A 20-year study using Argo floats and machine learning confirms that warm circumpolar deep water is moving closer to Antarctic ice shelves. This shift provides empirical evidence for previous climate models and suggests a significant change in ocean circulation. The warming of these waters threatens to destabilize ice sheets that hold enough freshwater to raise global sea levels by 190 feet. Additionally, the expansion of this warm water may disrupt the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, a critical component of the Earth's natural carbon sink.
