The "Grand Canyon" of the Atlantic
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
Published: 29 January 2026
An international team led by GEOMAR reveals how a shifting plate boundary and the Azores mantle plume formed the Kings Trough Complex, a 500km canyon system in the North Atlantic, 37-24 million years ago.
Keywords: marine geology, plate tectonics, mantle plume, North Atlantic, Kings Trough, submarine canyon, ocean floor mapping
Ventilation of the North Atlantic is Weakening
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
Published: 16 January 2026
A GEOMAR study published in Nature Communications shows deep water renewal in the North Atlantic has slowed over three decades, with water masses aging significantly since the 1990s, signaling anthropogenic climate change.
Keywords: ocean circulation, North Atlantic, deep water formation, climate change, ocean ventilation, AMOC, carbon uptake
Time Series in the Mediterranean Sea
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
Published: 13 January 2026
GEOMAR-led Expedition M216 aboard RV METEOR set sail to assess the Mediterranean Sea, collecting data on temperature, salinity, nutrients and trace gases as part of a time series last conducted in 2018.
Keywords: Mediterranean Sea, oceanographic expedition, time series, ocean acidification, water masses, CTD, climate monitoring
