Latest news with #AMOC
The National
a day ago
- Climate
- The National
What was behind extreme Atlantic heatwave of 2023?
A marine heatwave in the North Atlantic Ocean in 2023 was caused by record-breaking weak winds combined with increased solar radiation due to a lack of clouds – all on the back of continued climate change, scientists found. From Greenland to the Sahara and across to the Americas, the waters of the North Atlantic Ocean warmed at an unprecedented speed in the summer of 2023 according to a new study. 'The intensity of the warming in that single summer was equivalent to about two decades worth of warming for the North Atlantic,' said co-author Prof Matthew England from UNSW Sydney. 'While these extreme temperature events are typically only temporary, we can expect they'll become more frequent in the future.' At the time, Prof England was researching the so-called 'cold blob', a region of cooling in the North Atlantic south-east of Greenland which is one of the more unusual consequences of global warming. It is a sign of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) slowing down, which is a scenario made famous by the Hollywood film, The Day After Tomorrow. The waters had been cooling for the past 50 to 100 years. 'We even asked ourselves if this was the circulation making a temporary comeback, but the rate of warming was far too rapid for that,' Prof England said. The heatwave is essentially measured by the depth of the upper layer of the ocean – directly affected by solar radiation – which sits above the cooler deep ocean. With more exposure to the sun during spring and summer, the upper ocean gradually warms. Co-author of the report published in Nature, Prof Alex Sen Gupta, also from UNSW, said the rate of warming depends on the thickness of the ocean's upper layer. The thickness is set by the winds that churn up the surface waters and mix heat throughout it. 'A thin layer will warm faster, much in the same way that a pan of water on a stove with less water will warm faster than a pan with more,' Prof Sen Gupta said. In June and July of 2023, the North Atlantic winds were weaker than ever recorded, 'so the upper layer of the ocean was thinner than ever recorded', he said. In some areas it was only 10 metres deep, compared to the usual 20 to 40 metres deep. An extra factor was lack of cloud cover. In 2020, new international rules were introduced to reduce the sulphur pollution emitted by ships, aiming to improve air quality around the world's major shipping lanes. But clearer skies means more sunlight can reach the sea surface – especially in the North Atlantic, which is a high-traffic shipping area. However, Prof England says this effect was secondary, only contributing to localised regions of enhanced warming. Most of the blame he says, still lay with the lack of wind. 'Reducing sulphate emissions is good for reducing air pollution,' he said. 'Though it has the unfortunate effect of allowing additional warming of the ocean's surface, because less sunlight is reflected back to space.' Co-author Dr Zhi Li, also from UNSW, who led the analyses of ocean observations said the temporary thinning caused by weaker-than-average winds was also bolstered by global warming. Long-term warming causes the surface ocean to become less dense, suppressing the ability of winds to mix the upper ocean. 'So we were also dealing with a long-term thinning of the upper layer,' he said. The combination of weak winds with reduced mixed layer depths and clearer than average skies meant the rapid warming became a full-basin marine heatwave which the scientists described as 'off the scale'. As the warming waters radiated heat back into the atmosphere, this triggered a series of consequences on land. Air masses travelling over the top of the ocean were picking up heat to scorch cities across Europe. Deadly heatwaves of more than 40°C across Germany, France and Italy broke temperature records, wildfires broke out, while torrential rains devastated parts of Spain and Eastern Europe. Back underwater, the coral reefs of the Caribbean were bleaching under severe heat stress. Hurricanes, which only occur during summer, fuelled by ocean heat, intensified into disasters. That season, Hurricane Idalia hit Florida – causing eight deaths and damages worth $3.6bn. 'This wasn't just a small area of warm water off one coast,' said Prof Stefan Rahmstorf from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), another co-author of the study. 'This was the entire North Atlantic, with impacts on weather systems, human lives, marine ecosystems and society.' Prof England said marine heatwaves in the North Atlantic are only set to get worse in the future, with extremely costly consequences for ecosystems and society. 'Severe marine heatwaves often only last for a few weeks or months, but this one in the North Atlantic left a legacy that persisted for more than a year,' he said.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Researchers issue warning after new study reveals powerful phenomenon causing flooding along coast: 'Poses threats to both lives and infrastructure'
New research indicates that a climate-change weakened network of ocean currents is a cause of a significant portion of flooding along the northeast coast of the United States. A vital ocean system, referenced by some as the Earth's "cardiovascular system," is shifting and contributing to flooding events. CNN reported that a new study, published in mid-May by Science Advances, showed that from 2005 to 2022 the U.S. Northeast experienced up to eight days of flooding annually due to sea level changes driven by a slowdown of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. This means roughly 20% to 50% of total flooding events at monitored sites could be linked to the weakening AMOC. While extreme weather like flooding has always occurred, human activities are intensifying it. As a 2024 post from the Union of Concerned Scientists explained, human activity has caused temperatures to rise globally, melting ice sheets and dumping huge amounts of freshwater into the North Atlantic. "Because of this," according to the UCS, "the ocean waters in the north are less salty and less dense than before," upending delicately balanced circulation patterns. Less dense and warmer water takes up greater space, leading sea levels to rise along with the temperatures. This research is part of a growing body of work demonstrating how a weakening AMOC can strengthen flooding events. Higher sea levels can supercharge floods and storm surges, causing powerful waters to reach further inland. They can also make flooding more frequent by setting the baseline much closer to flood status — just as a mostly full glass of water is more likely to spill over with just a little added on top. Study co-author Liping Zhang, who is also a scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told CNN that flooding in the Northeast coastal states can "reshape the coastal environment … (and) poses threats to both lives and infrastructure in coastal regions." That could mean sudden basement floods in homes never before prone to such issues or washed-out roads delaying commutes and cutting off vital services to those in need. Public works and recreational areas could also sustain dangerous and costly destruction, threatening human health and safety too. Do you think your city has good air quality? Definitely Somewhat Depends on the time of year Not at all Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Such hazards could end up forcing some residents and even whole communities to relocate, with marginalized populations facing disproportionate impacts. High sea levels can also displace barrier islands and critically damage wildlife habitats. The NOAA has called for a cost-effective and enhanced observation network across the Atlantic Ocean to spot where AMOC changes originate. Meanwhile, experts at a January 2025 JPI Climate meeting agreed to complete a report covering potential tipping points, consequences, and mitigation strategies. Research like this new study can arm experts with the information they need to understand the coming dangers and plan for how to help communities counter and navigate them. In the U.S., efforts to prevent Northeast flooding are underway, including marsh restoration and flood resilience initiatives. Eco-friendly practices could help limit further disruption of the AMOC by mitigating temperature rise, and one option for homeowners is to reduce the production of heat-trapping pollution by leveraging a clean, renewable source like solar energy. Installing solar panels together with a battery system comes with added benefits, like ensuring a home's access to power in the wake of weather-related grid outages and significantly lowering energy bills. Resources like the free tool from EnergySage can also help residents compare vetted local installers, with the potential to save homeowners up to $10,000. Helping whole communities to learn about the benefits of cleaner options can multiply the effect and galvanize actions close to home with the possibility of far-reaching impacts. Organizing local walking and biking groups, for example, and supporting public transit can help cut back on planet-warming gases. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Irish Examiner
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
How do some blockbuster disaster movies stack up against real science?
