Australian scientists to investigate climate change impact on Antarctic current

Australian scientists are embarking on a research voyage to study the impact of climate change on the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the planet’s strongest ocean current. The team, led by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), will spend over a month aboard the research vessel Investigator, investigating how the current contributes to melting ice shelves.

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current historically prevented warm water from reaching Antarctica, but rising temperatures have altered this dynamic. The scientists aim to understand the finer scale dynamics and eddies of the current, particularly in identified “eddy heat flux gates” where warm water may be seeping towards the pole. The research will also validate imagery of the Southern Ocean taken by NASA’s Surface Water and Ocean Topography satellite.

Source – CGTN