Observatoire des droits humains (anglais seulement)

Atlantic Ocean is headed for a tipping point − once melting glaciers shut down the Gulf Stream, we would see extreme climate change within decades, study shows

(Version anglaise seulement)

par René van Westen, Postdoctoral Researcher in Climate Physics, Utrecht University
Henk A. Dijkstra, Professor of Physics, Utrecht University
Michael Kliphuis, Climate Model Specialist, Utrecht University

Superstorms, abrupt climate shifts and New York City frozen in ice. That’s how the blockbuster Hollywood movie “The Day After Tomorrow” depicted an abrupt shutdown of the Atlantic Ocean’s circulation and the catastrophic consequences.

While Hollywood’s vision was over the top, the 2004 movie raised a serious question: If global warming shuts down the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, which is crucial for carrying heat from the tropics to the northern latitudes, how abrupt and severe would the climate changes…

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