Leading climate scientists have issued a stark warning about the potential collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), describing it as a serious threat that has been significantly underestimated.

In an open letter to the Nordic Council of Ministers, signed by over 40 prominent scientists, they stated that the AMOC could collapse within a matter of years if urgent action is not taken.

The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report suggests there is medium confidence that the AMOC will not collapse abruptly before 2100, but many scientists believe this is an underestimate.

The scientists are calling for immediate action from Nordic leaders to assess the risks associated with an AMOC collapse and to advocate for stronger greenhouse gas emission reductions.

The AMOC is a crucial ocean current system that transports heat to the Northern Hemisphere, and its slowdown could lead to severe climate disruptions, including colder winters and altered rainfall patterns.

There is at least a 40% chance of AMOC collapse occurring within the next 25 years, which could have catastrophic effects similar to historical climate events.

A collapse of the AMOC could result in winters in Europe being 5°C to 10°C colder, along with increased volatility in rainfall.

The potential impacts of AMOC collapse include significant climate disruptions, such as cooling in the northern hemisphere, rising sea levels, and threats to marine ecosystems.

Professor Stefan Rahmstorf from Germany's Potsdam Institute criticized the record global fossil fuel subsidies of $7 trillion in 2022, highlighting insufficient efforts to avert climate disasters.

The letter emphasizes the need for proactive measures to mitigate the risks of an AMOC collapse and urges Nordic policymakers to adhere to the Paris Agreement's temperature targets.

Global warming is already causing more frequent and intense weather events, including heat waves, floods, and storms, which further complicate the climate crisis.

Monitoring efforts are ongoing to track the AMOC's flow, with early warning signs including a notable cold blob in the northern Atlantic and declining deep winter mixing.