Earth, being 71 percent covered in water, is influenced by the ocean and its movements. In the Atlantic Ocean, a system of connected currents, called the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), moves water throughout the world’s oceans powered by a combination of winds and ocean density. It not only distributes the ocean’s heat, moisture, and nutrients, but regulates the Earth’s climate and weather.
As the climate is continuously changing and the atmosphere is warming, many scientists fear that fresh water from melting polar ice sheets could significantly disrupt — or collapse — the AMOC. While a decline of the AMOC would have grave consequences, a collapse would be truly catastrophic. However, studies about the AMOC’s long term future are uncertain. Instead…