From fiery asteroids to rogue planets, humanity's fascination with its own demise has fuelled countless blockbuster films. End-of-the-world movies captivate us with their spectacle and suspense, but how do they stack up against real science? Let's explore some iconic apocalypse films and rate which ones get close to plausible science and which ones veer into pure fantasy. The scientifically plausible, kind of… Deep Impact (1998) Deep Impact starring Robert Duvall, Téa Leoni, Elijah Wood, Vanessa Redgrave, Maximilian Schell, and Morgan Freeman Plot: A comet is on a collision course with Earth, threatening mass extinction. Science Check: This one gets a lot right. Comets (icy, rocky bodies from the outer solar system) could indeed strike Earth, as they have in the past (think of the Chicxulub impact that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago — although this is widely believed to have been caused by an asteroid not a comet). The film's depiction of a global effort to deflect the comet with nuclear weapons aligns with real-world concepts like NASA's planetary defence strategies, including the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, which successfully altered an asteroid's orbit in 2022. Where it stretches plausibility is in the timeline, detecting a comet just months before impact is unlikely with today's tech, which can spot near-Earth objects years in advance. Still, the tsunami-causing aftermath of a smaller fragment hitting the Atlantic? That's a chillingly realistic touch. Accuracy Rating: 7/10. Nails comet impacts and deflection but stretches the detection timeline. The Day After Tomorrow (2004) The Day After Tomorrow starring Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, Sela Ward, Emmy Rossum, and Ian Holm Plot: Climate change triggers a sudden ice age, with superstorms and flash-freezing chaos. Science Check: This film takes a kernel of truth and runs wild with it. The idea of a disrupted Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a key ocean current that regulates global climate, has basis in science. Studies suggest that melting polar ice from climate warming have weakened this system, and under high emissions scenarios it could collapse, which would cool Europe and the planet overall; however, scientists aren't sure about the timing this could happen — it's a hot (or cold) topic. But the movie's hyper-accelerated timeline (days instead of decades) and dramatic effects, like tornadoes shredding Los Angeles or New York freezing solid in hours, are pure Hollywood. Real climate shifts are gradual, not instant, and liquid nitrogen-style freezing of humans? Thermodynamically absurd. Accuracy Rating: 4/10. AMOC disruption is real, but the rest is cinematic craic. Interstellar (2014) Anne Hathaway as Amelia in Interstellar. Picture: Warner Bros/Paramount/Melinda Sue Gordon Plot: Earth becomes uninhabitable due to crop failures and dust storms, prompting a search for a new home via a wormhole. Science Check: Interstellar earns points for ambition. The film consulted physicist Kip Thorne, ensuring its wormhole and black hole visuals (like Gargantua's accretion disk) were grounded in relativity theory. Crop blight wiping out food supplies is a plausible threat, fungal pathogens and climate change do endanger global agriculture. However, the idea of Earth becoming a dust-choked wasteland in mere decades is exaggerated; such a collapse would likely take centuries. The wormhole? Theoretically possible, but we've no evidence they exist or could be navigated. Accuracy Rating: 7/10. Blight and dust are credible, but the speed and wormhole travel are speculative. The scientifically absurd Armageddon (1998) Armageddon with Bruce Willis Plot: A Texas-sized asteroid threatens Earth, and oil drillers are sent to nuke it from the inside. Science Check: Armageddon is a rollercoaster of nonsense. An asteroid that big (1,000 km wide) would obliterate Earth on impact, no drilling required. Splitting it with a nuke wouldn't work either; you'd need energy far exceeding all human-made explosives combined, and the fragments would still rain down catastrophically. Plus, training drillers to be astronauts in days? NASA would sooner train astronauts to drill. It's a thrilling ride, but it's about as scientific as a cartoon. Accuracy Rating: 1/10. Gets the asteroid threat vaguely right but flunks physics and logistics. 2012 (2009) 2012 starring John Cusack, Thandiwe Newton, Danny Glover, and Woody Harrelson Plot: Neutrinos from a solar flare heat Earth's core, causing continents to shift and mega-tsunamis to ensue. Science Check: This one's a doomsday fever dream. Neutrinos, near-massless particles that pass through matter, are incapable of heating Earth's core. Science says no, but the film says 'yes, and here's tsunamis'. The idea of 'solar flares' triggering pole shifts or crust displacement is geological gibberish, plate tectonics don't work that way, and shifts take millions of years, not hours. The arks saving humanity are a nice touch, but the science here is a Mayan prophecy-level stretch. Accuracy Rating: 0/10 —Pure fantasy with zero scientific grounding. The Core (2003) The Core: In a last-ditch effort to restart the planet's failing magnetic field, scientists and astronauts must set off a nuclear device at the center of the Earth. 2003 film starring Aaron Eckhart, Hilary Swank, and Stanley Tucci Plot: Earth's core mysteriously stops spinning, so a team drills down to detonate nukes and restart it. Science Check: Where to begin? The core stopping would take an incomprehensible force (far beyond anything natural) and would disrupt Earth's magnetic field gradually, not instantly. Drilling to the core is impossible with current tech; the deepest hole ever (Kola Superdeep Borehole) reached just 12 kilometres, versus the 2,900 kilometres to the outer core. And nukes restarting it? Angular momentum doesn't work like a car engine. This film's a wild sci-fi romp, not a science lesson. Although there is a factually correct documentary by the same name... and I know a lecturer who accidentally played the wrong core movie to their university class. They shall remain anonymous. Accuracy Rating: 0/10. A wild sci-fi ride with no scientific legs. Why we love the apocalypse anyway Whether they nail the science or fling it out the window, end-of-the-world films tap into our primal fears and hopes. Films such as Deep Impact and Interstellar remind us of real threats, asteroids, climate change, resource depletion, while offering heroic solutions. Meanwhile, Armageddon and 2012 lean into absurdity, prioritising explosions over equations. Scientifically accurate or not, they all ask: How would we face the end? And that's a question worth pondering, even if the neutrinos stay harmless and the core keeps spinning. So, next time you're watching an apocalyptic blockbuster, enjoy the ride and just don't bet on it being a documentary.
