Will Europe Freeze over When the Gulf Stream Stops? #kurzgesagt #shorts

Will Europe freeze when the Gulf Stream collapses? The answer might surprise you.

First of all, the Gulf Stream won't collapse. It's a solely wind-driven ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and transports warm surface water eastward. The winds that cause the Gulf Stream are part of the jet stream, a planet spinning eastward, wind caused by sunlight shining on the atmosphere and the rotation of the Earth, which will pretty much not stop spinning.

Yet, many headlines report that it will collapse. Why is that? It's based on a common misconception, confusing the Gulf Stream with another ocean current: the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation.

Now, the AMOC could possibly slow or stop completely due to continued global warming, which is considered a climate tipping point. As a result, the warmer water might not drift that far to the north, and Europe might cool up to 5°C.

We might not need to start preparing for another Ice Age, but the AMOC is weakening right now, and we're still quite unsure about the actual implications of that. So let's not wait to find out.