Topic summary
Antarctic Circumpolar Wave
The Antarctic Circumpolar Wave (ACW) is a coupled ocean/atmospherewave that circles the Southern Ocean in approximately eight years at 6–8 cm/s (2.4–3.1 in/s). Since it is a wave-2 phenomenon (there are two ridges and two troughs in a latitude circle) at each fixed point in space a signal with a period of four years is seen. The wave moves eastward with the prevailing currents.