Antarctic ocean current. Computer model of the Antarctic circumpolar current in the Southern Ocean on the 12th May 2006. Ocean current data from satellites, floating drifters and radio-tagged marine animals were processed by a supercomputer to produce an accurate and high resolution model of the Southern Ocean. The Antarctic circumpolar current is the largest current in the world and travels clockwise around Antarctica (centre), keeping warm water away from the Antarctic. The speed of the current is shown, ranging from slow moving blue water to dark red (more than 1.6 kilometres per hour).