Ocean Circulation
- All
- News
-
New Study Shows Antarctic Waters Unleashed Ancient Carbon at the Ice Age’s End
New research shows that shifting Antarctic circulation after the last Ice Age released ancient deep-ocean carbon into the atmosphere. Using Southern Ocean sediment cores, scientists traced how expanding Antarctic Bottom Water mixed long-isolated, carbon-rich waters upward. The findings reveal a major but underappreciated driver of early Holocene wa...
-
Sea Ice To Ocean Currents, Antarctica Is Undergoing Abrupt Changes
Melting sea ice allows oceans to warm more rapidly, which melts more sea ice. Once triggered, they can be difficult or even impossible to reverse on timescales meaningful to humans.
-
Explained: Why India's Monsoons Are Now Deadlier And More Unpredictable
Monsoon rainfall is becoming more erratic, with intense downpours followed by dry spells. This variability affects agriculture, water systems, and disaster preparedness.
-
From Ice Sheets To Oceans: The Climate Tipping Points That Worry Scientists
A climate tipping point is a critical threshold where a small environmental change can lead to dramatic and often irreversible shifts.
-
NASA’s SWOT Satellite Reveals Big Impact of Small Ocean Currents and Waves in n Marine Ecosystems
NASA’s SWOT satellite, in collaboration with CNES, reveals how submesoscale ocean features just a mile wide drive vital vertical circulation. These small currents transport heat, carbon, and nutrients, profoundly influencing marine ecosystems and climate systems. The mission’s high-resolution data is reshaping how scientists model ocean-atmosph...
-
Antarctic Ice Melt Weakens Strongest Ocean Current, Disrupting Global Circulation
The Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the planet’s most powerful ocean circulation system, could slow by 20 percent by 2050 due to melting Antarctic ice. Researchers suggest that the influx of fresh, cold water is disrupting convection, altering global ocean density. A weaker current may allow warm water to reach Antarctica, accelerating ice loss an...
-
Scientists Discover Declining Global Ocean Evaporation Amid Rising Temperatures
Recent research has revealed a decline in global ocean evaporation since 2008, challenging traditional climate models. Despite increasing sea surface temperatures, evaporation rates have decreased across two-thirds of the world's oceans. Scientists attribute this unexpected trend to reduced wind speeds, or "wind stilling," and shifts in atmospheric...
-
Denmark Strait Cataract: World's Largest Underwater Waterfall Discovered
The Denmark Strait cataract, the world’s largest underwater waterfall, is located between Iceland and Greenland. Plunging 11,500 feet from top to bottom, it plays a key role in the global ocean circulation system. The waterfall forms part of the thermohaline circulation, which helps regulate the Earth's climate. Despite its immense size, it remai...
-
Irminger Sea’s Crucial Role in Atlantic Ocean Current Collapse Identified
A new study highlights the vital role of the Irminger Sea in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Increasing meltwater from the Arctic is weakening this critical ocean current, which regulates global climate. The research suggests that disruptions in the Irminger Sea could cause widespread climate shifts, including cooling in the...
-
Western Boundary Currents Affect Local Climate Variability, Claims New Study
A new study from Colorado State University indicates that western boundary currents, such as the Gulf Stream and Kuroshio, have a more significant role in local climate variability than previously thought. By analysing satellite data and sea surface temperature fluctuations, researchers James Larson, David Thompson, and James Hurrell found that the...
-
New Study Reveals Weaker Atlantic Current Could Mitigate Arctic Warming
Recent research from UC Riverside reveals that a weakening Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) could limit Arctic temperature increases by up to 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. While this slowdown may offer some relief, ongoing threats to Arctic wildlife and potential global weather disruptions remain a serious concern. ...
-
Study Warns Melting Arctic Ice Could Disrupt Ocean Currents in Europe
Scientists from UiT The Arctic University of Norway have issued a stark warning regarding the impact of melting Arctic sea ice on global ocean circulation patterns. Their recent study highlights that significant inflows of freshwater from melting sea ice into the Nordic Seas have historically led to dramatic cooling in northern Europe. By analysing...
-
Atlantic Ocean's Current System Could Collapse By 2030. Here's Why It's Bad News
Scientists emphasize the urgent need for immediate and drastic action to mitigate climate change and potentially stave off this catastrophic tipping point.
-
Gulf Stream Current Could Collapse In 2025, Unleashing Climate Chaos: Report
If the world keeps spewing out pollution that heats the planet, an important system of ocean currents may collapse within a few decades.
-
One Of The Most Worrisome Predictions About Climate Change May Be Coming True
Two years ago, former NASA climate scientist James Hansen and a number of colleagues laid out a dire scenario in which gigantic pulses of fresh water from melting glaciers could upend the circulation of the oceans, leading to a world of fast-rising seas and even superstorms.
