Abstract
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is a large-scale ocean circulation in the Atlantic. It brings warm and salty surface water from the tropics northward, where it becomes cold and dense, and then sinks. The cold deep water is then transported back toward the tropics.
The current can be measured using moorings, and with a mooring array, the volume transport can be calculated. In models, a weakened AMOC can be simulated by adding freshwater to the North Atlantic. Comparing models with and without a reduced AMOC can be used to study potential consequences if the AMOC becomes weakened. The AMOC transports heat from the equator to higher latitudes, keeping Europe warmer than it otherwise would be. Global warming could weaken the AMOC and affect the climate in Europe and worldwide.
