The AMOC has weakened by approximately 15–20 percent during the last 150 years.
Notes on verification
Directly quoted by lead author of peer-reviewed Nature study (Thornalley et al. 2018) and corroborated by independent science journalism (Carbon Brief, The Conversation, ScienceDaily) and WHOI press release. Some scientific debate remains about magnitude/detectability using other methods (e.g., RAPID array data), but the specific 15-20%/150-year figure is well-sourced to its origin study.
Sources
- Ocean Current That Keeps Europe Warm Is Weakening (smithsonianmag.com)
- https://www.whoi.edu/press-room/news-release/atlantic-ocean-circulation-at-weakest-point-in-more-than-1500-years/ (whoi.edu)
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-018-0007-4 (nature.com)
- https://www.carbonbrief.org/atlantic-conveyor-belt-has-slowed-15-per-cent-since-mid-twentieth-century/ (carbonbrief.org)
- https://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-slowing-atlantic-currents-that-help-keep-europe-warm-94930 (theconversation.com)