Sea ice loss in polar regions increases ocean turbulence and stirring, altering heat and nutrient transport and impacting marine ecosystems

 Melting sea ice in polar regions is transforming how the oceans move and mix. In a recent study, researchers used a high-resolution climate model to explore how rising CO₂ levels intensify ocean stirring. They found that sea ice loss strengthens currents and turbulence, particularly in the Arctic and Southern Oceans. Such changes are expected to substantially alter the transport of heat, carbon, and nutrient, ultimately affecting polar marine ecosystems under future climate conditions.

Image title: Intensified Ocean Mixing Driven by Sea Ice Decline in Polar Regions

Image caption: Melting sea ice strengthens ocean stirring, altering heat flow, nutrient transport, and polar marine ecosystems

Image credit: Professor June-Yi Lee from Pusan National University, Korea

License type: Original Content

Usage restrictions: Cannot be reused without permission

“Shaken, not stirred” — it is widely known how James Bond prefers his martinis. In physics, stirring stretches a fluid into thin streaks, creating turbulence and mixing its properties. In the ocean, a similar process occurs as winds and other forces move seawater. When this happens horizontally over tens to hundreds of kilometres, it is called mesoscale horizontal stirring (MHS).

MHS plays a crucial role in redistributing heat, nutrients, and dissolved substances in the upper ocean, shaping plankton distribution and influencing the movement of fish eggs, larvae, and pollutants such as microplastics. However, studying small-scale ocean currents in polar regions has long been a challenge due to their remoteness and harsh conditions. Ship-based observations and satellite data provide limited detail, while most climate models lack the resolution needed to capture fine-scale turbulence and horizontal mixing accurately.

To address this gap, a team of researchers led by Professor June-Yi Lee, Mr. Gyuseok Yi, and Professor Axel Timmermann from the IBS Center for Climate Physics (ICCP) at Pusan National University, South Korea, conducted ultra-high-resolution simulations using the Community Earth System Model version 1.2.2 (CESM-UHR). These simulations, performed on the Aleph supercomputer at the Institute for Basic Science in Daejeon, enabled the team to examine how ocean stirring responds to greenhouse warming. Their findings, published in Nature Climate Change on November 5, 2025, show how this fully coupled model—integrating atmosphere, sea ice, and ocean components—captures the dynamic interactions that drive MHS under present-day, CO₂-doubling, and CO₂-quadrupling conditions.

“Our results indicate that mesoscale horizontal stirring will intensify considerably in the Arctic and Southern Oceans in a warming climate,” said Mr. Yi.

The team found that this intensification is primarily driven by stronger ocean flow and turbulence resulting from sea ice loss. Using a diagnostic tool known as the finite-size Lyapunov exponent (FSLE), which measures how neighboring parcels of water drift apart, the researchers observed a clear increase in horizontal stirring across both polar oceans. In the Arctic, sea ice loss exposes open water to wind, stirring the water column more vigorously and increasing eddy activity. In Antarctic coastal regions, melting and freshening enhance density gradients, strengthening currents such as the Antarctic Slope Current.

As ocean turbulence intensifies, nutrient cycles, plankton distribution, and the movement of microplastics could change substantially. Prof. Lee noted, “This study highlights important implications of global warming and associated ocean changes on the ocean ecosystem and the dispersal of pollutants such as microplastics. This type of research will be crucial for developing climate policies, including adaptation measures.”

Further research at ICCP will integrate biological models of plankton and fish into next-generation simulations. “Currently, at the IBS Center for Climate Physics in South Korea, we are developing a new generation of Earth system models that better integrate the interactions between climate and life,” added Prof. Timmermann. “This will deepen our understanding of how polar ecosystems respond to global warming.”

Reference

Title of original paper: Future mesoscale horizontal stirring in polar oceans intensified by sea ice decline

Journal: Nature Climate Change

DOI: 10.1038/s41558-025-02471-2

About Mr. Gyuseok Yi

Mr. Gyuseok Yi, the leading author, is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Climate System, Pusan National University, and a student researcher at the Center for Climate Physics, Institute for Basic Science. His work is to better quantify and understand the polar ocean responses to greenhouse gas warming.

About Prof. Jun-Yi Lee

Professor June-Yi Lee, the co-corresponding author, is a Professor at the Research Center for Climate Sciences, Pusan National University, and a project leader at the IBS Center for Climate Physics (ICCP). She leads a research group investigating Earth system sensitivity and predictability, focusing on how atmospheric, oceanic, and cryospheric processes interact under changing climate conditions. Her work combines advanced modelling and data analysis to improve understanding of global and regional climate variability, contributing to more accurate long-term climate projections and informed adaptation strategies for a warming world.

ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2567-2973