James Stewart

If global warming worsens past a particular threshold before an AMOC collapse, the rainforest could irreversibly enter a savannah-like state. Due to these fluctuations in the AMOC, the Amazon could shift its seasons, with the dry season becoming the wet and vice versa. A change that would severely impact the overall system.

If global warming worsens past a particular threshold before an AMOC collapse, the rainforest could irreversibly enter a savannah-like state. Due to these fluctuations in the AMOC, the Amazon could shift its seasons, with the dry season becoming the wet and vice versa. A change that would severely impact the overall system.

If global warming worsens past a particular threshold before an AMOC collapse, the rainforest could irreversibly enter a savannah-like state. Due to these fluctuations in the AMOC, the Amazon could shift its seasons, with the dry season becoming the wet and vice versa. A change that would severely impact the overall system.

The AMOC is clearly something we need to watch incredibly closely. But how do we actually do that? How do we keep track of changes in the AMOC to monitor how quickly or how far the slowing down is progressing? Scientists measure the AMOC using scientific instruments deployed in different latitudes across the North and South Atlantic Oceans.

The AMOC is clearly something we need to watch incredibly closely. But how do we actually do that? How do we keep track of changes in the AMOC to monitor how quickly or how far the slowing down is progressing? Scientists measure the AMOC using scientific instruments deployed in different latitudes across the North and South Atlantic Oceans.

The AMOC is clearly something we need to watch incredibly closely. But how do we actually do that? How do we keep track of changes in the AMOC to monitor how quickly or how far the slowing down is progressing? Scientists measure the AMOC using scientific instruments deployed in different latitudes across the North and South Atlantic Oceans.

The National Oceanography Centre, the NOC, is the UK lead of two international programmes in the North Atlantic, Rapid Climate Change and UK Overturning in the Sub-Polar North Atlantic. Both programmes deploy sensors attached to wires that are hundreds to thousands of metres deep. They're known in oceanography as moorings.

The National Oceanography Centre, the NOC, is the UK lead of two international programmes in the North Atlantic, Rapid Climate Change and UK Overturning in the Sub-Polar North Atlantic. Both programmes deploy sensors attached to wires that are hundreds to thousands of metres deep. They're known in oceanography as moorings.

The National Oceanography Centre, the NOC, is the UK lead of two international programmes in the North Atlantic, Rapid Climate Change and UK Overturning in the Sub-Polar North Atlantic. Both programmes deploy sensors attached to wires that are hundreds to thousands of metres deep. They're known in oceanography as moorings.

These instruments have special sensors attached to them, which measure things like ocean current speed, temperature, salinity and direction of the water crossing the arrays.

These instruments have special sensors attached to them, which measure things like ocean current speed, temperature, salinity and direction of the water crossing the arrays.

These instruments have special sensors attached to them, which measure things like ocean current speed, temperature, salinity and direction of the water crossing the arrays.

One of the major things to keep an eye on in relation to when this collapse might be imminent, the sort of alarm clock if you will, is the flow of water in the Atlantic, which has been measured with the RAPID project since 2004. The other measurements help us monitor water mixing during winter in the North Atlantic and Nordic seas.

One of the major things to keep an eye on in relation to when this collapse might be imminent, the sort of alarm clock if you will, is the flow of water in the Atlantic, which has been measured with the RAPID project since 2004. The other measurements help us monitor water mixing during winter in the North Atlantic and Nordic seas.

One of the major things to keep an eye on in relation to when this collapse might be imminent, the sort of alarm clock if you will, is the flow of water in the Atlantic, which has been measured with the RAPID project since 2004. The other measurements help us monitor water mixing during winter in the North Atlantic and Nordic seas.

If the deep mixing starts to decline a lot, that could be an early indicator that we are approaching a tipping point. Now, whilst there are some signs of this, as we've shown throughout this video, we don't have enough data yet to be sure when that might be. Last big final question. We know the AMOC has collapsed before and it's come back again. So could it not just do that again if it collapses?

If the deep mixing starts to decline a lot, that could be an early indicator that we are approaching a tipping point. Now, whilst there are some signs of this, as we've shown throughout this video, we don't have enough data yet to be sure when that might be. Last big final question. We know the AMOC has collapsed before and it's come back again. So could it not just do that again if it collapses?

If the deep mixing starts to decline a lot, that could be an early indicator that we are approaching a tipping point. Now, whilst there are some signs of this, as we've shown throughout this video, we don't have enough data yet to be sure when that might be. Last big final question. We know the AMOC has collapsed before and it's come back again. So could it not just do that again if it collapses?

Well, sort of, maybe. Let's say it did collapse. Even if that fresh water input into the oceans from ice melting decreases to current levels, the AMOC may still remain in a collapsed state. The ability of the system to not return to the initial state once the forcing is reversed is referred to as hysteresis.

Well, sort of, maybe. Let's say it did collapse. Even if that fresh water input into the oceans from ice melting decreases to current levels, the AMOC may still remain in a collapsed state. The ability of the system to not return to the initial state once the forcing is reversed is referred to as hysteresis.