Researchers detect warm deep water shifting towards Antarctica
Updated
Updated · SciTechDaily · May 6
Researchers detect warm deep water shifting towards Antarctica
13 articles · Updated · SciTechDaily · May 6
A Cambridge-led team found circumpolar deep water has expanded and moved toward the Antarctic continental shelf over 20 years, using 40 years of ship, Argo float and machine-learning analysis.
The study says warmer water can melt Antarctic ice shelves from below, threatening barriers that slow glacier flow and potentially affecting sea levels and Southern Ocean circulation.
Researchers said the observations confirm climate-model predictions that global warming is altering heat storage, carbon cycling and dense-water formation in ways that could influence wider ocean systems, including the AMOC.
While melting Antarctica threatens our coasts, could its icebergs create a surprising ally in the fight against climate change?
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An ocean current collapse could freeze Europe while warming Antarctica. How close are we to this climate tipping point?
Antarctic Ice Shelf Collapse Risk Rises as Warm Deep Water Intrudes Over Two Decades, Fueling Global Climate Disruptions
Overview
Human-induced climate change has strengthened and shifted the Southern Hemisphere's westerly winds southward, causing the Antarctic Circumpolar Current to move poleward and increasing upwelling of warm Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW). Over the past two decades, this warm water has moved closer to Antarctica, while the cold water barrier that once protected ice shelves has weakened due to ocean warming and freshening from meltwater runoff. As a result, CDW reaches the base of ice shelves, becoming trapped in channels that accelerate melting and weaken the ice structure. This process threatens glaciers like Thwaites, whose retreat could raise global sea levels by several feet. Additionally, freshwater input slows global ocean circulation, reducing CO2 absorption and intensifying global warming, which in turn fuels further changes.