The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is a
major current in the Atlantic Ocean, characterized by a
northward flow of warm, salty water in the upper layers of the
Atlantic, and a southward flow of colder water in the deep
Atlantic. The AMOC is an important component of the Earth’s
climate system. |Topographic map of the Nordic Seas and subpolar
basins with schematic circulation of surface currents (solid
curves) and deep currents (dashed curves) that form a portion of
the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. Colors of
curves indicate approximate temperatures. Source: R. Curry,
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution/Science/USGCRP.| This ocean
current system transports a substantial amount of heat energy
from the tropics and Southern Hemisphere toward the North
Atlantic, where the heat is then transferred to the atmosphere.
Changes in this ocean circulation could have a profound impact
on many aspects of the global climate system. There is growing
evidence that fluctuations in Atlantic se