Facts about Southern Ocean Deep Water Formation
- 05
Antarctic Bottom Water produced through Southern Ocean deep water formation drives a key branch of the global thermohaline circulation, transporting oxygen into the deep ocean.
- 04
Weddell Sea and Ross Sea polynyas are among the most important sites where Southern Ocean deep water formation occurs.
- 03
During Southern Ocean deep water formation, strong katabatic winds accelerating off Antarctica play a critical role by driving sea ice away from the coast and exposing water to intense cooling.
- 02
The process occurs primarily on continental shelves around Antarctica, where sea ice formation expels brine and increases surface water density enough to sink.
- 01
Antarctic Bottom Water, formed through Southern Ocean deep water formation, is one of the densest water masses on Earth and fills much of the deep ocean basins.