Scientists have pinpointed the Irminger Sea off SE Greenland is where the overturn occurs - where warm water sinks and then returns south. The finding highlights the urgent need for better monitoring of this location. Research shows that the Arctic meltwater reduces the density of surface waters, preventing them from sinking to form bottom currents. Freshwater release from arctic meltwater directly inhibits deep-water formation and alters atmospheric circulation patterns.

The Irminger Sea has a disportionate influence on the strength of the AMOC because it regulates the amount of water sinking to form deep currents in nearby seas.

Reduced deep-water formation led to widespread cooling in the Northern Hemisphere, as well as Arctic sea ice expansion, because warm water wasn't being brought up from the south.

Some surprises - the location of meltwater input matters. Researchers discovered climate extremes at much more localized scales, including seasonal extremes in precipitation across No. America and the Amazon Basin that varied depending on which region of the North Atlantic the meltwater was added to.

Scientists have pinpointed the ocean engine with the biggest role in driving key Atlantic currents that regulate Earth's climate, new research suggests.

The Irminger Sea off southeastern Greenland is where warm waters that transport heat northwards from the Southern Hemisphere sink and then return south along the bottom of the ocean. As such, this region plays a critical role in powering the ocean conveyor belt known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC).