In the Atlantic Ocean, a system of currents carries vast amounts of warm, salty surface water northward. As this water reaches higher latitudes and becomes colder, it sinks and joins a deep, southward return flow. This cycle, known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), plays an important role in Earth’s climate as it redistributes heat, nutrients, and carbon through the ocean.
Water density shifts can drive rapid changes in AMOC strength
