Swirling currents called mesoscale eddies occupy about 22% of the ice-free Southern Ocean. Using data from drifting floats and satellites, scientists report the impact these eddies have on biogeochemical cycles.
Oceans
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Warm Seawater Encroaches on Major Antarctic Ice Shelf
In unprecedented detail, new research illuminates the seasonal flow of warm water toward the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Fast Adept Sea Ice Forecasts
Artificial intelligence facilitates an efficient, skillful surrogate of a coupled Arctic sea ice prediction model using generative diffusion.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Cold Days Bring Fast Ice
Thirty-seven years of observations reveal the meteorological conditions that lead to persistent, thick fast ice in Antarctica.
Posted inNews
Arctic Hydrothermal Vents May Resemble Those on Enceladus
By studying hydrogen-rich vent sites on Earth, scientists could learn more about the hidden ocean of Saturn’s icy moon—one of our solar system’s likeliest candidates for harboring life beyond Earth.
Posted inNews
Satellite Measurements Make Major Seafloor Map Improvements
Though ship-based sounding has mapped some areas of the ocean floor in higher resolution, researchers have used SWOT data to create a detailed new map of the seafloor, including thousands of previously undetected small seamounts.
Posted inNews
Mid-Ocean Ridges Could Be Dispersing Thermophilic Bacteria
Scientists suggest that two strains of endospores located more than 4,000 kilometers away from one another originated in the same place: along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
Posted inNews
Coastlines Around the World Are Losing Sediment
A new tool maps coastal sediments on the basis of water color. It shows that 75% of the world’s coastlines may be losing suspended sediment.
Posted inNews
Buried Tree Stumps Show Shoreline Shifts of the Outer Banks
Storms are unburying centuries-old stumps on North Carolina’s barrier islands. Researchers hope these long-gone forests can help land managers plan for the future.
Posted inNews
The Survival of Arctic Sea Ice May Depend on Its Travel Routes
Researchers find that the motions of ice parcels determine which ones survive the annual summer melt.