Blob of cold water in North Atlantic has scientists worried
Digital Reporter
Friday, September 25, 2015, 8:18 PM - There's a blob of cold water in the North Atlantic Ocean, following a summer of abnormally warm temperatures -- and that has scientists concerned.
While the world appears to be heating up, an area south of Greenland and Iceland has been seeing the coldest temperatures in recorded history, according to data released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Researchers say there's no mistake in the data. The chillier-than-usual area is densely-populated with buoys and along a well-observed shipping line.
RELATED: Melting sea ice sends walruses ashore
There's no definitive answer as to why the blob is there, but scientists think it has to do with the slowing of circulation in the Atlantic Ocean.
In March a team of scientists published a paper in Nature Climate Change, arguing a massive ocean current called the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is weakening.
AMOC is driven by temperature differences and the salinity of the water -- but a sudden injection of cold water can weaken the circulation.
So -- where is the cold water coming from?
The suggested source is melting glaciers in Greenland -- an area that's losing more than a hundred billion tonnes of ice annually.
Scientists aren't sure what this all means, but they're keeping a close eye on the area.
Source: The Washington Post
MORE VIDEO: WEATHER AND ITS IMPACT ON TUNA FISHING:
