| Summary: | The slowing Gulf Stream? A science-policy breakfast discussion 04.09.2018, 8:00-10:00,European Parliament Brussels,ASP 5G1 These are the presentations given at the science-policy discussion. Short summary Is the Gulf Stream slowing down? And if it does, what will be the consequences? And how should we prepare for them? Researchers have recently confirmed that the Gulf Stream current is running at a slower rate than it has done for over 1000 years. The Gulf Stream, as a part of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC, transports warm water from the tropics to the North Atlantic Ocean, and plays a major role in regulating Europe’s weather and climate. Now, there is speculation that the AMOC could slow even more, or shut down, as the global climate continues to change. This could have important consequences for our weather and climate, potentially increasing the risk of extreme weather such as storms and heatwaves. To predict and prepare for changes to Europe’s weather and climate, it is important that we understand how changes in the ocean and changes in climate are linked. This is especially true in the Arctic, which is changing faster than any other place on earth. With this understanding, researchers hope to be able to quantify the risk of extreme weather events in the future, and develop early-warning indicators. The SEARICA Intergroup, along with scientists from the EU-funded Blue-Action project and their collaborators, AtlantOS, are hosting a discussion event to explore the impacts of Atlantic Ocean circulation on weather and climate. The Blue-Action project aims to better understand and explain the impact of changes in the Arctic on the weather and climate of the Northern Hemisphere. AtlantOS, meanwhile, is paving the way for a pan-Atlantic Ocean observing system, to collect the data we need to better understand and manage this ocean basin. Blue-Action and AtlantOS have received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No ...
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