A deep freeze? How changes to AMOC could reshape our world - The Climate Question, BBC World Service

What would happen to our climate if the key ocean currents in the Atlantic collapse? Could Europe really freeze over? And would we get any warning of impending disaster? Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽 https://bbc.in/3VyyriM The system of Atlantic currents known as the AMOC (Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation) plays a crucial role in the global climate, helping to keep Europe relatively mild and to circulate vital nutrients for ocean life. But scientists are worried that the AMOC system might be starting to weaken because of climate change and that, in the worst case scenario, it might eventually collapse. This could lead not just to freezing temperatures in Europe, but changing rainfall patterns around the world. The Amazon rainforest could dry out and the monsoon in South East Asia might also be affected. But there's a lot of uncertainty about AMOC in climate models, as well as a lack of real world data because scientists have only been measuring this vital ocean system for a couple of decades. In this show, The Climate Question hosts Graihagh Jackson and Esme Stallard talk to Professor Penny Holliday. Penny is the Chief Scientific Officer at the UK's National Oceanography Centre. She has been leading research on the strength and variability of AMOC for decades. 00:00 Europe could get much cooler due to AMOC 00:30 Meet our guest, Professor Penny Holliday! 01:20 Measuring the Atlantic in 30 metre waves 02:35 The importance of ocean curents and how they work 04:02 What is the AMOC? 05:00 Why is the AMOC important 06:05 How the AMOC works 07:31 The impact of climate change 09:11 How realistic is disaster movie "The Day After Tomorrow"? 10:00 AMOC collapse or AMOC weakening? 11:24 The wide range of scenarios in climate models 14:00 The UK's future climate will depend on AMOC 14:44 The impact on the Amazon and global rainfall 16:43 Why climate models struggle to predict AMOC's future 18:23 Real world data will show what's happening with AMOC 19:30 Penny's best guess for the future! Watch more episodes from The Climate Question here 👉    • The Climate Question   ---------------- This is the official BBC World Service YouTube channel. If you like what we do, you can also find us here: Instagram 👉🏽   / bbcworldservice   Twitter 👉🏽   / bbcworldservice   Facebook 👉🏽   / bbcworldservice   BBC World Service website 👉🏽 https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldserviceradio Thanks for watching and subscribing! #BBCWorldService #WorldService #AMOC #climatechange #ocean #atlanticocean #europe #weather