Southern Ocean mixing: Unique float observations of eddy exchange across the Antarctic Circumpolar Current

Project aim

The ocean moves heat from the equator to the poles, making Earth habitable for all species. How the heat crosses the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the barrier separating subtropical and Antarctic waters, is uncertain. How much heat crosses the ACC and where is critical to understanding the ocean's impact on climate change. New observations from velocity-sensing Argo floats reveal rich detail on the role of eddies in moving heat across the ACC. Our analysis tests a new theory that says strong jets of the ACC form a barrier to cross-ACC exchange except in isolated places where the jets become leaky.