The Southern Ocean Observing System

The Southern Ocean includes the only latitude band where the ocean circles the earth unobstructed by continental boundaries. This accident of geography has profound consequences for global ocean circulation, biogeochemical cycles, and climate. The Southern Ocean connects the ocean basins and links t...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Stephen R. Rintoul, Michael P. Meredith, Oscar Schofield, Louise Newman
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: The Oceanography Society 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doaj.org/article/5c6e143781a947afadff6b8014e12401
Description
Summary:The Southern Ocean includes the only latitude band where the ocean circles the earth unobstructed by continental boundaries. This accident of geography has profound consequences for global ocean circulation, biogeochemical cycles, and climate. The Southern Ocean connects the ocean basins and links the shallow and deep limbs of the overturning circulation (Rintoul et al., 2001). The ocean's capacity to moderate the pace of climate change is therefore influenced strongly by the Southern Ocean's circulation.