Explainer video
Unstable Atlantic current?
We owe the mild climate in Europe to the North Atlantic Current. But it could weaken as a result of climate change. Climate researcher Jens Terhaar explains in the video whether this is already the case.
In this video, study leader Jens Terhaar explains the current state of the North Atlantic Current. Image: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio
If the North Atlantic Current were to collapse, the consequences would be severe. For example, the climate in Europe would become significantly colder and drier. It is not possible to say with certainty whether the current has already weakened as a result of climate change, as direct observations have only been available for 20 years. This has led to intense debate in the climate research community.
A study led by Jens Terhaar from the Department of Climate and Environmental Physics at the Physics Institute of the University of Bern has just been published in the journal Nature Communications and provides a new contribution to this debate.
About the person
Jens Terhaar is Senior Scientist at the Department of Climate and Environmental Physics and at the Oeschger Center for Climate Research at the University of Bern.
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