becoming much harder for that water to sink down and join up with the deep colder currents we talked about before.

One of the main reasons scientists think this could be is there's lots more fresh water now melting off ice into our oceans due to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

One of the main reasons scientists think this could be is there's lots more fresh water now melting off ice into our oceans due to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

One of the main reasons scientists think this could be is there's lots more fresh water now melting off ice into our oceans due to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

At least two studies analyzing state-of-the-art climate models and observations have shown that the recent North Atlantic warming hole is of anthropogenic origin and is caused by reduced northward oceanic heat transport related to greenhouse gas emissions. One of the main reasons we're able to attribute some blame towards humans, as alluded to there, is by looking back to the past.

At least two studies analyzing state-of-the-art climate models and observations have shown that the recent North Atlantic warming hole is of anthropogenic origin and is caused by reduced northward oceanic heat transport related to greenhouse gas emissions. One of the main reasons we're able to attribute some blame towards humans, as alluded to there, is by looking back to the past.

At least two studies analyzing state-of-the-art climate models and observations have shown that the recent North Atlantic warming hole is of anthropogenic origin and is caused by reduced northward oceanic heat transport related to greenhouse gas emissions. One of the main reasons we're able to attribute some blame towards humans, as alluded to there, is by looking back to the past.

To understand conditions before regular temperature measurements began, we must turn to proxy data. The traces of past climate change left behind in slowly accumulating archives, things like ice sheets or seafloor sediments. Proxies like the ratio of oxygen isotopes found in the microscopic skeletons that make up much of the deep floor sediment provide a record of past surface water temperatures.

To understand conditions before regular temperature measurements began, we must turn to proxy data. The traces of past climate change left behind in slowly accumulating archives, things like ice sheets or seafloor sediments. Proxies like the ratio of oxygen isotopes found in the microscopic skeletons that make up much of the deep floor sediment provide a record of past surface water temperatures.

To understand conditions before regular temperature measurements began, we must turn to proxy data. The traces of past climate change left behind in slowly accumulating archives, things like ice sheets or seafloor sediments. Proxies like the ratio of oxygen isotopes found in the microscopic skeletons that make up much of the deep floor sediment provide a record of past surface water temperatures.

The size of sediment grains on the ocean floor reveal current speeds above it and allow us to reconstruct past sea surface temperatures and other parameters. What they suggest is a long-term weakening of the AMOC since the early or even mid-20th century. Climate models have long predicted its decline in response to global warming, and the physics behind these predictions is understood.

The size of sediment grains on the ocean floor reveal current speeds above it and allow us to reconstruct past sea surface temperatures and other parameters. What they suggest is a long-term weakening of the AMOC since the early or even mid-20th century. Climate models have long predicted its decline in response to global warming, and the physics behind these predictions is understood.

The size of sediment grains on the ocean floor reveal current speeds above it and allow us to reconstruct past sea surface temperatures and other parameters. What they suggest is a long-term weakening of the AMOC since the early or even mid-20th century. Climate models have long predicted its decline in response to global warming, and the physics behind these predictions is understood.

In addition, the paleoclimatic data also strongly points to human activities as the cause, in that AMOC weakening coincides with the period of unprecedented modern global warming. In short, it's very likely that humans have significantly increased the conditions in which the AMOC is prone to being unstable. We can observe several changes here.

In addition, the paleoclimatic data also strongly points to human activities as the cause, in that AMOC weakening coincides with the period of unprecedented modern global warming. In short, it's very likely that humans have significantly increased the conditions in which the AMOC is prone to being unstable. We can observe several changes here.

In addition, the paleoclimatic data also strongly points to human activities as the cause, in that AMOC weakening coincides with the period of unprecedented modern global warming. In short, it's very likely that humans have significantly increased the conditions in which the AMOC is prone to being unstable. We can observe several changes here.

There's a rise in greenhouse gas emissions and arctic amplification. There's also an increasingly enhanced water cycle, intensified by more energy from the sun, which creates more extreme weather like floods and droughts. There's also more evaporation in the subtropics and more precipitation in the high latitudes. Now these things are all happening before we've ever mentioned melting sea ice.

There's a rise in greenhouse gas emissions and arctic amplification. There's also an increasingly enhanced water cycle, intensified by more energy from the sun, which creates more extreme weather like floods and droughts. There's also more evaporation in the subtropics and more precipitation in the high latitudes. Now these things are all happening before we've ever mentioned melting sea ice.