The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) plays an important role in Earth's climate system. It transports heat from the tropical Atlantic to higher latitudes and helps to give Western Europe its mild winter climate. This system of surface and deep currents has been of interest to oceanographers and climate scientists for decades. In 2004 it became more widely known. Two events in 2004 brought the concept of "rapid climate change" to public attention. The first