GoKawiilStudy finds sudden salinity surge in Antarctic Intermediate Water since 2016
Researchers analyzing six independent datasets collected from 2004 to 2024, including Argo float measurements, found that a deep Southern Ocean layer called Antarctic Intermediate Water has rapidly become saltier since 2016, reversing decades of freshening. The change coincides with a sharp drop in Antarctic sea ice extent that began around 2016 after a record high in 2014, with ice extent hitting another low in 2023.