Antarctic sea ice decline drives Antarctic Intermediate Water salinity rise since 2015
· World · The Hindu, Times of India
IISc-led research reveals that Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) has become saltier and denser since 2015, reversing decades of freshening. The study, conducted by IISc, University of Melbourne, and University of Southampton, links the shift to reduced freshwater input from melting sea ice, which previously maintained a fresh surface layer. Saltier AAIW disrupts ocean stratification and allows stored carbon to escape into the atmosphere more easily, accelerating warming. The findings, published in Nature Climate Change, show that the sea ice decline alters the ocean’s vertical structure with far-reaching climate implications.
Why it matters
Changes to this water mass can carry the effects of changes near Antarctica far beyond the polar region, directly impacting global ocean circulation and climate systems that influence weather patterns and sea-level rise worldwide.
Read the original report — The Hindu
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