Going to extremes
Researchers studying the ocean between Australia and Antarctica seek to understand how interactions between the Southern Ocean, the sea ice, and the atmosphere influence regional and global climate. The researchers have three scientific goals: to measure how much water, heat and salt is being carried from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, south of Australia; to measure the rate at which water sinks from the sea surface; and to understand the role of ocean circulation in controlling the biological productivity of Southern Ocean surface waters.