“This sudden change in the vulnerability of the ocean has a number of consequences”

The current of Western winds, also called Antarctic Circulation (ACC), moves water throughout the globe, combining the oceans: Atlantic, calm and Indian. Thanks to it, there is a heat, carbon dioxide and other compounds between these pools. Scientists have been thinking about the impact of the melting of glaciers on this “global engine” for a long time.

On Monday, the results of research of a group of experts from the University of Melbourne and the Norwegian Nortcore Research Center were published in the pages of “Environmental Research Letters”, which shows that the melting ice cover can significantly slow down ACC. Consequently, this can lead to further climate change in the world.

– If this “engine” of currents breaks down, there may be serious consequences – said Professor Bishakhdta Gayen from the University of Melbourne, a specialist in the field of fluid mechanics.

In order to examine the impact of melting glaciers on ocean currents, one of the most powerful modeling computers was used in the Access National Research Infrastructure in Canberra. The calculations obtained showed that in the case of a scenario assuming high greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the current force may drop by about 20 percent. The melting of ice hats would cause a flow of large amounts of fresh water to the electricity, which would change the salt concentration in the ocean and hindered the circulation of cold water between the surface and the depths.

“This sudden change in the vulnerability of the ocean has a number of consequences,” Gayen emphasized. He added that it was, among others, to accelerate global insulation caused by the reduction of the ocean's ability to act as a carbon dioxide absorber.

But the consequences of weakening the current of Western winds can be much more. Experts emphasized that ACC also acts as a barrier to invasive species, such as herds of southern seaweed. There is a probability that the slowdown in currents will lead to a penetration of them to Antarctica, which can have a negative impact on the diet of such animals as penguins.

The report published on Monday was emphasized that the implementation of the Paris Agreement of 2015, which aims to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C in relation to the pre -industrial era, will not prevent the reduction of Western wind speed. Scientists from the University of Melbourne also emphasized that the results of their research differ from previous forecasts, which said that the water speed in the Three Oceans between 40 and 56 degrees of Southern Lagne will increase. They emphasized that the “poorly observed region” requires further observation and modeling to “understand how this part of the world reacts to climate change”.