India.com
20-05-2025
- Politics
- India.com
'Silent nuclear blast to cause massive destruction...,' chilling prediction by 'living Nostradamus' who predicted Corona
New Delhi: Athos Salomi is also known as the Living Nostradamus. Salomi, who predicted dozens of global events for 2024, has expressed concern over a 'silent nuclear explosion' that is just seconds away from the world. Let's find out what predictions Living Nostradamus has made that have caused an uproar. According to a report by the Daily Mail, Salomi has issued several terrifying warnings considering the current geopolitical scenario and the increasing conflicts around the world. He has stated that the war in Ukraine will end, but no one will emerge victorious. Additionally, he warned of an 'invisible war' that could blow up a nuclear reactor, causing massive devastation. Athos has warned about the 'partial shutdown' of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), also known as the Gulf Stream. This will have a terrible impact on temperatures in Europe. He also expressed concern about a severe drought in Western Europe and the possibility of sudden floods in cities like New York, Mumbai, and Lagos. Salome has predicted an unannounced agreement stating that by 2025 the conflict will stabilize, borders will become stable, and Ukraine will become a 'buffer state'. Salome warned that there will be no winners in this war; it will end due to economic reasons. Meanwhile, Salome stated that there will be a war that is not broadcast on television, but it continues every day. One such conflict includes the underground conflict between Iran and Israel. Drone attacks, industrial sabotage, and cyberattacks have already created a silent stage for war. Heavy devastation will be caused by a nuclear reactor explosion. The biggest threat is the destruction of the Iranian nuclear reactor, which will have global environmental and political repercussions. This will lead to massive devastation. He warned that the world is just seconds away from a silent nuclear explosion. Only three world leaders are aware of the true severity of this threat. Wealthy individuals are already preparing. In this regard, Salome revealed that the behaviour of wealthy people around the world indicates that they are already preparing for such a disaster, while pretending that everything is fine in front of the common people. Such individuals are trying to obtain passports from neutral countries like Switzerland, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Singapore.
NDTV
19-05-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Why The US Coast Faces Flood Threat? Damning Study Sounds The Alarm
The northeast coast of the US is witnessing more flooding events in recent years owing to the slowdown of a major current in the Atlantic Ocean that is boosting the sea level, a new study has shown. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) influences climate, weather and sea levels around the planet by transporting heat, salt and freshwater through the ocean, but scientists are worried that it is weakening. The study published last week in the American Association for the Advancement of Science used data from tide gauges (an instrument used to monitor sea level change) and complex ocean models to calculate how the AMOC has affected flooding in the region. "The US Northeast Coast (USNEC) has been identified as a hotspot for accelerated sea level rise over the North Atlantic (NA) Ocean in the most recent decades," the study highlighted. The findings showed that between 2005 and 2022, up to 50 per cent of flooding events along the northeastern coast were driven by a weaker AMOC. With the climate is continuously changing and the atmosphere warming, scientists fear that fresh water from melting polar ice sheets could significantly disrupt or collapse the AMOC, leading to devastating consequences. "If the AMOC collapsed, this would dramatically increase the flood frequency along the US coast, even in the absence of strong storms," Liping Zhang at the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in New Jersey told New Scientist. "Even partial weakening [of the current] can already have substantial impacts." This is not the first instance when scientists have warned about the collapse of AMOC. A study published last year claimed that the impending disaster, accelerated by human-induced climate change, could occur as early as the late 2030s. While the new study paints a picture of gloom, there is a silver lining. Since natural cycles in the AMOC's strength are largely predictable, scientists could forecast which years will see lots of flooding, up to three in advance. This foresight could help authorities make decisions about emergency preparedness and related infrastructure in time.
