Science No, an Ocean Current Did Not Reverse—Experts Refute Viral Climate Report

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No, an Ocean Current Did Not Reverse—Experts Refute Viral Climate Report

 

A viral claim that an ocean current crucial to global climate systems has reversed direction for the first time is being firmly disputed by scientists and the authors of the very study it allegedly cites. The misinformation stems from a report by European news outlet IntelliNews, which published an article on July 5 titled "Southern Ocean current reverses for first time, signaling risk of climate system collapse."

 

The report set off alarm bells by claiming that the Deep Western Boundary Current (DWBC), a critical element of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), had reversed for the first time ever. It described the alleged event as “catastrophic” and warned it could accelerate global warming and destabilize global weather systems. The article cited a press release by El Institut de Ciències del Mar, a Spanish state-funded marine research institute, referencing a peer-reviewed study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) by researchers at the University of Southampton.

 

However, the actual PNAS study does not report a reversal of any major ocean current, including the DWBC or the AMOC. Instead, it focuses on changes in the surface salinity of the Southern Ocean. Between the 1980s and 2015, the surface waters of the Southern Ocean were freshening, but new satellite data show a "marked increase in surface salinity" over the last decade. This rise in salinity coincided with a sharp decline in Antarctic sea ice coverage and a weakening of ocean stratification.

 

“Our study found that surface salinity in the Southern Ocean has been increasing while sea ice has declined,” the study's lead author, Alessandro Silvano, told Newsweek. “This was unexpected, as melting sea ice is generally thought to freshen the ocean surface. The results suggest that our understanding of the Antarctic system—and how it may evolve—is incomplete.”

 

The situation became further muddled due to a flawed press release issued by El Institut de Ciències del Mar. The German news site Table.Briefings reported that the IntelliNews story appears to have been based on this original, erroneous release. One of the study’s co-authors, Antonio Turiel, told Newsweek that the confusion stemmed partly from mistranslation and partly from imprecise wording.

 

“Our original press note contained some wrong sentences, partly caused by mistranslation, partly caused by a wrong use of words on my side. That’s the reason of the correction,” Turiel explained. He clarified that while the study did observe changes in ocean structure—specifically that “isopycnals have shoaled,” indicating vertical movement of water layers—this does not mean the DWBC or AMOC has reversed. “It is likely that there is a change in the configuration of the currents,” he said, “but not a reversal.”

 

El Institut de Ciències del Mar has since updated the press release and corrected Turiel’s quote. Despite this, the IntelliNews article remains uncorrected and continues to claim that the DWBC has reversed.

 

Silvano also rejected the claim outright. “We do not talk about DWBC in our recently published work. The AMOC is not collapsing this year,” he told Newsweek. “There have been issues over the social media and press,” he added.

 

The AMOC, described by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as a key component of ocean circulation, plays a critical role in moving heat, salt, and nutrients across the globe. NOAA warns that warming oceans could slow this system, weakening its ability to absorb carbon dioxide and heat, but no evidence currently supports the notion that a full reversal or collapse is underway.

 

In conclusion, while the PNAS study highlights unexpected and important shifts in the Southern Ocean's salinity and structure, the widely circulated claims of a reversed ocean current are inaccurate. Both the researchers involved and oceanographic authorities emphasize that although change is indeed happening in Earth’s climate systems, no catastrophic current reversal has occurred.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Newsweek  2025-07-11

 

 

[JonnyF]

More lies from the doomsday cult.

 

They really need to find a replacement for Greta pronto. Not having an autistic brainwashed child acting as a human shield against criticism has really allowed your false narratives to be exposed.