Latest news with #AtlanticMeridionalOverturningCirculation
The Independent
11-06-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Why hottest May on record for Greenland and Iceland is bad news for the world
A recent analysis indicates that human-caused climate change amplified Iceland and Greenland 's temperatures during a record-setting May heat wave, raising concerns about the global implications of melting Arctic ice. During the heat wave, the Greenland ice sheet melted at an accelerated rate, with some areas in Iceland experiencing temperatures over 10°C (18°F) above average, and setting a May record of 26.6°C (79.9 F) at Egilsstadir Airport. Scientists warn that the melting Greenland ice sheet could disrupt global climate and weather patterns by slowing down the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, an ocean current that influences weather in the Northern Hemisphere. The May heat wave, which increased the length of the melting season, also threatens Indigenous communities in Greenland due to dangerous travel conditions caused by thawing sea ice, impacting access to hunting locations. Amidst discussions about Greenland 's future, Greenland 's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen has asserted that Greenland will never be a property for sale, emphasizing the importance of addressing climate change and its impacts on the territory.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists mapped what happens if a crucial system of ocean currents collapses. The weather impact would be extreme
The collapse of a crucial network of Atlantic Ocean currents could push parts of the world into a deep freeze, with winter temperatures plunging to around minus 55 degrees Fahrenheit in some cities, bringing 'profound climate and societal impacts,' according to a new study. There is increasing concern about the future of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation — known as the AMOC — a system of currents that works like a giant conveyor belt, pulling warm water from the Southern Hemisphere and tropics to the Northern Hemisphere, where it cools, sinks and flows back south. Multiple studies suggest the AMOC is weakening with some projecting it could even collapse this century as global warming disrupts the balance of heat and salinity that keeps it moving. This would usher in huge global weather and climate shifts — including plunging temperatures in Europe, which relies on the AMOC for its mild climate. What's less clear, however, is how these impacts will unfold in a world heated up by humans burning fossil fuels. 'What if the AMOC collapses and we have climate change? Does the cooling win or does the warming win?' asked René van Westen, a marine and atmospheric researcher at Utrecht University in the Netherlands and co-author of the paper published Wednesday in the Geophysical Research Letters journal. This new study is the first to use a modern, complex climate model to answer the question, he told CNN. The researchers looked at a scenario where the AMOC weakens by 80% and the Earth is around 2 degrees Celsius warmer than the period before humans began burning large amounts of fossil fuels. The planet is currently at 1.2 degrees of warming. They focused on what would happen as the climate stabilized post-collapse, multiple decades into the future. Even in this hotter world, they found 'substantial cooling' over Europe with sharp drops in average winter temperatures and more intense cold extremes — a very different picture than the United States, where the study found temperatures would continue to increase even with an AMOC collapse. Sea ice would spread southward as far as Scandinavia, parts of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, the research found. This would have a huge impact on cold extremes as the white surface of the ice reflects the sun's energy back into space, amplifying cooling. The scientists have created an interactive map to visualize the impacts of an AMOC collapse across the globe. London, for example, could see winter cold extremes of minus 2.2 Fahrenheit , while Oslo could see temperatures as low as minus 55 Fahrenheit and endure maximum temperatures below 32 Fahrenheit for 46% of the year. Parts of Europe will also become stormier, the study found. The increased temperature difference between northern and southern Europe will strengthen the jet stream and increase storm intensity over northwestern Europe. It 'completely shifts the narrative, right?' van Westen said. 'Because now policy is planning for a warmer future, but maybe instead, we need to also prepare for a colder future.' While cooling on an ever-hotter planet may sound like good news, van Westen warns it's anything but. Society in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere 'is not built for these kind of cold extremes,' he said. Crops would die, threatening food security, and infrastructure could buckle. What's more, the impacts of an AMOC collapse would mostly be felt in Europe's winter; it would still endure increasingly deadly heat waves in the summer as the climate crisis intensifies. The Southern Hemisphere, meanwhile, is projected to experience increased warming. The scientists also looked at the impacts of an AMOC collapse in an even hotter world. If global temperatures reach around 4 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, the heat outweighs the cooling impact of an AMOC collapse in Europe , van Westen said. 'The warming signal actually wins.' But, he added, an AMOC collapse won't only affect temperatures. Other impacts include increased sea level rise, which will particularly affect the US, where a weaker AMOC is already driving significantly increased flooding on the northeastern coast, according to recent research. Stefan Rahmstorf, a physical oceanographer at Potsdam University in Germany who was not involved in the latest research, said the study confirms 'an AMOC collapse would have massive impacts on European climate.' The research uses only one climate model; others will rely on different models and will likely come up with a variety of scenarios, he told CNN. What ultimately happens will depend on the how the two opposing trends play out: AMOC-induced cooling and climate change-induced heating. A 'large uncertainty' remains, he said. The study is 'by no means the last word' especially as huge questions remain over whether the AMOC could be on course to collapse, said Richard Allen, a climate science professor at the University of Reading, also not involved in the research. 'But even the mere possibility of this dire storyline unfolding over coming centuries underscores the need to forensically monitor what is happening in our oceans,' he said. What is crystal clear is that an AMOC collapse would be very bad for society, van Westen said. 'We want to avoid it at all costs.'
