Ocean Currents Climate

Ocean currents — driven by wind (surface currents) and by differences in water temperature and salinity (thermohaline circulation, deep ocean) — distribute heat around the planet and profoundly influence regional climates. The Gulf Stream (a surface current) carries warm tropical water to the North Atlantic, making Western Europe 5-10°C warmer than equivalent latitudes in North America. London (51°N) has a mild climate while Labrador, Canada (51°N) is Arctic. The thermohaline circulation (Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, AMOC) — the 'global ocean conveyor belt' — moves warm surface water poleward, where it cools, sinks, and flows as cold deep water back toward the equator. Complete turnover takes approximately 1,000 years. Scientific evidence (including paleooceanographic records) shows AMOC has slowed 15% since 1950 due to freshwater influx from melting Greenland ice — and may be approaching a tipping point. An AMOC collapse would dramatically cool Northern Europe and disrupt tropical rainfall patterns.