Antarctic Circumpolar Current Predicted to Weaken by 20% by 2050 Due to Melting Ice

Melting ice may slow Earth's strongest ocean current, research shows

The Earth's strongest ocean current could slow down as Antarctic ice sheets melt, according to new research. CBS News' Marina Jurica reports.

Atmospheric rivers in Antarctica

Antarctic atmospheric rivers (ARs) are a form of extreme weather that transport heat and moisture from the Southern Hemisphere subtropics and/or mid-latitudes to the Antarctic continent. Present-day AR events generally have a positive influence on the Antarctic ice-sheet mass balance by producing heavy snowfall, yet they also cause melt of sea ice and coastal ice sheet areas, as well as ice shelf destabilization. In this Review, we explore the a…

Climate change is weakening a major ocean current, researchers find

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the world’s strongest ocean current, could slow by 20% by 2050 due to melting Antarctic ice, potentially worsening global climate disruptions.Petra Stock reports for The Guardian.In short:The Antarctic Circumpolar Current helps regulate global climate by distributi...

Earth's Strongest Ocean Current Could Slow by 20% as Antarctica Melts

Flowing clockwise around Antarctica, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current is the strongest ocean current on the planet.

Earth's Strongest Ocean Current Could Slow 20 Percent by 2050 Because of Climate Change, Study Finds

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current is involved in everything from storing carbon to guarding Antarctica from invasive marine species, and a slower current could have far-reaching consequences

As scientists warn and warn, the thaw that the continent of Antarctica is suffering and that is already altering the levels of ocean salinity, will slow the largest ocean current on the planet, with still unpredictable consequences. The spillage of fresh water that is causing the melting of the Antarctic ice is causing a weakening of the deep circulation, so experts predict that by 2050 the Antarctic Circumpolar Current could lose up to 20% of i…