A new study reveals that changes in the circulation in portions of the Southern Ocean are occurring quicker than anticipated, Axios explains in a detailed report.
This is now raising concerns about the future of deep ocean currents and climate regulation.
Why the Recent Findings Are Worrisome
The research, conducted by Kathryn Gunn of the Australian science agency CSIRO and Southampton University, assessed the changes in circulation between 1994 and 2017. University of New South Wales coauthor Matthew England also contributed to the study.
The Southern Ocean drives the world's deep ocean currents and regulates the global climate. It regulates the exchange of heat, carbon, oxygen, and nutrients between the strata of the ocean.
With this, changes in circulation have the potential to have profound effects on the global climate and marine life.
At least one region of the Southern Ocean, the Australian Antarctic Basin, is experiencing faster-than-anticipated alterations in circulation, according to the study.
The two primary regions on Earth where cold, salty, and dense water forms, descends to the ocean floor, and then slowly spreads out over thousands of miles are experiencing stress.
Ice Mass Melting at Alarming Speed
Climate change-induced melting of land-based ice sheets is adding fresh water to the topmost layers of the ocean.
This disrupts ocean currents propelled by vertical water exchange. The circulation changes affect the Antarctic "bottom water" formation, which plays a crucial function in the Great Ocean Conveyor Belt, a global ocean circulation system.
Nearly half of the volume of the global ocean is comprised of Antarctic bottom water, which helps to propel the circulation.
Ocean Oxygen Levels Declining
The research mentioned above uses observational data to demonstrate that the overturning circulation in the Australian Antarctic Basin declined by nearly 30 percent between 1994 and 2017.
In this region, oxygen levels in the deep ocean are also decreasing. Significant ice mass loss is occurring downstream of the Amundsen Sea, where there are alterations in circulation.
In contrast to what is occurring in the Southern Ocean, the effects of climate projection models indicate slowing deep ocean circulation. The research results emphasize the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
What These Changes Mean for Humans
Matthew England of the University of New South Wales, a co-author of the study, tells Axios that changes in Southern Ocean circulation could result in amplifying climate feedback. Loss of dense margin water overturning could lead to warmer Antarctic continental shelves, accelerating ice melting.
The study raises concerns regarding the long-term vitality of interconnected ocean currents and the effects of ice sheet disintegration.
If ice melt continues and greenhouse gas emissions are not significantly reduced, the vital ocean cycle could endure additional changes that could have lasting consequences.
The Southern Ocean is an essential component of the global climate system, and the findings of this study emphasize the urgency of addressing climate change.
Changes in circulation and the disintegration of ice sheets not only affect the Southern Ocean but also have far-reaching effects on the climate and marine life of the planet.
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