AMOC collapse could raise temps 6°C, spur sea rise
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- Atlantic system is now seen by scientists as more likely to collapse.
- AMOC shutdown is likely to speed sea‑level rise on the United States east coast, threatening coastal cities.
- Antarctic temperatures could rise by roughly 6 °C if the AMOC collapses.
- Southern Ocean carbon stores could be released in a large pulse, accelerating climate change.
- AMOC collapse would trigger an irreversible shift on any realistic human timescale, likely outrunning our ability to adapt.
Why it matters: Coastal cities on the U.S. east coast face heightened flood risk, Antarctic ecosystems confront unprecedented warming, and the Southern Ocean’s carbon release accelerates climate change beyond humanity’s adaptive capacity, implying massive economic and humanitarian costs for billions of people.
