Biology Forums - Study Force

Explain the NADW in the context of global climate change. 

The North Atlantic Deep Water Circulation Pattern is a sort of conveyor belt that moves water and heat from the equatorial zones northward, carrying heat to higher latitudes in the Atlantic Ocean, thus moderating Europe's climate. Recently, scientists have realized that interrupting the NADW could trigger climate change. If global warming causes large portions of the Greenland ice sheet to melt, freshwater runoff into the North Atlantic would increase. Surface waters would become less dense from the dilution and warming because warm freshwater is less dense than cold saltwater. This could stop the northward flow of warm equatorial water, whereby the entire North Atlantic region, including much of Europe, could cool rapidly as a result.