The discovery, which took place during the unmanned submarine’s inaugural mission in April 2017, revealed that increasingly strong winds in the Antarctic region are causing turbulence deep within the sea, causing warm water at mid depths to mix with cold, dense water in the abyss. The findings of the mission wereScientists say winds have increased over the Southern Ocean over the last few decades thanks to a hole in the ozone layer above Antarctica and an increase in greenhouse gases.
Researchers say the warming effect on the Antarctic sea bed is a “significant contributor” to rising sea levels.