"We are witnessing a true reversal of ocean circulation in the Southern Hemisphere—something we’ve never seen before,” explains Antonio Turiel, ICM-CSIC researcher and co-author of the study. “While the world is debating the potential collapse of the AMOC in the North Atlantic, we’re seeing that the SMOC is not just weakening, but has reversed. This could have unprecedented global climate impacts.”

  • wjrii@lemmy.worldEnglish
    36·
    13 hours ago

    Nope.

    That is, instead of sinking into the depths, surface water is being replaced by deep water masses rising to the surface, bringing with them heat and carbon dioxide (CO₂) that had been trapped for centuries.

    I had to look up that last part, as it seemed counter-intuitive, but apparently deep ocean water bottoms out at 4 degrees C.

    • Peppycito@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      25·
      11 hours ago

      4° is as dense as water gets. After that it starts expanding as it turns into ice. Which is how ice floats. It’s one of those miracles of nature. If ice sank things would be very different.

        • massacre@lemmy.worldEnglish
          11·
          8 hours ago

          If the crystalline structure of water did not expand from it’s liquid phase (thus lowering it’s density) when it freezes, then ice would not float. Ice would sink trapping everything below it. It’s theorized that this little fact means life likely couldn’t exist if ice didn’t behave this way.

    • Bob Robertson IX @discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
      4·
      9 hours ago

      I had to look up that last part, as it seemed counter-intuitive, but apparently deep ocean water bottoms out at 4 degrees C.

      Right, but I still wouldn’t call water that is 4 degrees C as warm. How is deep water warm?

      • WanderingThoughts@europe.pubEnglish
        3·
        3 hours ago

        That was my physics teacher.

        “So materials shrink as they get colder.”

        “Ma’am, doesn’t ice expand?”

        “We don’t talk about that.”