"Scientists see stronger evidence of slowing Atlantic Ocean circulation - Atlantic meridional overturning circulation [weakest in] 1,000 years" by @afreedma & @ChrisCMooney in @WashingtonPost, on new @NatureGeosci article by @rahmstorf & co (thread)
washingtonpost.com/climate-enviro…
washingtonpost.com/climate-enviro…
We (@Rahmstorf et al) reached that conclusion in a 2015 @NatureClimate study (nature.com/articles/nclim…). It featured a reconstruction over the past 1000 years of the sub-polar "cold blob" (below) that is indicative of an AMOC slowdown. 
The "cold blob" reconstruction was, in turn, based on our reconstruction of global temperature patterns over the past 1000 years in @ScienceMagazine (2009: science.sciencemag.org/content/326/59…). More discussion here: realclimate.org/index.php/arch…
These findings suggest that the slowdown in the AMOC is happening SOONER than expected, probably because Greenland melt & freshwater runoff to North Atlantic is happening sooner than expected. See this discussion by @Rahmstorf: realclimate.org/index.php/arch…
This is the "Day After Tomorrow" scenario. The good news is that them movie is a caricature of the science. We won't get another Ice Age. But we could see adverse impacts on fish populations in North Atlantic and accelerated sea level rise along parts of the U.S. east coast.
This is all a reminder that uncertainty isn't our friend. In many respects, as we learn more, we're finding that climate change impacts are playing out faster and bigger than we predicted.
It sucks to be right sometimes. That applies to the 'Hockey Stick" temperature reconstruction (medium.com/@USC/the-hocke…). And now, to the accelerated slowdown of the "conveyor belt" ocean circulation pattern.
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