Melting ice could slow vital Antarctic ocean current: Study

The world's strongest ocean current could slow as melting Antarctic ice sheets flood it with fresh water, according to research published on Monday that warned of "severe" climate consequences.

- Agence France-Presse

[e-mail] SYDNEY: The world's strongest ocean current could slow as melting Antarctic ice sheets flood it with fresh water, according to research published on Monday that warned of "severe" climate consequences.

Scientists used one of Australia's most powerful supercomputers to model how melting ice sheets might change the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, which plays a major role in global climate patterns.

If fossil fuel emissions increased over the next 25 years —a so-called high emissions scenario— the current could slow by around 20%, the peer-reviewed research found.

"The ocean is extremely complex and finely balanced," said University of Melbourne scientist Bishakhdatta Gayen.