Synopsis: The system of ocean currents in the North Atlantic is on the verge of collapse due to climate change, according to a number of scientists. This would lead to a series of deleterious effects on the health of the ocean, to include a shifting of the entire Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) system toward the south.

Aloha mai nō kākou e nā hoa heluhelu o Kauakūkalahale. He mau pule aku nei, ua puka mai kekahi ‘atikala no ka makani pāhili nona ka inoa ‘o Milton. Ua ‘ulupā ‘ia ka moku‘āina ‘o Pololika a me nā moku‘āina e pili koke mai ana, e kekahi mau ‘ino nui ‘elua i loko o ka wā pōkole, a ke wānana ‘ia nei ka māhuahua ‘ana o ka ikaika a me ka pinepine o ia ‘ano ‘ino ma kēia hope aku. ‘A‘ole nō paha e pū‘iwa kākou. ‘O ka hopena ia o ka mahana ‘ana mai o ka honua nei, a e oki loa ana ka pohō e ili mai ana ma luna o nā ‘āina like ‘ole ma kēia hope aku. I kēia wā, ke wānana ‘ia nei ka hulihia ‘ana o ke aniau o ka honua nei a puni, a e maka‘ala mua ‘ia nei ka moana ‘Akelanika. Wahi a kekahi po‘e ‘epekema kilo aniau, ‘o ka moana ‘Akelanika kekahi māhele nui o ka ‘ōnaehana aniau o ka honua nei, a ua kapa ‘ia ‘o ka Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Eia nō ke wānana ‘ia nei ka hiki ‘ana mai o kauwahi pilikia nui ma muli o ua ‘ōnaehana nei i loko o ka wā pōkole wale nō, ‘o ia ho‘i, ma kahi o ka MH 2050.

Na ia ‘ōnaehana aniau, ‘o ka AMOC, e halihali i ke kai mahana mai ke kā‘ei kopikala a i ka hu‘ihu‘i o nā kai ‘ākau, kahi e ma‘alili ai kona mahana a mākū ai kona ‘ano. Ke hu‘ihu‘i mai ia kai, e hele nō ia a kaumaha a piholo i lalo o ka hohonu. Ma laila aku ia kai mākū a kahe hou aku, ma lalo o ka hohonu, a hō‘ea hou aku i nā kai o ka hema. ‘O ia ka wā e kaiaka ai ua kūlana mākū lā ona a e pi‘i hou mai ai i luna o ka ‘ili kai. Pēlā e mālama ‘ia ai ke ‘ano ‘olu‘olu o nā kai ‘ākau a me nā makani mahana nāna e pā aku ma luna o nā ‘āina o ‘Eulopa ‘ākau. Na ia mahana e pale aku i ka iho mai o ka hu‘ihu‘i o ka ‘ākau a me kona ho‘opa‘a ‘ana i nā ‘āina ‘ākau i ka hau.

He mea maika‘i loa ka ‘ōnaehana AMOC. ‘O ia ka mea nāna e mālama i ke aniau ma‘a mau o ia moana a puni. Inā e nāwaliwali mai ka AMOC, a anuanu mai ka poepoe hapa ‘ākau o ka honua, e iho ana nā ‘ōnaehana aniau a pau i ka hema. He mea ko‘iko‘i ka pa‘a pono o ke kūlana o ia ‘ōnaehana ma ka moana ‘Akelanika. Ke mau ka mahana mai o ka honua, e mahana mai ana nō ho‘i ka ‘ili o nā kai ‘ākau, a e hapa mai ana ko lākou pa‘akai. Hehe‘e mai ka hau ma Greenland a me ka hau o nā kai ‘Ālika, a nui mai ka ua. A no ia mau mea, hele a wai ke ‘ano o ia mau kai ‘ākau. Eia hou, ua ‘ike ‘ia ka māhuahua ‘ana mai o ka nui o ka pa‘akai i loko o ka moana ‘Akelanika Hema. Ua ne‘e aku i laila mai ka ‘ākau mai.

He mau kumu kēia e wānana ‘ia nei ka hā‘ule ‘ana o ia ‘ōnaehana ‘o ka AMOC. He mau makahiki helu wale nō mai kēia makahiki aku a i ka makahiki 2050. Inā nō e pololei kēia po‘e ‘epekema, auē nō ho‘i kākou ē! E aho paha ka ho‘omaka i kēia wā ‘ānō i ka ho‘ēmi ‘ana i kā kākou mau hana ho‘ohaumia,‘o ia ho‘i, ka ho‘opuka wale aku i ke ea ‘ino i loko o ka lewa. Mai nō a mana‘o mai ua hala ‘ē ka Pu‘ulena. ‘A‘ole maopopo ka pololei a me ka ‘ole o kēia wānana ‘ana a ka po‘e ‘epekema, eia na‘e, ke ‘ike maka nei kākou i ka pi‘i ‘ana o ka ‘ili kai, ka hehe‘e ‘ana o ka hau ma nā ‘āina ākau a me nā hau nunui e lana ana i nā kai ‘ākau, a eia nō ke kani nei ke oeoe ha‘ina pōpilikia. Mai nō a ho‘okuli! E ala i kēia wā i mea e ola ai nā mamo i ka wā e hiki mai ana.

E ho‘ouna ‘ia mai na ā leka iā māua, ‘o ia ho‘i ‘o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei:

>> kwong@hawaii.edu

>> rsolis@hawaii.edu

a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:

>> 808-956-2627 (Laiana)

>> 808-956-2627 (Kekeha)

This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.