Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation - or AMOC - is one of the world's most vital ocean currents, transporting water, heat and carbon around the planet. It's part of the "global conveyor belt" that keeps our planet moving.
And scientists are warning that it could be weakening - with terrible consequences for humanity.
But... is it?? What's behind the contrasting headlines? Let's dig in.
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# Contents
00:00 – anxious wrecks r us
00:26 – what’s this AMOC then?
01:00 – the AMOC is weakening
02:36 – bad stuff might happen
04:00 – Rahmstorf & Caesar (2026)
06:35 – early warning signs
08:42 – the future
09:22 – Portmann et al. (2026)
11:20 – whiplash
13:12 – today’s impacts already matter
15:24 – great resources
#AMOC #ocean #ClimateCrisis
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Thank you SO MUCH to all my fabulous patrons, I really appreciate your support. Special thanks to my Patreon Saints: Steven Cowling, Eliot Bryant, Baerbel Winkler, Patrick Hillberg, Michael Unterweger, James Harley Gorrell, Gary Stark, Charles Vane, Sarah Den & Mark Brandon ♥️
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References and resources
Carbon Brief explainer: interactive.carbonbrief.org/amoc-explainer/index.html#how-do-scientists-measure-historical-amoc-trends
Rahmstorf & Caesar (pre-print):
egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/2026/egusphere-2026-2110
Portmann et al (2026) science.org/doi/epdf/10.1126/sciadv.adx4298
Armstrong McKay et al 2022 science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abn7950
Xing et al (2026):
science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adz7738#abstract
theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/15/critical-atlantic-current-significantly-more-likely-to-collapse-than-thought
https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/what-would-happen-if-atlantic-meridional-overturning-circulation-amoc-collapses-how-likely
overunderpod.com
Climate Adam's vid: youtu.be/YzKBBr2MZmM
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation - or AMOC - is one of the world's most vital ocean currents, transporting water, heat and carbon around the planet. It's part of the "global conveyor belt" that keeps our planet moving.
And scientists are warning that it could be weakening - with terrible consequences for humanity.
But... is it?? What's behind the contrasting headlines? Let's dig in.
##################################################
# Contents
00:00 – anxious wrecks r us
00:26 – what’s this AMOC then?
01:00 – the AMOC is weakening
02:36 – bad stuff might happen
04:00 – Rahmstorf & Caesar (2026)
06:35 – early warning signs
08:42 – the future
09:22 – Portmann et al. (2026)
11:20 – whiplash
13:12 – today’s impacts already matter
15:24 – great resources
#AMOC #ocean #ClimateCrisis
##################################################
Thank you SO MUCH to all my fabulous patrons, I really appreciate your support. Special thanks to my Patreon Saints: Steven Cowling, Eliot Bryant, Baerbel Winkler, Patrick Hillberg, Michael Unterweger, James Harley Gorrell, Gary Stark, Charles Vane, Sarah Den & Mark Brandon ♥️
##################################################
References and resources
Carbon Brief explainer: interactive.carbonbrief.org/amoc-explainer/index.html#how-do-scientists-measure-historical-amoc-trends
Rahmstorf & Caesar (pre-print):
egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/2026/egusphere-2026-2110
Portmann et al (2026) science.org/doi/epdf/10.1126/sciadv.adx4298
Armstrong McKay et al 2022 science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abn7950
Xing et al (2026):
science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adz7738#abstract
theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/15/critical-atlantic-current-significantly-more-likely-to-collapse-than-thought
https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/what-would-happen-if-atlantic-meridional-overturning-circulation-amoc-collapses-how-likely
overunderpod.com
Climate Adam's vid: youtu.be/YzKBBr2MZmM
