Abstract Oceanic circulation along the Antarctic shelf break regulates heat and material exchanges between the continental shelf and the open ocean, playing a crucial role in ice shelf melting and global overturning circulation. However, the circulation remains poorly understood due to limited observations. By combining the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission with traditional AVISO altimetry, this study identifies an eddy train along the shelf break of the Ross Sea, which consists of alternating cyclonic and anticyclonic circulations with spatial scales of ∼100 km. A notable phase reversal of the eddy train occurred around 2014, coinciding with a broader climate variability of the Southern Ocean. SWOT reveals sea surface height amplitudes of the eddy train roughly twice those from AVISO, while current reanalysis products fail to reproduce this feature, highlighting the need for improved observations and modeling to better resolve Antarctic shelf‐region dynamics. Plain Language The ocean circulations around the Antarctic shelf break, where the shallow continental shelf meets the deep open ocean, regulate heat and material exchange between the shelf and open ocean. This exchange is critical for the formation of dense shelf water and ice shelf melt, thereby impacting the global overturning circulation and sea level rise. However, this region remains poorly understood due to limited observations. Using data from new‐generation SWOT and traditional AVISO satellites, we investigated ocean circulations at the Ross Sea shelf break. We discovered a chain of ∼100 km circulations along the shelf break with alternating clockwise and counterclockwise rotations. Around 2014, their pattern shifted dramatically, aligning with broader climate changes in the Southern Ocean. Existing ocean reanalysis products fail to reproduce these features, highlighting the need for improved observations such as SWOT to enhance our understanding of Antarctic currents and their climatic impacts.

Read original article