Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
One of Earth’s great climate engines—the Atlantic current—is sputtering. Scientists now warn it could completely shut down within decades, pushing parts of the world into climate chaos.
The AMOC moves tropical warmth north, softening winters in Europe and the US. Its collapse means the conveyor belt stops—and so does the heat. Expect bitter cold and brutal storms.
New York, Boston, London—cities known for winter chills could face deep freezes. As heat delivery fails, power grids buckle, heating bills spike, and infrastructure suffers.
The AMOC shapes hurricane paths. If it falters, storms could slam new areas, with more force and unpredictability. Florida and the Gulf Coast may become even more vulnerable.
Without the AMOC pushing water out, sea levels on the US East Coast may surge. Cities from North Carolina to Maine could face record flooding—not decades from now, but soon.
The first failure won’t make noise. It begins with deep ocean waters that no longer mix, no longer sink—triggered by warming seas and glacier melt. Collapse then becomes inevitable.
Scientists say the current could tip around 2050, with full collapse by 2100 under high emissions. But the real danger? It may come even faster—models haven’t accounted for Greenland’s ice melt.
Northwestern Europe owes its mild winters to this current. Without it, even France and the UK could face Siberia-like conditions. Global weather systems would be thrown into disarray.
This isn’t a system you can restart. Once the AMOC collapses, it could stay shut down for centuries. The decision window to act is closing—and the price of waiting could be irreversible.