Climate & Environment
Thermohaline Circulation
The global ocean circulation driven by temperature and salinity — whose Atlantic branch carries the heat that warms Europe and shows signs of weakening.
Definition
Thermohaline circulation is the large-scale ocean circulation driven by differences in water density created by temperature (thermo) and salinity (haline): cold, salty water sinks at high latitudes and flows through the deep ocean, eventually upwelling elsewhere, in a global conveyor transporting heat, carbon and nutrients. Its Atlantic component, the AMOC, carries tropical heat northward, strongly shaping European climate; observations and models indicate the AMOC has weakened and faces risk of substantial decline or collapse this century under warming — a recognised tipping element.
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