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Scientists are 'gobsmacked' by strange reversals in deep-ocean currents

Live Science
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A new study reveals the biggest data set to date on the speed and direction of currents that flow near the seafloor.

The results were nothing like what the scientists anticipated.

The study suggests that current simulations used to track the flow of sediment and pollutants in the deep sea need an update.

The researchers were "absolutely gobsmacked" by the variability.

The researchers acknowledged that the study took place in only one zone of the world's oceans, and more data in other areas will be invaluable to building better simulations. Andrew Chapman is a freelance science journalist based in Truckee , California . I write about life sciences and the environment. My work has appeared in Scientific American , Science Magazine , Eos , and Hakai Magazine , amongst others..