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Environment

Slowdown of critical ocean current may preserve the Amazon rainforest

The weakening of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation could be bolstering rainfall over the Amazon, reducing the risk it will reach a tipping point

By Madeleine Cuff

19 February 2025

Rainfall in the Amazon may be influenced by sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic Ocean

Maarten Zeehandelaar/Shutterstock

The potentially catastrophic slowdown of a critical ocean current due to climate change may have one upside: it could help prop up the Amazon rainforest in the face of rising temperatures.

The collapse of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) and the transformation of the Amazon rainforest into savannah are two of the most serious tipping points anticipated to occur if global warming continues – defined as abrupt shifts in Earth’s systems that can cause global, irreversible impacts. Some studies suggest that the…

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