Glossary
The English version of our glossary is currently under construction and will be regularly updated.
Antarctic Convergence
The Antarctic Convergence is a roughly 40-km-wide water zone in the Southern Ocean in which cold, northward-flowing currents sink below warmer, southward-flowing surface water.
The Antarctic Convergence (or Meinardus Line) is a roughly 40-km-wide water zone in which cold, northward-flowing currents sink below warmer, southward-flowing surface water from the temperate zones of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Here the ocean changes, not only in terms of its temperature but also its chemical composition. This circumpolar zone lies at ca. 50 degrees S and marks the northern limit of the Southern Ocean.
Since the water from the Antarctic is colder, it also has a higher density than the warmer water flowing from the north. Accordingly, in the convergence zone it sinks to a depth of ca. 800 m and flows northward. The Antarctic Convergence can be recognised by the temperature of the surface water, which is ca. 8 °C to its north and abruptly drops to below 2 °C in the zone. The Antarctic Convergence forms the northern border of the Southern Ocean. Its position depends on the longitude, weather and season, and can therefore shift up to 150 km to the north or south.
