Gulf Stream intensification revealed by 31 years of satellite data

A 31-year study using satellite altimetry data has revealed significant fluctuations in the strength of the Gulf Stream. Researchers from NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory and the University of Miami’s Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies analyzed observations from 1993 to 2023.

The data shows a prolonged period of weakening between 2005 and 2014, which was followed by a period of rapid intensification starting around 2014 and continuing through 2023. These changes in the current's intensity and path impact the transport of warm water to the North Atlantic, influencing weather patterns, marine ecosystems, and sea levels in coastal regions.

Scientists noted that the Gulf Stream's strength is linked to the circulation of the subtropical gyre. A faster, more northerly, and stable Gulf Stream typically corresponds to a strengthened gyre, while a slower, more southerly, and unstable path is associated with a weakened gyre.