2 New Studies Warn the Real-Life 'Day After Tomorrow' Current Is Closer to Collapse Than We Thought

Two new scientific studies are raising fresh alarm about the stability of one of Earth's most critical climate systems, warning that a major Atlantic Ocean current is weakening faster than previously thought.

What Is AMOC?

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, commonly known as AMOC, is a vast system of ocean currents that functions like a conveyor belt, moving warm water northward from the tropics toward Europe and the North Atlantic. In return, cooler, saltier water sinks and flows southward.

The system plays a central role in regulating temperatures across Europe, Africa, and the Americas. It also transports enormous amounts of carbon deep into the ocean, helping keep it out of the atmosphere. Without AMOC, winters in Europe would be far colder, and weather patterns across the globe would shift dramatically.