National Observer
11-06-2025
- Science
- National Observer
Greenland and Iceland experienced record heat in May. What does that mean for the world?
Human-caused climate change boosted Iceland and Greenland 's temperatures by several degrees during a record-setting May heat wave, raising concerns about the far-reaching implications melting Arctic ice has for weather around the world, scientists said in an analysis released Wednesday. The Greenland ice sheet melted many times faster than normal during the heat wave, according to the analysis by World Weather Attribution, with at least two communities seeing record temperatures for May. Parts of Iceland saw temperatures more than 10°C (18 °F) above average, and the country set a record for its warmest temperature in May when Egilsstadir Airport hit 26.6°C (79.9 F) on May 15. The findings come as global leaders put more focus on Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, following US President Donald Trump's comments that he would like to annex the mineral-rich island. Burning fossil fuels for electricity and transportation releases pollutants such as carbon dioxide that cause the planet to warm unnaturally fast. The Arctic is one of the fastest-warming places on Earth. Even in today's climate, the occurrence of such a strong heat wave in the region is relatively rare, with a 1% chance of occurring in a year, the analysis said. But without human-caused climate change, such an event would be 'basically impossible,' said Friederike Otto, associate professor of climate science at Imperial College London, one of the report's authors. The extreme heat was 40 times more likely compared to the pre-industrial climate. Global impacts from a melting Arctic Otto said this extreme weather event affects the world. As the Greenland ice sheet melts, it releases massive amounts of fresh water into the salty oceans. Scientists say this could slow down the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, an ocean current that circulates water from the Gulf of Mexico across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe and then the Arctic. Such a slowdown could disturb global climate and weather patterns. 'The nature of weather in the Northern Hemisphere is directly tied to what's happening in the Arctic, because that ice floor basically at the bottom of the atmosphere helps determine the weather patterns that we get,' said Waleed Abdalati, who heads an environmental sciences institute at the University of Colorado Boulder. He was not involved in the WWA analysis. The Greenland ice sheet and other ice covering the Arctic can influence where and when wind blows, how much water content the wind has and whether precipitation falls as rain or snow. Most of the melting of the Greenland ice sheet happens in June, July and August. The May heat wave means there will be a longer melting season this year. Melting ice sheets and glaciers also contribute to sea level rise that is threatening to flood coastlines globally and inundate low-lying island nations in the Pacific Ocean. Indigenous communities in Greenland are increasingly encountering dangerous travel conditions as sea ice that was once constantly frozen begins to thaw. Access to traditional hunting locations are lost, and sled dogs can no longer travel the same routes. Thawing permafrost can destabilize buildings and increases the risk of landslides and tsunamis caused by landslides. Greenland dismisses interest from US. Greenland was recently thrust onto the global stage with Trump's interest in annexing it. The Arctic island is rich with oil, gas and rare earth minerals, and its proximity to the US., Russia and Europe has geopolitical appeal. Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen has said Greenland 'will never, ever be a piece of property that can be bought by just anyone.' Twila Moon, deputy lead scientist at the US National Snow and Ice Data Center, said it is essential that Greenlanders lead decisions about their territory. 'Certainly an important part of this conversation is about climate change and climate impacts,' she said. She was not involved in the WWA analysis. Moon said the climate impacts Greenland is experiencing, particularly the warming global temperatures, stem from well-identified sources such as highly polluting nations and industries. She said actions such as converting to solar or wind energy and switching to transportation that emits less pollution create positive climate impacts for people far away.
Mint
11-06-2025
- Climate
- Mint
Iceland and Greenland sizzle: What does record heat in Arctic region mean for the world?
