What is the AMOC and why is its collapse a threat?

The AMOC is a major Atlantic ocean current system vital for heat distribution. Its collapse could drastically alter global weather patterns, food security, and sea levels.

How is the Amazon deforestation linked to climate change?

Deforestation in the Amazon, combined with warming, risks tipping the ecosystem to a savanna, impacting its carbon absorption and biodiversity, and exacerbating climate change.

What does Iceland consider the AMOC collapse?

Iceland officially declared the risk of AMOC collapse a national security threat, indicating the severity and urgency of the potential impacts.

Home / Environment / AMOC Collapse: Climate Tipping Point Looms

AMOC Collapse: Climate Tipping Point Looms

22 Jan

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Summary

AMOC's collapse could radically alter global weather and water cycles.
Iceland declared AMOC collapse risk a national security threat.
Deforestation, warming risk Amazon forest collapse by 2050.

AMOC Collapse: Climate Tipping Point Looms

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a critical ocean current system, is showing warning signs of collapse, a situation former Bank of England Governor Mark Carney highlighted as a 'tragedy of the horizon.' This system is essential for redistributing heat globally. Iceland has officially designated the potential AMOC collapse as a national security threat, prompting a high-level response to prepare for this existential risk.

Concurrently, the Amazon rainforest is under severe threat. Deforestation and rising global temperatures risk irreversible transition to a savanna-like ecosystem, potentially affecting 10-47% of its forests by 2050. This loss would cripple its function as a carbon sink and lead to mass extinction of its 10% world biodiversity.

The ramifications of an AMOC shutdown extend globally. Europe could face harsher winters and drier summers, while the US northeast coast may experience a meter of sea-level rise. Agricultural output worldwide would be critically impaired, with staple crop suitability dropping significantly.