Antarctica Ocean Floor

Southern ocean the southern portions of the pacific atlantic and indian oceans and their tributary seas surrounding antarctica.

Antarctica ocean floor.

As such it is regarded as the second smallest of the five principal oceanic divisions. The southern ocean is one of the most important pillars of the earth s climate system. Smaller than the pacific atlantic and indian oceans but larger than the arctic ocean. Its antarctic circumpolar current the most powerful current on the planet links the pacific atlantic and indian oceans and has effectively isolated the antarctic continent and its ice masses from the rest of the world for over 30 million years.

A newly released bathymetric map of the southern ocean surrounding antarctica fills in missing seafloor gaps south of 60th parallel. Unbroken by any other continental landmass the southern ocean s narrowest constriction is the drake passage 600 miles wide between south america and the tip of the antarctic peninsula. Scientists have for the first time discovered the first active leak of methane gas from the sea floor in antarctica. We just don t know about how active these volcanoes have been in the past bingham said.

The white patches indicate the presence of microbes feeding on methane as it seeps to the surface. Clusters of microbes are seen on the bottom of the ocean floor in the ross sea indicating a methane seep as a crack in the ice above lets in light in antarctica in this handout photo taken in. But what ballesta captured on the ocean floor he compared to a luxuriant garden the waters under antarctic ice are like mount everest. It is a process that s likely to accelerate the process of global heating.

Meltwater outflows into the antarctic ocean could trigger sea level rises. Newly discovered deep seabed channels beneath thwaites glacier in west antarctica may be the pathway for warm ocean water to melt the underside of the ice. Magical but so hostile that you have to be sure.