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We continue to make good progress on our slow passage to Antarctica. We should finish this line of stations in about 5 days, and will then move into the Mertz polynya area for another 10 days or so of CTDs and mooring deployments. The oceans influence climate by storing and transporting vast amounts of heat and carbon dioxide. In fact, when we talk about global warming we really mean ocean warming – more than 90% of the extra heat energy stored by the earth over the last 50 years is in the ocean. The Southern Ocean is particularly important because of the vigorous exchange that occurs there between surface waters and the deep ocean. As a result, the Southern Ocean stores more heat and more of the carbon dioxide released by human activities than any other latitude band. The measurements we are making on this voyage are helping to track how much heat and carbon are being absorbed by the Southern Ocean and to teach us more about how the oceans influence the rate of climate change.
REGARDS: Steve, Fred and Penny
Map
A map showing Australia and Antarctica. The map shows the journey of one voyage that has occured in the season, with each route highlighted in a distinct colour.