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NASA SWOT Finds Antarctic Deep-Water Corridors Moving 150 m/Day

6/11/2026

Summary

**NASA Discovers Corridor**

NASA’s SWOT mission discovered a hidden Antarctic water-transport system moving water a kilometre deep at over 150 metres per day.
The system consists of narrow vertical corridors linking surface and deep Southern Ocean waters, extending hundreds of metres and sometimes reaching depths near one kilometre.
These corridors transport heat, carbon dioxide, oxygen and nutrients, challenging traditional ocean-interior views.
Vertical speeds regularly exceed 150 metres per day, far above typical large-scale flow.

Summary

Scientists Map Corridor

Scientists identified vertical transport pathways concentrated in a 10-30 km corridor south of Tasmania in the Southern Ocean, known for strong currents and eddies.
Researchers observed the bands channel water down to nearly 1,000 metres, linking surface and deep ocean where fronts meet underwater mountain ranges.
The discovery shows that the interplay of fronts, large eddies and submarine topography in this Tasmanian sector drives vertical mixing unrecorded before.

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**NASA Discovers Corridor**

NASA’s SWOT mission discovered a hidden Antarctic water-transport system moving water a kilometre deep at over 150 metres per day.
The system consists of narrow vertical corridors linking surface and deep Southern Ocean waters, extending hundreds of metres and sometimes reaching depths near one kilometre.
These corridors transport heat, carbon dioxide, oxygen and nutrients, challenging traditional ocean-interior views.
Vertical speeds regularly exceed 150 metres per day, far above typical large-scale flow.

1 / 2