Atlantic meridional overturning circulation

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The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) is the main ocean current system in the Atlantic Ocean. It is a major component of Earth's ocean circulation system and plays an important role in the planet's climate system. The AMOC includes Atlantic currents at the surface and at great depths that are driven by changes in weather, temperature and salinity. Those currents comprise half of the global thermohaline circulation that includes the flow of major ocean currents, the other half being the Southern Ocean overturning circulation. The AMOC is composed of a northward flow of warm, more saline water in the Atlantic's upper layers and a southward, return flow of cold, less salty, deep water. Warm water from the south is more saline because of the higher evaporation rate in the tropical zone. The warm saline water forms the upper layer of the ocean, but when this layer cools down, the density of the salty water increases, making it sink into the deep. This is an important part of...

Read on Wikipedia · Image R. Curry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution/Science/USGCRP., CC BY 3.0