As anyone who follows climate news knows, Greenland’s ice sheet is melting at a rate faster than ever. While this is a problem in itself, it may also be causing damage to the ocean circulation. Cold, fresh water from the ice sheet mixes in with the warm, salty ocean just south of Greenland. This is normal and has been driving ocean circulation for centuries, but with freshwater being lighter than salt water, the oceanic circulation can be disrupted with a higher level of cold fresh water. This can mean cooler summers and winters in the North Atlantic along with higher sea levels over North America.

As ocean circulation is one of the main drivers for climates around the world, this can also have serious side effects across the whole world. Cooler fresh water can decrease the strong currents circulating deep in the ocean and may cause warm water to rise and cool water to sink in different places across the world altering local climates. This would have serious consequences for anyone who makes a living off the ocean like fishermen and sailors. In addition, farmers would suffer as the climate becomes unpredictable and planting and harvesting times become disrupted.

If the melting continues at this increased rate, scientists will have to work overtime to determine exactly what the effects will be globally. As climate change continues, the world may reach a tipping point it cannot come back from.

Resource:

http://www.newsweek.com/greenland-meltwater-could-mess-ocean-circulation-418976