Page "Antarctic Circumpolar Current" Paragraph 5

The ACC connects the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean basins, and serves as a principal pathway of exchange between these basins.

The current is strongly constrained by landform and bathymetric features.

To trace it starting arbitrarily at South America, it flows through the Drake Passage between South America and the Antarctic Peninsula and then is split by the Scotia Arc to the east, with a shallow warm branch flowing to the north in the Falkland Current and a deeper branch passing through the Arc more to the east before also turning to the north.

Passing through the Indian Ocean, the current is split by the Kerguelen Plateau in the Indian Ocean, and then moving northward again.

Deflection is also seen as it passes over the mid-ocean ridge in the Southeast Pacific.