Scientists warn of possible collapse of Atlantic currents

OSLO: A group of scientists warned on Monday of the greatly underestimated risk of a collapse of ocean currents in the Atlantic which could have catastrophic consequences for the Nordic countries as the region´s leaders gathered in Iceland.

In an open letter addressed to the Nordic Council, which is meeting this week in Iceland´s capital Reykjavik, the scientists said they wanted to bring attention “to the serious risk of a major ocean circulation change in the Atlantic.”

The “Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation” (AMOC) is a complex system of ocean currents, including the Gulf Stream, which carries heat from warmer regions to the north and is therefore crucial to living conditions in the Arctic.