Melting ice protects Antarctica's ocean against carbon disaster: Study

A recent study by scientists at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) reveals that despite ongoing climate change, the Southern Ocean around Antarctica continues to act as a significant carbon sink, absorbing about 40% of human-generated CO₂ emissions. This ability is largely due to the ocean’s upper layer, which has low salinity and cold temperatures, creating a density stratification that traps older, CO₂-rich deep waters beneath the surface. Contrary to previous climate models predicting that stronger westerly winds would bring this carbon-laden deep water to the surface, observational data from 1972 to 2021 show that this has not yet occurred, allowing the Southern Ocean to maintain its critical role in mitigating climate change. The study also highlights that increased freshwater input from melting glaciers, sea ice, and precipitation has lowered surface water salinity, which has actually strengthened the density barrier between surface and deep waters, temporarily preserving the ocean’s carbon sink function. However, since the 1990s, the boundary