New research shows a critical Atlantic Ocean current system is weakening faster than expected, raising the risk of irreversible climate disruption.

The global climate crisis is causing a critical Atlantic Ocean current system to weaken much sooner than previously predicted, according to a study published on Thursday. If it stops, scientists say it could pose catastrophic consequences for Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is one of the most important current systems in the world for maintaining the delicate balance of the global climate. It helps to keep colder regions like Europe and the Arctic mild by moving warm water northward and pushes large amounts of carbon deep into the ocean, keeping it out of the atmosphere.

Scientists have feared AMOC’s decline for some time. Previous studies have  shown it to be at its weakest point in 1,600 years. But research published this month suggests that a collapse may come much sooner than anticipated.

One study,  published Thursday in the journal  Science Advances, used climate models and current data to predict the decline in the coming decades.

Researchers found that the system is on course to slow by more than 50 per cent by the........

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