Human-caused climate change has led to an unnatural spike in Iceland and Greenland's temperatures by several degrees. The record-setting May heat wave raises concerns about the long-term implications of melting Arctic ice for weather around the world, reported AP. According to the report, the Greenland ice sheet melted many times faster than normal during the heat wave in May. Some parts of Iceland saw temperatures more than 10°C (18 °F) above average, and the country set a record for its warmest weather in May when Egilsstadir Airport hit 26.6°C (79.9 F) on May 15. The findings come as global leaders are focusing more on Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, following US President Donald Trump's comments that he would like to seize the mineral-rich island. Burning fossil fuels in huge quantities to generate electricity and fuel transportation lead to the release of pollutants such as carbon dioxide that cause the planet to warm unnaturally fast. The Arctic is one of the fastest-warming places on the planet. Even in today's climate, the occurrence of such a strong heat wave in the Arctic region is relatively rare, with just 1 per cent chance of occurring in a year. Friederike Otto, associate professor of climate science at Imperial College London, told AP that without human-caused climate change, such an event would be 'basically impossible'. Otto also told AP that the extreme weather event will affect the world. As the Greenland ice sheet melts, it releases massive amounts of fresh water into the salty oceans. Scientists say this could slow down the 'Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation', an ocean current that circulates water from the Gulf of Mexico across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe and then the Arctic, said AP. Such a slowdown could disturb global climate and weather patterns. 'The nature of weather in the Northern Hemisphere is directly tied to what's happening in the Arctic, because that ice floor basically at the bottom of the atmosphere helps determine the weather patterns that we get,' Waleed Abdalati, who heads an environmental sciences institute at the University of Colorado Boulder told AP. The Greenland ice sheet and other ice covering the Arctic region can influence where and when wind blows, how much water content the wind has and whether precipitation falls as rain or snow, said AP. Usually, most of the melting of the Greenland ice sheet happens in June, July and August. The May heat wave means there will be a longer melting season this year, which can threaten lives. Melting ice sheets and glaciers can also cause the sea level to rise, threatening to flood coastlines globally and flood low-lying island nations in the Pacific Ocean, said AP. Indigenous communities in Greenland are increasingly dealing with dangerous travel conditions as melting ice means that access to traditional hunting locations are lost, and sled dogs can no longer travel the same routes. The situation can also destabilise buildings and increase risks of landslides and tsunamis caused by landslides, reported AP. Trump recently showed interest in annexing Greenland due to its rich reserves of oil, gas and rare earth minerals. The island's proximity to the US, Russia and Europe also has a geopolitical appeal. Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen has said Greenland 'will never, ever be a piece of property that can be bought by just anyone', as reported by AP. The deputy lead scientist at the US National Snow and Ice Data Center, Twila Moon, told AP it is important that Greenlanders lead decisions about their own territory. 'Certainly an important part of this conversation is about climate change and climate impacts,' she said. Moon told AP the climate impacts Greenland is experiencing, particularly the warming global temperatures, stem from well-identified sources such as highly polluting nations and industries. She said actions such as converting to solar or wind energy and switching to transportation that emits less pollution can create positive climate impacts for people far away.
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Global warming crisis: Greenland ice sheet melts 17 times faster - will the climate change have worldwide impact?
Representative Image (AI-generated) Iceland is experiencing one of its hottest summers, with temperatures exceeding 26 degrees Celsius on May 15. According to the scientific network World Weather Attribution (WWA), this extreme heat is a result of global warming and has caused Greenland's ice sheet to melt 17 times faster than the historical average. The Arctic region is among the most affected by global warming, heating up four times faster than the rest of the planet since 1979, according to a 2022 study published in the scientific journal Nature. These findings come as global leaders shift their attention to Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark. In the past, US President Donald Trump expressed interest in acquiring the mineral-rich island. The primary factor of global warming is the burning of fossil fuels for electricity and transportation, which releases pollutants like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This has caused the planet to warm at an unnatural pace. The Arctic remains one of the fastest-warming regions on Earth. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 보이시나요? 서초동에서 이 보청기를 무료체험 할 45세 이상을 찾습니다 히어닷컴 Undo Friederike Otto, associate professor in climate science at Imperial College London and one of the authors of the WWA report, told AFP, 'The melting rate of the Greenland ice sheet , from a preliminary analysis, is 17 times faster. This means the Greenland ice sheet's contribution to sea level rise is significantly higher than it would have been without this heat wave.' 'Without climate change , this would have been impossible,' she added. The WWA also noted that May temperatures in Iceland were record-breaking, more than 13 degrees Celsius higher than the 1991–2020 average May daily maximum. According to the report, record highs observed in Iceland and Greenland this May could recur once every 100 years. Global impact of Arctic ice melt: Otto warned that extreme weather events can affect everyone. As the Greenland ice sheet melts, it releases vast amounts of freshwater into the salty oceans. Scientists warn that this may slow the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)—a vital ocean current that moves water from the Gulf of Mexico across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe and then the Arctic. A slowdown of this current could significantly disrupt global climate and weather systems. In addition to altering ocean currents, melting glaciers and ice sheets contribute directly to sea level rise, threatening to flood coastal areas worldwide and submerge low-lying island nations, particularly in the Pacific Ocean. For Greenland's indigenous communities, warmer temperatures and melting ice affect their traditional hunting practices, threatening both livelihoods and cultural heritage. Climate change also affects infrastructure in Iceland and Greenland. 'In Greenland and Iceland, infrastructure is built for cold weather. During a heatwave, ice melt can lead to flooding and damage to roads and other critical infrastructure,' the WWA report stated.
