Study finds warm deep-ocean water has shifted closer to Antarctica over the past 20 years

Tuesday, April 28, 2026Science & ClimateWell-covered3 frames

A study led by the University of Cambridge, with collaborators from the University of California, reported new findings on ocean warming near Antarctica.
The study was published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment.
Using long-term ocean measurements collected by ships and robotic floating devices, the researchers found that circumpolar deep water expanded and shifted toward the Antarctic continental shelf over the past 20 years.
Multiple reports say the study provides observational evidence for a warming trend that had previously been suggested by climate models but was hard to detect because ocean observations were limited.
Researchers say the warmer deep water threatens Antarctic ice shelves because it can flow beneath them and melt them from below.
The findings matter beyond Antarctica because weakening ice shelves can allow more land ice to move into the ocean, contributing to global sea-level rise.
The study identifies a shift in deep-ocean heat near Antarctica, but the source coverage shown here does not quantify how much additional ice loss or sea-level rise will result from this specific change.

A study led by the University of Cambridge, with collaborators from the University of California, reported new findings on ocean warming near Antarctica.
The study was published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment.
Using long-term ocean measurements collected by ships and robotic floating devices, the researchers found that circumpolar deep water expanded and shifted toward the Antarctic continental shelf over the past 20 years.
Multiple reports say the study provides observational evidence for a warming trend that had previously been suggested by climate models but was hard to detect because ocean observations were limited.
Researchers say the warmer deep water threatens Antarctic ice shelves because it can flow beneath them and melt them from below.
The findings matter beyond Antarctica because weakening ice shelves can allow more land ice to move into the ocean, contributing to global sea-level rise.
The study identifies a shift in deep-ocean heat near Antarctica, but the source coverage shown here does not quantify how much additional ice loss or sea-level rise will result from this specific change.