Scientific Breakthrough: Arctic Water Mass Saves Ocean Climate Mechanism

22.07.2025 | Science and discoveries

Researchers from the University of Bergen reveal an alternative source of dense water that could prevent the collapse of the key Atlantic Ocean circulation process AMOC under changing climate conditions.

Снимка от неизвестен автор, Wikimedia Commons (обществено достояние)

A fundamental climate mechanism known as AMOC receives an unexpected breath of hope through a recent scientific discovery. The process, which was previously considered threatened by global warming, may be preserved through an alternative water reservoir.

Researchers from the leading Norwegian scientific center have identified an unconventional phenomenon in polar regions. Arctic warming, known as Arctic Atlantification, generates an unexpected effect - intensive formation of dense water mass in critical ocean zones.

Specifically in the Barents Sea and areas north of the Svalbard archipelago, the formation of a specific water volume with the potential to compensate for traditional AMOC mechanisms is observed. However, experts remain cautious about the precise characteristics of the new water source.

Despite existing scientific reservations, the discovery offers an alternative scenario for preserving global ocean circulation, prompting a rethinking of previous climate forecasts.