ClimateAugust 30, 2026
gyres
JY-erz
Definition
Large-scale circular or spiral systems of ocean currents that rotate in response to wind patterns and the Coriolis effect.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek word 'gyros,' meaning 'circle' or 'ring.' It entered English to describe the rotating nature of these massive ocean current systems.
In the news
The article mentions that weakening gyres were one of several oceanic factors that helped cool the Southern Ocean, which in turn influenced the threshold for Antarctic glaciation.
Antarctica developed a continental-scale ice sheet 34 million years ago while Earth was about 5°C warmer than today — helped by slow-moving mantle waves that had spent more than 100 million years lifting its interior high enough for permanent ice to surviv
Read the full article ↗Space Daily