What is the name of the cold, dense ocean current that forms around Antarctica and flows northward into the deep basins of the major oceans?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Antarctic Bottom Water is an extremely cold, dense water mass formed around the coastal shelves of Antarctica through brine rejection during sea ice formation, subsequently sinking and flowing northward into major ocean basins. Surface currents like the Antarctic Circumpolar Current operate differently without plunging into abyssal depths. Deep ocean circulation patterns play a vital role in global climate regulation and marine biology.