Partial photo: Jason Zeis
Never before in over 1000 years the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), also known as Gulf Stream System, has been as weak as in the last decades. It may well be linked to human-caused climate change. The giant ocean circulation is relevant for weather patterns in Europe and regional sea-levels in the U.S. Its slowdown is also associated with an observed cold blob in the northern Atlantic. As the current slows down, more water can pile up at the U.S. east coast, leading to enhanced sea level rise. In Europe, further slowdown of the AMOC could imply more extreme weather events like change of the winter storm track coming off the Atlantic, possibly intensifying them. There might also be more extreme heat waves or a decrease in summer rainfall and dire effects elsewhere in the world. For an excellent explanation, read the Times article noted below.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/03/02/climate/atlantic-ocean-climate-change.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage§ion=Climate%20and%20Environment
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210225113357.htm