# Connecting the Three-Dimensional Pathways of Carbon and Overturning in the Southern Ocean

> **NSF 0100CYXXDB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT** · University of Maryland, College Park (MD) · $626,292

## Abstract

The Southern Ocean is a conduit for exchange between the atmosphere and deep ocean, where heat and carbon are stored for thousands of years, via the ocean's overturning circulation. However, there remains incomplete understanding how the shape of the seafloor can impact the overturning circulation and the carbon transported by it. Recent theoretical work has suggested that there will be upwelling hotspots downstream of undersea ridges, evidenced by localized carbon outgassing hotspots in models and mapped-data products. However, there has been no direct evidence of localized outgassing near bathymetric features so far.  This project will use novel analyses that combine ocean dynamics with corresponding biological and chemical oceanographic observations to more completely account for outgassing and better constrain the global carbon budget, of which the Southern Ocean plays a large role. In addition, a better understanding of the three-dimensional nature of the Southern Ocean's overturning circulation will help improve predictions of ocean transport, which affects large-scale weather patterns, the yield of fisheries and the melting of the polar ice caps. This work provides broader impacts in two categories, supporting junior scientists through workforce development and promoting research infrastructure by developing new open numerical code that can be used by many research groups.  

This project proposes to investigate the patterns of carbon outgassing in the Southern Oce

## Key facts

- **NSF award ID:** 2441799
- **Awardee organization:** University of Maryland, College Park (MD)
- **SAM.gov UEI:** NPU8ULVAAS23
- **PI:** Madeleine K Youngs
- **Primary program:** 0100CYXXDB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
- **All programs:** ANTARCTIC OCEAN & ATMOSPH SCI
- **Estimated total:** $626,292
- **Funds obligated:** $626,292
- **Transaction type:** Standard Grant
- **Period:** 09/01/2025 → 08/31/2028

## Primary source

NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2441799

## Citation

> US National Science Foundation, Award 2441799, Connecting the Three-Dimensional Pathways of Carbon and Overturning in the Southern Ocean. Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-08 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nsf/2441799. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NSF Awards dataset](/datasets/nsf-awards) · CC0 1.0*