--- title: "Scientists Have Detected Something Deeply Alarming at the Bottom of the Ocean" description: "Climate researchers are increasingly worried about weakening ocean currents in the North Atlantic, though split on what's causing them." date: "2026-06-10" modified: "2026-06-10" authors: - name: "Joe Wilkins" job_title: "Correspondent" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jwilkins" url: "https://futurism.com/future-society/scientists-alarming-atlantic-ocean-amoc" categories: - "Future Society" --- # Scientists Have Detected Something Deeply Alarming at the Bottom of the Ocean ![A color treated photograph from underwater suggesting an eerie mystery in the depths of the ocean.]() *Shutterstock / Futurism* ## Mysteries of the Deep Something is stirring in the waters off the coast of Greenland, and it isn't a submarine fleet [sent by Donald Trump](). According to [reporting by the *New Scientist*](), evidence is mounting that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation — a massive system of deep sea currents that acts like a conveyor belt for the world's oceans known as AMOC — is starting to slow its gears. As it does, cold waters from the Greenland ice sheet are allowed to pool in the North-Atlantic, creating a "cold blob" that's only getting colder as the rest of the world warms up. This in turn has a major impact on jet streams, fueling extreme weather across the world. Should it collapse, the *New Scientist* notes that the AMOC could act as a climate tipping point, setting off a chain reaction resulting in much colder weather for some, and much drier weather for others by as early as 2040. "The cold blob can disturb the atmospheric jet stream and storm activities, so it has implications for extreme weather events in North America and Europe," Laifang Li, assistant professor of meteorology and atmospheric science at Penn State explained in a [press release]() announcing an earlier study on the AMOC. Identifying how severe this cold blob ends up being may depend on the cause for the weakening AMOC — a topic which has researchers split. Some, like Li, say it's caused by atmospheric forces, while others have identified oceanic conditions as the culprit. In the latter camp is Stefan Rahmstorf, researcher at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, whose team found evidence that heat loss from the ocean surface has been slowly shrinking since 1955, meaning whatever's happening is driven by ocean currents. As Rahmstorf plainly told the *New Scientist*: "even if, in some modelling approaches, it seems possible that the cold blob is caused by the atmosphere, in fact, the data show it is caused by the ocean." One thing that's sure is that the AMOC is definitely weakening, as troubling data from [deep-ocean buoys]() shows crucial ocean currents slow at various points throughout the Atlantic. What this ultimately means remains to be seen — but rest assured, it isn't good. **More on climate change:** *[Remember How Sucking Carbon Out of the Air Was Going to Save the Planet? We Have Terrible News]()* ## Author At Futurism, I focus on the intersection of technology and power — examining the economics, history, and politics behind today’s dystopian headlines. As a writer, I’m interested in topics ranging from AI’s impact on labor to startups nobody asked for. My prior work includes bylines in Jacobin, Verso, and Blue Labyrinths. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Forbes, The Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time, The Nation, Mother Jones, The Verge, and Wired. I grew up in Michigan, attending Central Michigan University as well as Ball State University, where I earned a master of music. I now live in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and our cat Ziti. On weekends, you can find me hunched over a cold pint arguing geopolitics with the other transplants. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()