Observations of diapycnal upwelling within a sloping submarine canyon.

Small-scale turbulent mixing drives the upwelling of deep water masses in the abyssal ocean as part of the global overturning circulation. However, the processes leading to mixing and the pathways through which this upwelling occurs remain insufficiently understood. Recent observational and theoretical work has suggested that deep-water upwelling may occur along the ocean's sloping seafloor; however, evidence has, so far, been indirect.

Author Correction: Spiraling pathways of global deep waters to the surface of the Southern Ocean.

The original version of this Article contained errors in Fig. 6. In panel a, the grey highlights obscured the curves for CESM, CM2.

Spiraling pathways of global deep waters to the surface of the Southern Ocean.

Upwelling of global deep waters to the sea surface in the Southern Ocean closes the global overturning circulation and is fundamentally important for oceanic uptake of carbon and heat, nutrient resupply for sustaining oceanic biological production, and the melt rate of ice shelves. However, the exact pathways and role of topography in Southern Ocean upwelling remain largely unknown. Here we show detailed upwelling pathways in three dimensions, using hydrographic observations and particle tracking in high-resolution models.