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As we burn fossil fuels and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels go up, the ocean absorbs more carbon dioxide to stay in balance. But this absorption has a price: these reactions lower the water’s pH, meaning it’s more acidic. And the ocean has its limits.
- Defying Expectations
The ocean does not take up carbon uniformly. It breathes,...
- References
Anthropogenic ocean acidification over the twenty-first...
- The Modeled Ocean
Instead, Le Quéré inferred ocean carbon dioxide levels based...
- Humanity's Unexpected Impact
The other assumption that Le Quéré’s work rattled was the...
- Defying Expectations
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Oct 1, 2020 · Around 25% of all CO2 emissions are absorbed by the ocean, making it one of the world's largest 'carbon sinks'. However, new evidence suggests this figure could be even higher. The oceans cover over 70% of the Earth’s surface and play a crucial role in taking up CO2 from the atmosphere.
The result is that the world ocean has absorbed around 25 per cent of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by humans in recent decades, thus significantly inhibiting the progress of global warming. An estimated 40 per cent of the anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions taken up by the world ocean were absorbed in the Southern Ocean.
- The ‘Dance’ That Keeps Carbon in Check
- A Changing Ocean in A Warming World
- Doing More Than Curbing Our Emissions
Where the sun shines at the surface of the water, microscopic plants called phytoplankton and algae are happily soaking up those rays and taking in carbon dioxide while they photosynthesize. In exchange for that CO2, these largely invisible organisms produce around half of the oxygen we land dwellers breathe, Buesseler noted. Then, when the sun goe...
The key to dissolving carbon dioxide is temperature. Cold water is better at dissolving and absorbing gasses like CO2 compared to warmer water, which is why a large amount of it gets dissolved in the ocean’s chilliest waters, according to the report. When that heavy water sinks to the deep sea, large portions of that CO2 can be stored for a long ti...
Researchers have a lot more to learn about the twilight zone, and certain developments could offer them more flexibility and opportunity. The rise of robotic, autonomous marine explorers mean that scientists like Buesseler no longer have to go on a ship for 30-day missions in order to gather data, he noted. But the process of scouting the midwaters...
The ocean absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere wherever air meets water. Wind causes waves and turbulence, giving more opportunity for the water to absorb the carbon dioxide. Fish and other animals in the ocean breathe oxygen and give off carbon dioxide (CO 2), just like land animals.
Jun 7, 2024 · Our ocean is a natural carbon sink, absorbing about 25% of carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions from the atmosphere every year.
Jun 15, 2023 · The ocean holds 60 times more carbon than the atmosphere and absorbs almost 30% of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from human activities.
