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

Freshwater from Antarctic ice melt is altering ocean salinity and density, threatening the stability of Earth's strongest ocean current.

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), Earth's most powerful ocean current, is projected to slow by 20% by 2050 under high carbon emissions scenarios.
Freshwater from melting Antarctic ice sheets is diluting the salty ocean, disrupting the current's density-driven circulation patterns.
A weaker ACC could allow invasive species to reach Antarctica, disrupting ecosystems and threatening native wildlife like penguins.
The slowdown may also reduce the ocean's capacity to absorb heat and carbon dioxide, amplifying global climate change impacts.
Researchers emphasize that reducing greenhouse gas emissions could limit ice melting and potentially avert the projected decline in the ACC.