29 July

See that unusual cool area in the North Atlantic? That’s ‘o shit’ bad news. That’s the spot where ocean currents from the deep south of the world’s oceans bring heat to the far north. The Gulf Stream. The heat is carried in currents near the surface, is released into the atmosphere in the north, and then the cooler waters sink to the bottom and head back south again. That current is thought to be near collapse, much earlier than expected. Melting water makes the water less dense, so it doesn’t sink, slowing and then stopping the current. Some projections say as early as 2025. The impact on weather systems around the world would likely be catastrophic, and the Gulf Stream is a major carrier of nutrients for sea life too.