Coldest antarctic water said disappearing

Oceanographers from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Washington said Antarctic Bottom Water has been disappearing at an average rate of almost 9 million tons per second over the past few decades.

Antarctic Bottom Water is formed around Antarctica where seawater is cooled by the overlying air and made saltier by ice formation, then sinks to the seafloor and spreads northward, filling most of the deep oceans around the world as it slowly mixes with warmer waters above it.

Previous studies have shown that the bottom water has been warming and freshening over the past few decades.

Researchers say their findings are a concern because the world's deep ocean currents transporting waters of varying temperatures play a critical role in transporting heat and carbon around the planet, regulating our climate. (UPi.com)