The northeast coast of the US is witnessing more flooding events in recent years owing to the slowdown of a major current in the Atlantic Ocean that is boosting the sea level, a new study has shown. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) influences climate, weather and sea levels around the planet by transporting heat, salt and freshwater through the ocean, but scientists are worried that it is weakening.
The study published last week in the American Association for the Advancement of Science used data from tide gauges (an instrument used to monitor sea level change) and complex ocean models to calculate how the AMOC has affected flooding in the region.
"The US Northeast Coast (USNEC) has been identified as a hotspot for accelerated sea level rise over the North Atlantic (NA) Ocean in the most recent decades," the study highlighted.
The findings showed that between 2005 and 2022, up to 50 per cent of flooding events along the northeastern coast were driven by a weaker AMOC.
With the climate is continuously changing and the atmosphere warming, scientists fear that fresh water from melting polar ice sheets could significantly disrupt or collapse the AMOC, leading to devastating consequences.
"If the AMOC collapsed, this would dramatically increase the flood frequency along the US coast, even in the absence of strong storms," Liping Zhang at the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in New Jersey told New Scientist.
"Even partial weakening [of the current] can already have substantial impacts."
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This is not the first instance when scientists have warned about the collapse of AMOC. A study published last year claimed that the impending disaster, accelerated by human-induced climate change, could occur as early as the late 2030s.
While the new study paints a picture of gloom, there is a silver lining. Since natural cycles in the AMOC's strength are largely predictable, scientists could forecast which years will see lots of flooding, up to three in advance.
This foresight could help authorities make decisions about emergency preparedness and related infrastructure in time.
