thermohaline-circulation

How oceans work: depth zones, the conveyor-belt circulation, acidification, hydrothermal vents, tides, and plastics, with figures from NOAA and the IPCC.

The North Atlantic Current (part of the Gulf Stream system) carries warm tropical water northward, keeping Europe mild and habitable. If it stopped due to freshwater influx or climate change, Europe would plunge into ice-age conditions within decades — while other regions experience opposite effects.