A blob in Atlantic Ocean is mysteriously cooling while the world warms
This circulation is crucial for regulating global climate, particularly in Europe and North America.Over the past century, while most of the globe has warmed, this subpolar region of the North Atlantic has cooled by up to 0.5 degrees Fahrenheit (0.3 degrees Celsius).
Understanding the cold blob is critical, as it can disrupt the jet stream and storm patterns.
Scientists have long debated whether this was due solely to changes in ocean currents or if the atmosphere played a role. The latest study, published in Science Advances, finds that both ocean and atmospheric processes are equally responsible for the persistent cold spot.'We found that the contribution from the atmosphere is comparable to that from ocean transport itself, which has never been found before,' said Yifei Fan, lead author of the study.As the AMOC weakens, largely due to an influx of freshwater from melting Greenland ice, which dilutes salty ocean water and makes it less dense, the conveyor belt slows. This reduces the northward transport of heat, cooling the region.But the ocean isn't acting alone. Cooler surface waters mean less evaporation, reducing atmospheric moisture and water vapour, a greenhouse gas that helps trap heat. This drier, cooler atmosphere feeds back to the ocean, amplifying and prolonging the cold anomaly.'Reducing the greenhouse effect, to put it simply, will feed back to the surface and amplify the pre-existing cold anomaly,' Fan explained.Understanding the cold blob is critical, as it can disrupt the jet stream and storm patterns, affecting extreme weather in North America and Europe.The finding highlights the delicate balance between the ocean and atmosphere in shaping the climate, and the far-reaching consequences that occur when this balance is disturbed.- EndsTrending Reel
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