NASA Study Finds Atlantic 'Conveyor Belt' Not Slowing

New NASA measurements of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, part of the global ocean conveyor belt that helps to regulate climate in the North Atlantic region, show that no significant slowing has occurred over the past 15 years. The data shows that the circulation may have even sped up slightly in recent years.

The latest climate models predict that this conveyor belt should indeed slow down as greenhouse gases warm the planet and melting ice adds fresh water to the ocean. The recent NASA study indicates that the observed overturning strength is most likely due to natural cycle changes. It would appear that any suggestion of an impending ice age in northern high latitudes due to greatly reduced tropical ocean water heat transfer is premature.

The rather sudden slowdown in the conveyor belt current 12,000 years ago, which led to a reversal of the warming trend since the end of the last ice age, was at a period of much colder climate. "Models of today's warmer conditions suggest that a slowdown would have a much smaller impact." This is not to say that the Atlantic overturning circulation doesn't play a significant role in today's climate.