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Ocean Currents

When these happened

22 dated records from 24 to 2026. Each is drawn as wide as its date is certain — a band is a band because nobody knows the year, not because the drawing is imprecise.

500100015002000A circumpolar current becomes possible — c. 34–24 Ma (contested; some evidence points to the late Miocene)The Gulf Stream is charted to explain slow mail — 1769Maury issues the Wind and Current Chart of the North Atlantic — 1847The Brussels maritime conference standardises ocean observation — 1853-08-23The Physical Geography of the Sea is published — 1855Nansen observes ice drifting to the right of the wind — 1893–1896Ekman publishes the theory of wind-driven surface transport — 1905Stommel explains why the fast currents are on the west — 1948The great ocean conveyor is drawn — 1987The first Argo floats go into the water — 1999The Gulf Stream is found not to explain Europe's mild winters — 2002The RAPID array begins continuous AMOC measurement at 26.5°N — 2004-04Twenty-two years of continuous AMOC observation — 2004-04 – 2023-01Drake Passage is measured and the ACC turns out to be larger — 2007–2011 (published 2016)The Argo design array is completed — 2007-11OSNAP is deployed across the subpolar North Atlantic — 2014OSNAP moves the engine room out of the Labrador Sea — 2019-02IPCC AR6 assesses AMOC decline as very likely and collapse as unlikely this century — 2021Antarctic meltwater is projected to slow the abyssal cell — 2023A statistical early-warning analysis puts an AMOC collapse mid-century — 2023-07A physics-based early warning signal is proposed — 2024-02El Niño Advisory in effect at the July 2026 CPC discussion — 2026-07-09
22 shown · 22 dated · 0 cannot be placed on an axis · Approximate or contested. Draw a band and do not sharpen its edges.
In order22
  1. c. 34–24 Ma (contested; some evidence points to the late Miocene)A circumpolar current becomes possiblesources disagree about the date

    Sources disagree, or the dating is contested. Stated, not resolved.

  2. 1769The Gulf Stream is charted to explain slow mail

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  3. 1847Maury issues the Wind and Current Chart of the North Atlantic

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  4. 1853-08-23The Brussels maritime conference standardises ocean observation

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  5. 1855The Physical Geography of the Sea is published

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  6. 1893–1896Nansen observes ice drifting to the right of the wind

    It was measured or witnessed, with the observation cited.

  7. 1905Ekman publishes the theory of wind-driven surface transport

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  8. 1948Stommel explains why the fast currents are on the west

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  9. 1987The great ocean conveyor is drawn

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  10. 1999The first Argo floats go into the water

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  11. 2002The Gulf Stream is found not to explain Europe's mild winters

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  12. 2004-04The RAPID array begins continuous AMOC measurement at 26.5°N

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  13. 2004-04 – 2023-01Twenty-two years of continuous AMOC observation

    It was measured or witnessed, with the observation cited.

  14. 2007–2011 (published 2016)Drake Passage is measured and the ACC turns out to be larger

    It was measured or witnessed, with the observation cited.

  15. 2007-11The Argo design array is completed

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  16. 2014OSNAP is deployed across the subpolar North Atlantic

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  17. 2019-02OSNAP moves the engine room out of the Labrador Sea

    It was measured or witnessed, with the observation cited.

  18. 2021IPCC AR6 assesses AMOC decline as very likely and collapse as unlikely this century

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  19. 2023Antarctic meltwater is projected to slow the abyssal cell

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  20. 2023-07A statistical early-warning analysis puts an AMOC collapse mid-century

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  21. 2024-02A physics-based early warning signal is proposed

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  22. 2026-07-09El Niño Advisory in effect at the July 2026 CPC discussion

    It was measured or witnessed, with the observation cited.