Origins of Earth's Most Powerful Ocean Current Revealed

Earth’s most powerful ocean current didn’t form the way we thought

A colossal ocean current encircling Antarctica—stronger than all the world’s rivers combined—played a far more complex role in shaping Earth’s climate than scientists once thought. New research shows it didn’t form just because ocean gateways opened, but required shifting continents and powerful winds to align. This shift helped pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, contributing to a major cooling event that transformed Earth into the ice-c…

About 34 Million Years Ago, Earth’s Most Powerful Ocean Current Emerged and Reshaped the Climate

Learn how the Antarctic Circumpolar Current formed during the Oligocene, as winds, shifting continents, and ocean gateways reshaped Earth’s climate.

The World’s Most Powerful Ocean Current Required More Than Just Shifting Continents To Kick Into Gear

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current dwarfs every other ocean current in the world and drastically shapes our climate, but its formation was not straightforward.

Origins of Earth's most powerful ocean current revealed

It transports far more than 100 times as much water as all of the Earth's rivers combined: The Antarctic Circumpolar Current rushes around the southern continent unhindered by land masses and is therefore a fundamental component of the climate system. In a recent study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a research team led by the Alfred Wegener Institute describes how and when this mighty ring current devel…