Southern Ocean overturning circulation (original) (raw)

The Southern Ocean overturning circulation is a two-cell system in the Southern Ocean that connects different water basins within the global circulation. It is driven by upwelling and downwelling, which are a result of the physical ocean processes that are influenced by freshwater fluxes and wind stress. The global ocean circulation is an essential mechanism in our global climate system due to its influence on the global heat, fresh water and carbon budgets. The upwelling in the upper cell is associated with mid-deep water that is brought to the surface, whereas the upwelling in the lower cell is linked to the fresh and abyssal waters around Antarctica. Around 27 ± 7 Sverdrup (Sv) of deep water wells up to the surface in the Southern Ocean. This upwelled water is partly transformed to lig