Using data from ESA’s SMOS satellite, scientists have revealed a surprising shift in the Southern Ocean – surface waters around Antarctica are growing saltier, even as sea ice is diminishing rapidly. This finding defies the norm because melting ice typically freshens ocean surface water. The implications are far-reaching as changes in this remote region can disrupt global ocean currents, affect climate patterns, and alter ecosystems far beyond the Antarctic.
The figure shows changes sea-surface salinity over 2011 and 2023, extracted from PNAS paper: Rising surface salinity and declining sea ice: a new Southern Ocean state revealed by satellites
Read full story: Antarctic waters getting saltier as sea ice wanes