Southern Ocean Circulation Reversal: A Climate Change Accelerator?
2025-07-04
New research reveals an unprecedented reversal in the ocean circulation of the Southern Ocean. Since 2016, a sustained increase in surface salinity has been detected between the Antarctic polar and subpolar gyres, suggesting the Southern Hemisphere’s deep ocean circulation (SMOC) has not only altered but reversed. Deep, warm, CO2-rich waters are rising to the surface, accelerating sea ice melt and potentially exacerbating climate change. This breakthrough discovery was enabled by satellite data processing algorithms developed by ICM-CSIC, overcoming challenges in observing the Southern Ocean and providing crucial insights into climate change.
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ocean circulation