News of the Day – Southern Ocean Current Found
Credits:
NOAA National Ocean Service
NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO)
Michael Ladd
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Transcript
NARRATOR: Well, stop the presses! We've got some news that's definitely current!
Did you know there's massive southern ocean current almost two miles below the ocean's surface? Incredible!
Recent measurements found it's the strongest current ever recorded at this depth – transporting 40 times as much water as the Amazon river! My, that's hard to swallow!
The current carries dense, oxygen-rich water that sinks near Antarctica to the deep basins of the Indian and Pacific oceans. Scientists say this current is an important component of the global ocean "conveyor belt," which pushes water from the ocean surface to the deep ocean and back again. This has a direct influence on temperatures around the world.
So, to truly understand the global network of currents that influence our climate, you literally need to scratch below the surface.
And that's your news of the day!
