Skip to content

Climate

Oceans struggling to soak up CO2

by Martin Leggett 10 Jul 2011
Oceans struggling to soak up CO2

The ocean is something of a martyr when it comes to mankind's continuing CO2 emissions. Like a giant sponge, it soaks up much of the greenhouse gas coming from planes, factories and automobiles. That takes the edge off of the atmosphere's rising concentration of CO2, but that same carbon dioxide, being dutifully dissolved into the sea, makes the ocean itself more acidic - and so less able to support marine life. But will the seas be able to continue with those valiant efforts, as the global warming proceeds? That's a question partially answered by a new study of three-decades worth of data on the Atlantic, published in today's Nature Geoscience.

Scientists have been uncertain as to how the oceans will respond to a warming world,ever since the threat of global warming was recognized. Will they carry on soaking up the same fraction of our emissions? Or will they find it increasingly difficult to play catch up to our higher CO2 output - leaving the atmosphere saddled with more of the greenhouse gas burden?

That problem of the great oceanic 'carbon buffer' is one that has troubled climate and oceanic scientists for many years. Although the basic mechanics of how CO2 gets from the air into the sea are well-known, a deep understanding has eluded them, because of the complexity of carbon's flow through the oceans. Water temperature, 'sea roughness', the changing patterns of oceanic circulation, and the use of carbon by marine creatures - all of these factors play up against one another.

And the direct measurement of the CO2 being soaked up in the oceans is complicated by natural fluctuations. The atmosphere and the oceans pulse with decade-long rhythms, that are only just beginning to be teased out. What is needed is enough data to spot those ongoing cycles, so that they can be taken out of the equation. Then the background changes in CO2 can be seen more clearly. This is the approach taken by this international team, supported by NASA and led by Galen McKinley, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

'Because the ocean is so variable, we need at least 25 years' worth of data to really see the effect of carbon accumulation in the atmosphere,' she says. 'This is a big issue in many branches of climate science - what is natural variability, and what is climate change?' The team pooled together data collected from a huge range of sources - from 1981 to 2009 - across the North Atlantic, weaving them together to form single time-line.

What they found was that there are signs that the warmest parts of the North Atlantic are indeed struggling to take up CO2. 'The ocean is taking up less carbon because of the warming caused by the carbon in the atmosphere,' said McKinley. 'We are already seeing this in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre, and this is some of the first evidence for climate damping the ocean's ability to take up carbon from the atmosphere.' That could mean that our climate change problem just got a little harder - but more work is needed on other oceans. Some previous studies have suggested that climate change is aiding CO2 absorption there. Understanding how these affects balance out, across the oceans, will be critical for understanding the kind of future we are driving the planet towards.

Top Image Credit: © adimas


Trending Eco-Friendly Clothing

Love My Planet Women's Relaxed Fit Hoodie
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Love My Planet Women's Relaxed Fit Hoodie
Love My Planet women's eco-friendly relaxed fit hoodieSize Guide Centimeters 8 10 12 14 16 18 Bust 84 88 92 97 103 108 Waist 66 70 75 80 85 91 Hips 91 95 99 104 109 116 Bust: Measure around the fullest part of...
£38.00
£38.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Penguins Hate Push-Ups Men's Pullover Hoodie
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Penguins Hate Push-Ups Men's Pullover Hoodie
Penguins Hate Push-Ups men's eco-friendly pullover HoodieSize Guide Centimeters XS S M L XL XXL Height 171 175 179 183 189 195 Chest 86 93 99 104 116 129 Waist 71 76 81 89 99 112 Chest: Measure all round your chest just below...
£38.00
£38.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Lightning Bolt Kids Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Notify me
Lightning Bolt Kids Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Lightning Bolt kids eco-friendly long sleeve t-shirtSize Guide Centimeters 3-4yrs 5-6yrs 7-8yrs 9-10yrs 11-12yrs Height 98 112 125 136 147 Chest 60 66 70 75 84 Chest: Measure all around your chest just below your armpits. Height: Your natural height If you fall between...
£18.00
£18.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Notify me
Union Jack Tote Bag
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Union Jack Tote Bag
Union Jack eco-friendly colour tote bagProduct Specification Organic Cotton Tote Bag. Twill Weave (170gsm). 37 x 42 cm (7cm gusset.) Made in India / Designed on the Isle of Wight. Wash Cool, Hang Dry.
£16.00
£16.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Prev Post
Next Post

Eco-Friendly Shop

Women's Clothing

Eco-Friendly Clothing for Women Our online shop offers a wide range of sustainable women’s clothing products, including t-shirts, hoodies, vests, sweaters, shorts, and...
Shop Now

Men's Clothing

Eco-Friendly Clothing for Men Our online shop offers a wide range of sustainable men’s clothing products, including t-shirts, hoodies, vests, sweaters, shorts, and...
Shop Now

Kids Clothing

Eco-Friendly Clothes for Kids Our online shop offers a wide range of sustainable kids clothing products, including t-shirts, hoodies and jumpers. Our garments...
Shop Now
Someone recently bought a
[time] ago, from [location]

Thanks for subscribing!

This email has been registered!

Shop the look

Choose Options

Earth Times
Sign up for exclusive updates, new arrivals & insider only discounts

Recently Viewed

Edit Option
Back In Stock Notification
this is just a warning
Login
Shopping Cart
0 items

Before you leave...

Take 20% off your first order

20% off

Enter the code below at checkout to get 20% off your first order

CODESALE20

Continue Shopping