In situ observations of open ocean (and in particular Southern Ocean) turbulent mixing are sparse, and remain one of the ‘holy grails’ of Oceanography. Ocean fronts and eddies are hotspots for raised turbulent mixing, however it is extremely intermittent and thus difficult to observe. The passage of strong atmospheric storms are thought to further enhance mixing Continue Reading
A SOCCO led research team recently completed the first leg of a unique circumnavigation expedition around Antarctica, ACE (Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition). The team set sail from Cape Town on the 20th December 2016 before arriving in Hobart, Tasmania on the 19th January 2017. This expedition is unique because of the 22 research projects onboard, spanning Continue Reading
The Southern Ocean has a powerful influence on Earth’s climate, as it stores more anthropogenic CO2 and heat than any other latitude band on Earth. This massive body of water also plays a pivotal ecosystem role in regulating the supply of nutrients to lower latitudes which supports about 80% of ocean production. Its ability to Continue Reading
By Sarah Gille, Simon Josey, and Seb Swart: EOS article 13 May 2016 https://eos.org/meeting-reports/new-approaches-for-air-sea-fluxes-in-the-southern-ocean Air-sea exchanges in the Southern Ocean of momentum, heat, freshwater, carbon dioxide, and other gases are not well documented because fluxes are sparsely sampled (see Figure 1) and because high winds, high sea state, and lack of calibration for bulk formulas make Continue Reading
Eddies — circular currents of water — move deep water nutrients to the surface, but their overall effect on the Southern Ocean and the earth’s changing climate is barely understood. The Southern Ocean, also called the Antarctic Ocean or the Austral Ocean, has high species abundance and diversity, making common and highly specialised species thrive. Sailing the seas Continue Reading
Abstracts can be submitted via the Conference website (http://clivar.us4.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=e95bd74f92719b8560b3cbed6&id=11ca606090&e=3e8d045d68) until 15 March 2016. Abstracts must be submitted to one of the OSC sessions; for an overview, check the http://clivar.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e95bd74f92719b8560b3cbed6&id=d2b1bf193e&e=3e8d045d68 programme and session descriptions. Selected contributions will be invited for oral presentation, all others as posters. Contributors may submit up to 3 abstracts. All abstracts must Continue Reading
The global oceans are estimated to contribute an impressive 50-85% of the oxygen (O2) present in the earth’s atmosphere. It is often assumed the Amazon and other reputable rainforests are responsible for atmospheric O2, however rainforests only cover 2% of the earth’s total surface area; the oceans cover a remarkable 71%. From the Blue Planet Continue Reading
BY TAMAR KAHN, Business Day, 25 AUGUST 2015 THEY can withstand severe storms, freezing temperatures and waves 10m tall. SA’s intrepid sea robots have since last month been hard at work in the Southern Ocean collecting and relaying data to scientists snug and warm in their offices on land. The sea robots are part of Continue Reading
