Which feedback loop affects thermohaline circulation when Arctic ice melt introduces freshwater into the North Atlantic?

💡 Explanation

When Arctic ice melts, freshwater influx lowers surface salinity, decreasing water density and weakening the density gradient that drives thermohaline circulation because density differences are what propels this global current. Therefore reduced salinity weakens the density gradient, rather than the alternatives linked to enhanced precipitation, productivity, or altered albedo that affect different processes.

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