Study links northern ice sheets to Southern Ocean carbon drawdown

Researchers at the University of St Andrews used ocean circulation models to show how cooling in the North Atlantic from growing ice sheets can reach the Southern Ocean and boost CO2 storage. Cooling only the far northern latitudes produced 74% as much CO2 drawdown as cooling the entire planet.

• Northern-only cooling produced 74% of the CO2 drawdown of global cooling
• Cold North Atlantic water travels south and alters Antarctic circulation
• Findings published in the Journal of Climate
• Mechanism links Northern Hemisphere ice sheets to Southern Ocean carbon storage