# Earth’s strongest ocean current could slow down by 20% by 2050 in a high emissions future

Melting Antarctic ice is releasing cold, fresh water into the ocean, which is projected to cause the slowdown.

In a high emissions future, the world’s strongest ocean current could slow down by 20% by 2050, further accelerating Antarctic ice sheet melting and sea level rise, an Australian-led study has found.

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current – a clockwise current more than four times stronger than the Gulf Stream that links the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans – plays a critical role in the climate system by influencing the uptake of heat and carbon dioxide in the ocean and preventing warmer waters from reaching Antarctica.

Using Australia’s fastest supercomputer and climate simulator, Gadi, located at Access National Research Infrastructure in Canberra, the researchers used climate models to analyse the impact of changing temperature, ice melting and wind conditions on the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.

The results, , revealed a clear link between meltwater from Antarctic ice shelves and circumpolar current slowdown, and comes less than a week after  anticipated a weakening in vital Atlantic Ocean currents.



**Contributor:** Petra Stock

**Date:** Mon 3 Mar 2025 02.00 EST  
**Last modified on:** Mon 3 Mar 2025 02.03 EST

## More on this story

- 
  - 4d ago
  - 
  - 
  - ****
  - Same issue as 

- 
  - 6d ago
  - 
  - ****
  - Same issue as 

- 
  - 1 Mar 2025
  - 
  - ****
  - Same issue as 

- 
  - 1 Mar 2025
  - 
  - ****
  - Same issue as 

- 
  - 28 Feb 2025
  - 
  - ****
  - Same issue as 

- 
  - 21 Feb 2025
  - 
  - ****
  - Same issue as 

- 
  - 21 Feb 2025
  - 
  - ****
  - Same issue as 
```