Antarctic bottom water

Due to its increased density, it forms overflows down the Antarctic continental slope and continues north along the bottom.

In areas like the Amundsen Sea, where coastal polynya activity has diminished to the point where dense water formation is hindered,[14] the neighboring ice shelves have started to retreat and may be on the brink of collapse.

For example, the calving of the Mertz Glacier, which occurred on 12–13 February 2010, dramatically changed the environment for producing bottom water, reducing export by up to 23% in the region of Adélie Land.

Robertson shelf[18] and Adélie Land[19] suggests that they have switched "on" and "off" again as important bottom water production sites over the last several thousand years.

[20] Upon reaching the equator, about one-third of the northward flowing Antarctic bottom water enters the Guiana Basin, mainly through the southern half of the Equatorial Channel at 35°W.

A large fraction of the Antarctic bottom water enters the eastern Atlantic through the Vema fracture zone.

[23] Climate change and the subsequent melting of the Southern ice sheet have slowed the formation of AABW, and this slowdown is likely to continue.

[26] This has been distinctly prevalent in Antarctic bottom waters near West Antarctica, primarily in the Weddell Sea area.

[26] With the potential increase in ice melt at extreme-enough levels, it can have a serious impact on the ability for deep sea water to be formed.

[25] The sustained warmer surface waters would only increase the level of ice melt, stratification, and the slowdown of the AABW circulation and formation.