Study Confirms Southern Ocean Is Absorbing Carbon – Important Buffer for Greenhouse Gas Emissions

 

New studies funded by NASA have found that emissions of carbon dioxide are being absorbed by the southern ocean. In this process there is an up welding of cold water from the deep ocean once at the surface this much colder but nutrient rich water absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere with the help of millions of phytoplankton before sinking again and taking the carbon dioxide with it. Computer model suggest that up to 40% of the human produced carbon dioxide in the ocean worldwide is absorbed from the atmosphere into the southern ocean making it one of the largest and most important carbon sinks on our planet. The NASA studies have used airborne measurements since 2012 and over this time they have seen a drop in carbon dioxide concentrations as the planes have descended through the atmosphere. They have also detected high turbulence near the ocean surface suggesting the exchange of gases. From the data they have worked out more than 530 million metric tons of carbon is being absorbed by the southern ocean.



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