The northeast US coast ha experienced increased flooding events recently.
A study links flooding to a slowdown of a major Atlantic current.
Up to 50% of flooding events from 2005 to 2022 were driven by a weaker AMOC.
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.
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