-
New Study Shows Antarctic Waters Unleashed Ancient Carbon at the Ice Age’s End
New research shows that shifting Antarctic circulation after the last Ice Age released ancient deep-ocean carbon into the atmosphere. Using Southern Ocean sediment cores, scientists traced how expanding Antarctic Bottom Water mixed long-isolated, carbon-rich waters upward. The findings reveal a major but underappreciated driver of early Holocene wa...
-
Sea Ice To Ocean Currents, Antarctica Is Undergoing Abrupt Changes
Melting sea ice allows oceans to warm more rapidly, which melts more sea ice. Once triggered, they can be difficult or even impossible to reverse on timescales meaningful to humans.
-
Explained: Why India's Monsoons Are Now Deadlier And More Unpredictable
Monsoon rainfall is becoming more erratic, with intense downpours followed by dry spells. This variability affects agriculture, water systems, and disaster preparedness.
-
From Ice Sheets To Oceans: The Climate Tipping Points That Worry Scientists
A climate tipping point is a critical threshold where a small environmental change can lead to dramatic and often irreversible shifts.
-
NASA’s SWOT Satellite Reveals Big Impact of Small Ocean Currents and Waves in n Marine Ecosystems
NASA’s SWOT satellite, in collaboration with CNES, reveals how submesoscale ocean features just a mile wide drive vital vertical circulation. These small currents transport heat, carbon, and nutrients, profoundly influencing marine ecosystems and climate systems. The mission’s high-resolution data is reshaping how scientists model ocean-atmosph...
-
Antarctic Ice Melt Weakens Strongest Ocean Current, Disrupting Global Circulation
The Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the planet’s most powerful ocean circulation system, could slow by 20 percent by 2050 due to melting Antarctic ice. Researchers suggest that the influx of fresh, cold water is disrupting convection, altering global ocean density. A weaker current may allow warm water to reach Antarctica, accelerating ice loss an...
-
Scientists Discover Declining Global Ocean Evaporation Amid Rising Temperatures
Recent research has revealed a decline in global ocean evaporation since 2008, challenging traditional climate models. Despite increasing sea surface temperatures, evaporation rates have decreased across two-thirds of the world's oceans. Scientists attribute this unexpected trend to reduced wind speeds, or "wind stilling," and shifts in atmospheric...
-
Denmark Strait Cataract: World's Largest Underwater Waterfall Discovered
The Denmark Strait cataract, the world’s largest underwater waterfall, is located between Iceland and Greenland. Plunging 11,500 feet from top to bottom, it plays a key role in the global ocean circulation system. The waterfall forms part of the thermohaline circulation, which helps regulate the Earth's climate. Despite its immense size, it remai...
-
Irminger Sea’s Crucial Role in Atlantic Ocean Current Collapse Identified
A new study highlights the vital role of the Irminger Sea in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Increasing meltwater from the Arctic is weakening this critical ocean current, which regulates global climate. The research suggests that disruptions in the Irminger Sea could cause widespread climate shifts, including cooling in the...
-
Western Boundary Currents Affect Local Climate Variability, Claims New Study
A new study from Colorado State University indicates that western boundary currents, such as the Gulf Stream and Kuroshio, have a more significant role in local climate variability than previously thought. By analysing satellite data and sea surface temperature fluctuations, researchers James Larson, David Thompson, and James Hurrell found that the...
-
New Study Reveals Weaker Atlantic Current Could Mitigate Arctic Warming
Recent research from UC Riverside reveals that a weakening Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) could limit Arctic temperature increases by up to 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. While this slowdown may offer some relief, ongoing threats to Arctic wildlife and potential global weather disruptions remain a serious concern. ...
-
Study Warns Melting Arctic Ice Could Disrupt Ocean Currents in Europe
Scientists from UiT The Arctic University of Norway have issued a stark warning regarding the impact of melting Arctic sea ice on global ocean circulation patterns. Their recent study highlights that significant inflows of freshwater from melting sea ice into the Nordic Seas have historically led to dramatic cooling in northern Europe. By analysing...
-
Atlantic Ocean's Current System Could Collapse By 2030. Here's Why It's Bad News
Scientists emphasize the urgent need for immediate and drastic action to mitigate climate change and potentially stave off this catastrophic tipping point.
-
Gulf Stream Current Could Collapse In 2025, Unleashing Climate Chaos: Report
If the world keeps spewing out pollution that heats the planet, an important system of ocean currents may collapse within a few decades.
-
One Of The Most Worrisome Predictions About Climate Change May Be Coming True
Two years ago, former NASA climate scientist James Hansen and a number of colleagues laid out a dire scenario in which gigantic pulses of fresh water from melting glaciers could upend the circulation of the oceans, leading to a world of fast-rising seas and even superstorms.
