Scientists expect that changes in the current could influence the Atlantic Ocean, ultimately chilling the Western European climate

The rapid melting of sea ice is impacting climate around the entire globe - Image Credit: NASA/Kathryn Hansen - HDR tune by Universal-Sci

Scientists expect that change in the Beaufort Gyre current could influence currents in the Atlantic Ocean, ultimately chilling the Western European climate.

As temperatures on Earth are on the rise, Arctic ice is melting at a fast rate. NASA scientists studied ocean currents using twelve years of satellite data and found that a massive circular ocean current in the Arctic (called the Beaufort Gyre) is becoming faster and more violent

Scientists expect that altering the Beaufort Gyre current could influence currents in the Atlantic Ocean and ultimately chill the Western European climate with help from a considerable influx of cold water. The current has been keeping the polar regions in balance by depositing fresh water near the surface of the ocean.

This freshwater storage is vital in the Arctic partly due to the fact that it drifts above the warmer, salty water helping to protect sea ice from melting, which on its turn, helps manage the climate of our entire planet. Currently, Gyre gradually delivers freshwater into the Atlantic Ocean over a timespan of decades, enabling currents in the Atlantic Ocean to transport it away in modest quantities.

The Beaufort Gyre is one of the Central Arctic ocean currents - Image Credit: Brn-Bld via Wikimedia Commons

But as the volume of freshwater inflow is increasing, and sea ice is disappearing rapidly, the Gyre has been more exposed to the wind, trapping the freshwater in its current in the process. An additional factor that is preventing freshwater from leaving the current is shaped by the fact that the winds have been blowing in the same direction for twenty years. Decades without a change in wind direction increased the speed and size of the Beaufort Gyre current, stopping freshwater from escaping towards the Arctic ocean.

Tom Armitage, a polar scientist at NASA, stated that the release of excess freshwater into the Atlantic Ocean could potentially slow down its circulation, affecting the climate of the entire hemisphere and the western part of Europe in particular.

Freshwater discharges from the Arctic Ocean to the North Atlantic Ocean might alter the density of surface waters. Typically, water from the Arctic dissipates heat and moisture to the atmosphere, making it sink to the bottom of the ocean, where it drives water from the north Atlantic Ocean down to the tropics similar to a conveyor belt.

This essential current is called the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. It helps regulate the planet's climate by transporting heat from the tropically-warmed water to northern regions of the globe like North America and Europe. If delayed significantly enough, it may adversely affect marine life and the populations that rely on its existence.

Although the NASA researchers don't expect the Gulf Stream to be put to a halt, they do expect it to be affected by these developments. What all of this really shows is how fragile our climate is and that it is imperative that we are cautious with actions that have a negative impact on it.

Source: NASA press release