Researchers from the University of Hokkaido in Japan have discovered the most intense deep sea current on the planet in Antarctica . Their work is published this week in the journal Nature Geoscience .
The cold and dense water of the Antarctic sea plates flows northwards at depths of more than 3,000 meters. To monitor the flow of water, the scientists, led by Yasushi Fukamachi, used a current measuring device in the waters east of the Kerguelen Plateau for two years . The data show that, on average, around eight million cubic meters of water per second, with less than 0.2º Celsius, are transported to lower latitudes, with an intensity almost four times greater than previously documented.
The so-called Antarctic Deep Water forms the deepest and densest water masses that participate in global ocean circulation, which in turn is an important component of the climate system .
