New research from the University of Melbourne, Australia, indicates that the more Antarctic ice melts and the more the ocean is flooded by melt water, the more the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC)
New research from the University of Melbourne, Australia, indicates that the more Antarctic ice melts and the more the ocean is flooded by melt water, the more the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is likely to slow down.
The ACC is located just to Australia’s south. It flows around Antarctica and connects our planet’s three major ocean basins – the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
The ACC is more than 100 times stronger than the current of the Amazon River and five times stronger than the Gulf Stream.
It’s a powerful current that separates the Antarctic continent from its northern neighbors, acting as a physical and oceanographic barrier that isolates the icy continent.
Over the years, there has been a lot of scientific debate about the impact of climate change on the ACC. The theory was that warming oceans around Antarctica should cause the ACC to speed up.
Although recent research has shown that the ACC’s strength hasn’t changed significantly, the impact of Antarctica’s melting ice is less well understood by the science.
The new study, published in Environmental Research Letters, has found that the ACC is likely to slow down by up to 20% in 2050 if high carbon emissions continue.
Content Original Link:
" target="_blank">
