Southern Ocean

About Southern Ocean:

• It is also known as the Antarctic Ocean which is one of the five great ocean basins on Earth.
• It was formed around 34 million years ago when Antarctica and South America drifted apart, creating the Drake Passage (located between the Antarctic Peninsula’s tip and South America). 
• It is made up of the portions of the world ocean south of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans and their tributary seas surrounding Antarctica below 60° S.
• It is known for its strong winds, intense storms, dramatic seasonal changes and cold temperatures.
• It is dominated by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) which is the longest, strongest, deepest-reaching current on earth.
• The ACC circulates clockwise around the continent, carrying more water around the globe than any other current.
• Biodiversity: The Ocean supports a variety of plants and animals, with most animals relying on the rich phytoplankton from the Antarctic Convergence. Marine life includes whales, penguins, orcas, and seals.

Q1: What are Ocean currents?

These are the continuous, predictable, directional movement of seawater driven by gravity, wind (Coriolis Effect), and water density. Ocean water moves in two directions: horizontally and vertically. Horizontal movements are referred to as currents, while vertical changes are called upwellings or downwellings.

Source: The Southern Ocean has the earth’s cleanest air — scientists finally know why