The Antarctic Convergence or Antarctic Polar Front is a marine belt encircling Antarctica, varying in latitude seasonally, where cold, northward-flowing Antarctic waters meet the relatively warmer waters of the sub-Antarctic. Antarctic waters predominantly sink beneath the warmer subantarctic waters, while associated zones of mixing and upwelling create a zone very high in marine productivity, especially for Antarctic krill.
The Antarctic Convergence is a zone approximately 32 to 48 km (20 to 30 mi) wide, varying in latitude seasonally and in different longitudes, extending across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indianoceans between the 48th and 61st parallels of south latitude. Although the northern boundary varies, for the purposes of the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources 1980, it is defined as "50°S, 0°; 50°S, 30°E; 45°S, 30°E; 45°S, 80°E; 55°S, 80°E; 55°S, 150°E; 60°S, 150°E; 60°S, 50°W; 50°S, 50°W; 50°S, 0°."[4] Although this zone is a mobile one, it usually does not stray more than half a degree of latitude from its mean position. The precise location at any given place and time is made evident by the sudden drop in seawater temperature from north to south of, on average, 2.8 °C (5.0 °F) from 5.6 °C (42.1 °F) to below 2 °C (36 °F).
Subantarctic islands lying north of the Convergenceedit
antarctic, convergence, antarctic, polar, front, marine, belt, encircling, antarctica, varying, latitude, seasonally, where, cold, northward, flowing, antarctic, waters, meet, relatively, warmer, waters, antarctic, antarctic, waters, predominantly, sink, benea. The Antarctic Convergence or Antarctic Polar Front is a marine belt encircling Antarctica varying in latitude seasonally where cold northward flowing Antarctic waters meet the relatively warmer waters of the sub Antarctic Antarctic waters predominantly sink beneath the warmer subantarctic waters while associated zones of mixing and upwelling create a zone very high in marine productivity especially for Antarctic krill Antarctic Convergence This line like the arctic tree line is a natural boundary rather than an artificial one such as the borders of nations and time zones It not only separates two hydrological regions but also separates areas of distinctive marine life and climates The Arctic has no similar boundary because of the large bodies of land contiguous with the northern polar region Contents 1 History 2 Location 2 1 Subantarctic islands lying north of the Convergence 2 2 Islands which lie to the south of the Convergence 2 2 1 North of 60 S latitude 2 2 2 South of 60 S latitude 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksHistory editThe Antarctic Convergence was first crossed by Anthony de la Roche in 1675 1 and Edmond Halley in 1700 2 and first described by the British Discovery Investigations and the German Meteor Expedition in 1925 1927 3 Location editThe Antarctic Convergence is a zone approximately 32 to 48 km 20 to 30 mi wide varying in latitude seasonally and in different longitudes extending across the Atlantic Pacific and Indian oceans between the 48th and 61st parallels of south latitude Although the northern boundary varies for the purposes of the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources 1980 it is defined as 50 S 0 50 S 30 E 45 S 30 E 45 S 80 E 55 S 80 E 55 S 150 E 60 S 150 E 60 S 50 W 50 S 50 W 50 S 0 4 Although this zone is a mobile one it usually does not stray more than half a degree of latitude from its mean position The precise location at any given place and time is made evident by the sudden drop in seawater temperature from north to south of on average 2 8 C 5 0 F from 5 6 C 42 1 F to below 2 C 36 F Subantarctic islands lying north of the Convergence edit nbsp Amsterdam Island France nbsp Crozet Islands France nbsp Diego Ramirez Islands Chile nbsp Falkland Islands United Kingdom nbsp Isla de los Estados Argentina nbsp Macquarie Island Australia nbsp NZ Subantarctic Islands New Zealand Antipodes Islands Auckland Islands Bounty Islands Campbell Islands Snares Islands nbsp Chatham Islands New Zealand nbsp Prince Edward Islands South Africa nbsp Saint Paul Island France nbsp nbsp Tierra del Fuego Argentina Chile nbsp Tristan da Cunha United Kingdom nbsp Gough Island Islands which lie to the south of the Convergence edit North of 60 S latitude edit nbsp Bouvet Island Norway nbsp Heard Island and McDonald Islands Australia nbsp Kerguelen Islands France nbsp South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands United Kingdom South of 60 S latitude edit nbsp Balleny Islands Antarctic Treaty System nbsp Peter I Island Antarctic Treaty System nbsp Scott Island Antarctic Treaty System nbsp South Orkney Islands Antarctic Treaty System nbsp South Shetland Islands Antarctic Treaty System See also edit nbsp Geography portal Anthony de la Roche Antarctic Antarctic Circle Antarctic Circumpolar Wave Polar front Southern OceanReferences edit R K Headland The Island of South Georgia Cambridge University Press 1984 ISBN missing page needed Alan Gurney Below the Convergence Voyages Toward Antarctica 1699 1839 Penguin Books New York 1998 ISBN missing page needed Headland Robert Keith 2009 A Chronology of Antarctic Exploration London Bernard Quaritch 716 pp Extract Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources 1980 Article 1 4 nbsp This article incorporates public domain material from Antarctic Convergence Geographic Names Information System United States Geological Survey External links editMap of Antarctic Convergence Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Antarctic Convergence amp oldid 1222354066, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
