This mixing is a primary means by which the ocean buries warming surface waters. – AC Grayling, Why I Am Not A Christian – Bertrand Russell, Increasing ocean stratification over the past half-century. Water is unique in that it is more dense as a liquid than a solid; therefore, ice floats. There is ever-greater urgency when it comes to acting on climate. That is, are upwelling and down-welling increasing or decreasing? They are vast and affect the weather we experience, even in Minnesota. The ocean is being disproportionately impacted by increasing carbon dioxide (CO 2) and other greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from human activities. What are microphytes? Why do we care? Led by Guancheng Li of the Institute of Atmospheric Physics in China, our team (which also includes Lijing Cheng, Jiang Zhu, Kevin Trenberth and John P. Abraham) analyzed a quantitative measure of stability known as "stratification". We found that the stratification of the world oceans is not only increasing, but is doing so at a greater rate than estimated in previous studies. Our study uses more comprehensive data and a more sophisticated method for estimating stratification changes, and we found a nearly 6 percent increase in the stratification of the upper 200 meters (~650 feet) of the world oceans over the past half century. They consequently bury heat (and carbon) too easily beneath the ocean surface. The warm, lighter surface waters are warming faster than the cold deeper water, since heat penetrates slowly down into the depths of the ocean. Global warming is consequently tending to make the oceans more stable. For example, as the ocean temperatures increase, it is … Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The combined effects of temperature and saltiness causes ocean stratification. After Parler Ban, Rein in Big Tech Now or Cease Being Free Citizens. It is of course tempting to add my own spin, but this is the co-author, so I will defer to him to explain it. Figure 6.3.2 Representative density profile for the open ocean at mid-latitudes. Using data from her colleagues’ study site, her models confirmed that eddies were the underlying cause of the stratification and blooms that they saw. Warmer waters absorb less atmospheric carbon dioxide (just as warm soda loses its carbonation faster when you open the top.) Finally, warmer upper ocean waters hold less dissolved oxygen. The combined effects of temperature and saltiness causes ocean stratification. With ocean waters more stable, it means surface water will remain at the ocean surface for longer periods of time, heat up more, and this makes storms more severe. Thermal stratification is possible as water becomes less dense when heated, meaning water weighs less per unit volume. Ocean acidification is mainly caused by carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere dissolving into the ocean. “Our results show that the bloom starts through eddies, even before the sun begins to warm the ocean,” Mahadevan said. The increasingly intense and damaging hurricanes we've seen in recent years have fed off warmer surface waters. They oxygenate the water and are a food source for many fish. ; This causes changes in water temperature, ocean acidification and deoxygenation, leading to changes in oceanic circulation and chemistry, rising sea levels, increased storm intensity, as well as changes in the diversity and abundance of marine … For that reason, they are likely underestimating the impact that the increased stratification (and decreased mixing) found in our study is having on rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and surface warming. Stratification occurs as a result of a density differential between two water layers and can arise as a result of the differences in salinity, temperature, or a combination of both. To continue reading login or create an account. So the surface warms up even faster. Surface waters that fall downward to the ocean floor are called “down-welling” flows, whereas “upwelling” flow refers to water deep in the ocean that rises toward the surface. Coastal Habitats Coastal ecosystems depend on what factors? This stratification, or layering, prevents oxygen mixing between the freshwater and saltwater layers. This stratification increase reveals a robust human-driven change in the ocean due the long-term temperature and salinity change structures. And less ocean mixing means less oxygen (and nutrients,) since oxygen and nutrients depleted by sea life are less likely to be replaced from rising, colder more oxygen-rich waters. Saltiness also matters. Conversely, when water cools, it becomes more dense and tends to fall. This creates mixed layers of water. https://twitter.com/rahmstorf/status/1310846033992261632. And it's part of the reason we expect more extreme weather events in a warmer world. Much as 18 % — has been observed in the ocean ( flows from the waters... Always be a fundamentalist temperatures are contributing to coral bleaching and making them more susceptible to diseases when heated meaning!, increased upper ocean stratification over the past few decades more intense destructive! Regions with upwelling waters – sea life what causes ocean stratification in these areas the effects on weather will become as! Upward and downward water flows have decreased by more than three billion...., nitrate poor 2 increasingly intense and damaging hurricanes we 've seen in recent years have fed off warmer waters! “ our results show that the bloom starts through eddies, even in Minnesota damaging. 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