Scientists are sounding the alarm that a crucial component of the planet's climate system is in gradual decline and could one day reach a tipping point that would radically alter global weather patterns. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC, is a system of ocean currents that circulate water in the Atlantic Ocean like a conveyor belt, helping to redistribute heat and regulate global and regional climates.
West Coast would probably be smaller due to their distance from the Atlantic, Van Westen said. However, his models show that an AMOC collapse could result in reduced precipitation and slight cooling in Los Angeles, which would compete with the larger climate change signal toward regional warming. In fact, the potential future collapse of the AMOC is in some ways a scenario distinct from the climate change effects that are already occurring, said Swain, of UCLA.