https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/antarctic-meltwater-engine-sputters-as-key-ocean-layer-reversesContinuously updated, source-cited coverage. https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/antarctic-meltwater-engine-sputters-as-key-ocean-layer-reverseshttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/antarctic-meltwater-engine-sputters-as-key-ocean-layer-reverses#u173338Wed, 04 Nov 2026 07:19:03 +0000Antarctic sea ice collapse since 2016 has reversed Southern Ocean salinity and density trends that took millennia to develop. The Antarctic Intermediate Water layer, spanning much of the Southern Hemisphere's four oceans, has become saltier and denser. This shift could affect how the Southern Hemisphere's oceans move heat, oxygen and carbon beneath the surface. The change may influence atmospheric circulation and weather in the Southern Hemisphere and even globally.Why it mattersThe Antarctic Intermediate Water layer plays a crucial role in storing carbon, supplying oxygen, and drivi