High-latitude variations in density, which appear to be driven by changes in atmospheric pressure, can propagate to midlatitudes and affect the current’s strength within just a year.

Sarah Stanley
Sarah Stanley, a freelance writer for Eos, has a background in environmental microbiology but covers a wide range of science stories for a variety of audiences. She has also written for PLOS, the University of Washington, Kaiser Permanente, Stanford Medicine, Gladstone Institutes, and Cancer Commons, a nonprofit that works with cancer patients.
Robotic Floats Quantify Sinking Carbon in the Southern Ocean
An estimated 2.69 billion tons of carbon are exported to the deep sea every year from the Southern Ocean.
Seaweed Surges May Alter Arctic Fjord Carbon Dynamics
Climate change–accelerated seaweed growth could cause seaweed-dependent microbes to proliferate and consume more oxygen, leading to a rise in oxygen-starved zones.
Matching Magma Dikes May Have Different Flow Patterns
A set of lab experiments involving a laser, gelatin, and xanthan gum explored how varying flow patterns between dikes with similar speeds and shapes could affect eruption predictions.
When Ice Ages End, Ocean Circulation Fine-Tunes Ocean Heat
New Antarctic ice core data bolster model predictions of ocean heat content during glacials and interglacials.
New Insights into an Enigmatic Form of Magnetic Reconnection
A new study deepens understanding of magnetic field behavior recently discovered by NASA in Earth’s magnetosphere.
Flooding from Below: The Unseen Risks of Sea Level Rise
Researchers demonstrate a method for assessing how rising seas could raise groundwater levels, potentially transmitting flood hazards far inland.
A Seafloor Spreading Slowdown May Have Slashed Sea Levels
Between 15 million and 6 million years ago, a drop in ocean crust production may have lowered sea level by 26–32 meters.