The Southern Ocean has long stood out as an oddity in the global climate system. While most of the planet's surface oceans have warmed in response to rising greenhouse gases, waters circling Antarctica showed an unexpected tendency to cool during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. This cooling coincided with a period when Antarctic sea ice briefly expanded before its more recent decline, adding to the mystery.

The Southern Ocean has long stood out as an oddity in the global climate system. While most of the planet’s surface oceans have warmed in response to rising greenhouse gases, waters circling Antarctica showed an unexpected tendency to cool during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. This cooling coincided with a period when Antarctic sea ice briefly expanded before its more recent decline, adding to the mystery.

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