Iceland has officially included the risk of the collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) in the list of potential existential threats to the country. This decision marks an unprecedented step, notes Reuters.
AMOC is a key ocean current system that transports warm waters from tropical latitudes to the Arctic and provides relatively mild winters in Europe. However, accelerated melting of Arctic glaciers and the Greenland ice sheet is leading to large volumes of fresh water entering the ocean, which could disrupt the stability of the currents.
According to scientists, a potential collapse of AMOC could trigger a modern "ice age." In such a scenario, winter temperatures in Northern Europe could plummet rapidly, with increased snowfall and ice storms. Similar processes, researchers say, occurred before the last ice age about 12,000 years ago.
"This is a direct threat to our national resilience and security," said Iceland's Minister of Climate, Johann Pall Johannsson. He stated that for the first time, a specific climate phenomenon has been included in the agenda of the National Security Council as a potential existential threat.
The government has already begun assessing the necessary research and developing a plan to prepare for possible catastrophic consequences. Special attention is being paid to risks in the areas of energy, food security, infrastructure, and international logistics.
Experts warn that the consequences of an AMOC collapse will not be limited to Europe. Disruption of ocean circulation could change precipitation patterns in Africa, India, and South America, as well as accelerate warming in Antarctica. Scientists believe that the likelihood of such a scenario could become real within the next few decades.
Other Northern European countries are also funding research and incorporating AMOC risk assessments into their climate strategies.
