But they are not isolating the Antarctic Peninsula and parts of the Western Antarctic ice sheet that lie directly in their path.
So as those winds have strengthened and pulled in tighter around Antarctica, they are actually bringing warmer air over those parts, particularly over the Antarctic Peninsula, she said. And this is the part of the southern hemisphere that is warming faster than anywhere else on Earth at the moment.
Those westerly winds have deviated from their natural course, which would have driven cold fronts into the southern hemisphere. Instead the air is trapped over Antarctica and keeping rain from falling on Australia.
What has been happening over the recent decades is that those westerly winds have been shifting south and we are getting fewer of those cold fronts and storms coming up and giving that really important rain, she said. And that is why Australia is experiencing these very severe droughts.
Abram adds the Southern ocean winds, which have intensified because of the warmer atmosphere, could revert to a more normal pattern if action were taken to reduce greenhouse gases.
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