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Southern Ocean Circulation Reversed
1 July 2025 A major reversal in ocean circulation has been detected in the Southern Ocean for the first time, with key climate implications. Using Earth observation satellites, a study led by the National Oceanographic Center (NOC, United Kingdom) and published in PNAS, shows that, since 2016, a sustained increase in surface salinity has been detected in the region between the polar and subpolar gyres of the Antarctic Ocean.
Using Earth observation satellites, a study led by the National Oceanographic Center (NOC, United Kingdom) and published in PNAS, shows that, since 2016, a sustained increase in surface salinity has been detected in the region between the polar and subpolar gyres of the Antarctic Ocean. We might be closer to passing a tipping point than expected and we have potentially entered a new state defined by persistent sea ice decline, sustained by a newly discovered feedback loop. These new findings reveal a rise in surface water salinity, a breakdown in the ocean’s layered structure, and a much faster decline in sea ice than previously anticipated.
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