Earth’s oceans are continually on the move. Ocean currents carry rising warm waters from the equator toward the poles. There, the water cools, becomes saltier, and sinks. These changes in temperature and salinity—the amount of salt in water—keep the currents moving like conveyer belts. But one vital current, the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic Ocean, is showing signs of slowing.
The Gulf Stream transports heat and interacts with the atmosphere above, influencing weather around the world. Rising average global temperatures, driven by climate change, are causing ice sheets in Greenland to melt. As the fresh water pours into the surrounding ocean, it’s disrupting the flow of the Gulf Stream.
If the current stalls, it could cause colder temperatures in Europe and alter rain patterns worldwide. “Scientists are still debating how extreme weather events, like hurricanes, might be impacted,” says Nyazia Sajdah-Bey, a marine science researcher from the nonprofit group Oceana.