Convection ≠ Overturning: Why Labrador Sea Convection Doesn’t Drive The AMOC

The oceanography community is deeply engaged in a debate about how much weight the Labrador Sea actually carries in maintaining the Atlantic Overturning Circulation (AMOC) system. According to the OSNAP (Overturning in the Subpolar North Atlantic Program) data, the Labrador Sea's contribution to the AMOC is surprisingly small (around 3–4 Sv) while the eastern subpolar... Continue Reading →

Surge of Fresh Water Paradoxically Strengthened the Labrador Sea Overturning Circulation

This blog post and the “Deep Dive” podcast, created by NotebookLM, are based on “Strengthening of Labrador Sea Overturning Linked to Subsurface Freshening Over Recent Decades” by Li et al. (2026). Introduction: The Ocean's Engine and a Long-Standing Puzzle The Atlantic Ocean is home to a vast, powerful system of currents often called the "ocean's... Continue Reading →

Rethinking the AMOC Variability: Why the Irminger Sea—Not the Labrador Sea—Is the True Center of Action

This blog post and the “Deep Dive” podcast, created by NotebookLM, are based on “Irminger Sea Is the Center of Action for Subpolar AMOC Variability” by Chafik et al. (2022). Summary: Chafik et al. (2022) identified the Irminger Sea as the primary "center of action" for driving fluctuations in the subpolar Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation... Continue Reading →

A Collapse Of The AMOC Would Drastically Alter Global Monsoons

This blog post and the “Deep Dive” podcast, created by NotebookLM, are based on “Impacts of AMOC Collapse on Monsoon Rainfall: A Multi‐Model Comparison” by Ben-Yami et al. (2024). Summary: Ben-Yami et al. (2024) analyzes how a potential collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) would drastically alter tropical monsoon rainfall patterns worldwide. By... Continue Reading →

The Global Ocean Engine Is Shifting Gears

This blog post and the “Deep Dive” podcast, created by NotebookLM, are based on “Human-induced changes in the global meridional overturning circulation are emerging from the Southern Ocean” by Lee et al. (2023). For decades, the story of the ocean's circulation in a warming world seemed straightforward. We have a clear picture of the "Global... Continue Reading →

In Future Scenarios Where CO2 increases are Halted Sooner, the AMOC Gradually Recovers

This blog post and the “Deep Dive” podcast, created by NotebookLM, are based on “Noise-induced tipping of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation under climate mitigation scenarios” by Oh et al. (2025). It’s a hopeful and seemingly logical assumption: if humanity manages to stop increasing CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere, the climate system will gradually stabilize and... Continue Reading →

The Atlantic’s Weakening Pulse: How a Slowing Ocean Current Could Reshape Our Climate and Coasts

This blog post and the “Deep Dive” podcast, created by NotebookLM, are based on "State of the Science Fact Sheet: Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)" by NOAA Science Council. This NOAA fact sheet briefly explains the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), defining it as a critical ocean current that transports heat, salt, and carbon by... Continue Reading →

The Atlantic’s Slowing “Heartbeat”: How a Fading Ocean Current Is Silencing a Major Climate Pattern

This blog post and the “Debate” podcast on a paper “Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation slowdown suppresses Atlantic Niño variability” by Freire-SouzaLi et al. (2025) was created by NotebookLM. Debate Podcast: This is different from Deep Dive Podcast. This is a debate between two hosts, illuminating different perspectives on the study, “Meltwater or Warming Drives Atlantic... Continue Reading →

A two-level wind and buoyancy driven thermocline model by Peter Killworth (updated)

I was discussing with my colleagues about a recent northward shift of the Gulf Stream position and debating why that happened. So, I decided to read again one of my favorite physical oceanography papers "A two-level wind and buoyancy driven thermocline model" by the late Dr. Peter D. Killworth. This paper was published in 1985... Continue Reading →

A note on the potential AMOC collapse for nonexperts

As the Earth warms due to anthropogenic climate change, sea- and land-based ice melts, adding buoyant freshwater to the surface of the high-latitude North Atlantic and thus decreasing salinity. This makes the surface water lighter reducing the sinking of the surface water and thus the AMOC. However, the amount of added freshwater is not enough... Continue Reading →

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