March 3, 2021 A new study suggests that the Gulf Stream – an Atlantic Ocean current that plays a large role in shaping Earth’s weather patterns – is weaker now than at any point in the last 1,000 years. The Gulf Stream plays a vital role in redistributing heat throughout our planet’s climate system. This animation shows the Gulf Stream sending warm water to the North Atlantic Ocean, forcing colder water to sink and travel southward. Image via NASA/ Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio/ SciJinks. The Gulf Stream, the Atlantic ocean current system that plays a vital role in redistributing heat throughout our planet, is the weakest it’s been in at least 1,600 years. That’s according a new study, published February 25, 2021 in the peer-reviewed journal