Early warning indicator hidden within the Gulf Stream could signal the collapse of key Atlantic currents, study finds

A color-enhanced image of surface water temperatures shows the Gulf Stream crossing the Atlantic Ocean from the Florida Straits. .

The Gulf Stream holds tantalizing clues about when other key Atlantic Ocean currents could collapse due to climate change, a new study finds.

Originating in the Gulf of Mexico and leaving the U.S. East Coast near Cape Hatteras in North Carolina, the Gulf Stream is a branch of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) — a giant system of ocean currents that brings heat to the Northern Hemisphere and Europe, in particular.