{"id":38612,"date":"2025-03-06T18:41:56","date_gmt":"2025-03-06T13:11:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=38612"},"modified":"2025-03-06T20:33:15","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T15:03:15","slug":"antarctic-circumpolar-current-acc-slowing-down-rapidly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/06-03-2025\/antarctic-circumpolar-current-acc-slowing-down-rapidly","title":{"rendered":"Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is Slowing Down Rapidly"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/Geography<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Scientists warn that the <strong>Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC)<\/strong> could slow by about<strong> 20% by 2050<\/strong> under a high carbon emissions scenario.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>ACC <\/strong>is the <strong>world&#8217;s strongest ocean current.&nbsp;<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It&#8217;s <strong>five times stronger than the Gulf Stream<\/strong> and <strong>more than 100 times stronger than the Amazon River.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It forms <strong>part of the global ocean &#8220;conveyor belt&#8221; <\/strong>connecting the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>ACC&#8217;s Role:<\/strong> ACC moves <strong>clockwise <\/strong>around <strong>Antarctica <\/strong>and <strong>regulates global climate<\/strong> by influencing the ocean&#8217;s ability to<strong> absorb heat and CO2 and preventing warm waters from reaching Antarctica.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The system<strong> regulates Earth&#8217;s climate<\/strong> and pumps water, heat and nutrients around the globe.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"505f6b\" data-has-transparency=\"true\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Antarctic-Circumpolar-Current-ACC-is-Slowing-Down-Rapidly.png\" alt=\"Antarctic Circumpolar Current ACC is Slowing Down Rapidly\" class=\"has-transparency wp-image-38613\" style=\"--dominant-color: #505f6b; width:278px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Antarctic-Circumpolar-Current-ACC-is-Slowing-Down-Rapidly.png 800w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Antarctic-Circumpolar-Current-ACC-is-Slowing-Down-Rapidly-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Antarctic-Circumpolar-Current-ACC-is-Slowing-Down-Rapidly-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Antarctic-Circumpolar-Current-ACC-is-Slowing-Down-Rapidly-768x768.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Impacts of Slowing down of ACC<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Impact on Climate and Carbon Absorption:<\/strong> If the ACC breaks down, it could lead to more climate variability, extreme weather in certain regions, and accelerated global warming due to reduced carbon absorption by the ocean.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Threat to Antarctic Ecosystem:<\/strong> Slowing of the ACC could allow invasive species (e.g., southern bull kelp, shrimp, mollusks) to reach Antarctica, disrupting the local food web and affecting native species like penguins.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Impact of Melting Ice Sheets: <\/strong>Melting ice shelves add fresh water to the ocean, altering its salinity, weakening the Antarctic Bottom Water formation, and reducing the strength of the ocean jet around Antarctica.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ocean Currents<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ocean currents<\/strong> are the continuous, predictable, directional movement of seawater driven by gravity, wind (Coriolis Effect), and water density.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ocean water moves in two directions:<\/strong> horizontally and vertically.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Horizontal movements are referred to as <strong>currents<\/strong>, while vertical changes are called <strong>upwellings or downwellings.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The system is responsible for the <strong>transfer of heat, variations in biodiversity, and Earth\u2019s climate system.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ocean Conveyor Belt<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The ocean conveyor belt, also known as the <strong>global thermohaline circulation (THC),<\/strong> is a large-scale ocean current system that moves water throughout the world\u2019s oceans.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The path starts in the <strong>North Atlantic,<\/strong> where cold water sinks, creating a flow of deep water that moves southward.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It travels through the<strong> Southern Ocean,<\/strong> moves into the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and finally upwells in the <strong>Pacific and Indian Oceans, <\/strong>where the surface water returns toward the equator.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"7db0b8\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Ocean-Conveyor-Belt-1024x512.png\" alt=\"Ocean-Conveyor-Belt\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-38614\" style=\"--dominant-color: #7db0b8; width:400px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Ocean-Conveyor-Belt-1024x512.png 1024w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Ocean-Conveyor-Belt-300x150.png 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Ocean-Conveyor-Belt-768x384.png 768w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Ocean-Conveyor-Belt-1536x768.png 1536w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Ocean-Conveyor-Belt.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This system plays a crucial role in <strong>regulating Earth&#8217;s climate<\/strong> by redistributing heat, nutrients, and gases like carbon dioxide.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Role of Ocean Currents<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Climate Regulation:<\/strong> Transport heat from the equator to the poles and vice versa, helping to stabilize global temperatures.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Supporting Marine Life:<\/strong> Distribute nutrients that support the growth of phytoplankton, forming the base of the ocean&#8217;s food chain.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Influencing Weather Patterns:<\/strong> Affect weather systems and phenomena like El Ni\u00f1o and La Ni\u00f1a, influencing rainfall and storm activity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Carbon Sequestration:<\/strong> Help absorb and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, acting as a carbon sink.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fisheries and Economy:<\/strong> Influence fish distribution, affecting global fisheries, and provide efficient shipping routes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ocean Mixing:<\/strong> Aid in mixing surface and deep ocean waters, regulating temperature, salinity, and oxygen levels.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sea Level and Coastal Erosion:<\/strong> Impact sea levels and contribute to coastal erosion through water movement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>While our findings present a bleak prognosis for the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the future is not predetermined.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Concerted efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions could still limit melting around Antarctica.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Establishing long-term studies in the Southern Ocean will be crucial for monitoring these changes accurately.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/economictimes.indiatimes.com\/news\/new-updates\/worlds-strongest-ocean-current-is-slowing-down-rapidly-scientists-warn-it-could-have-a-scary-effect-on-earth\/articleshow\/118705369.cms?from=mdr\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>ET<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Scientists warn that the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) could slow by about 20% by 2050 under a high carbon emissions scenario.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38612","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38612","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38612"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38612\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38656,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38612\/revisions\/38656"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}