Aquatic 'Dead Zones' Exacerbate Global Warming, Contribute To Ozone 'Holes'
Thursday, March 11, 2010 - 19:35
in Earth & Climate
Increased amounts of nitrous oxide (N2O) produced in low-oxygen (hypoxic) waters can elevate concentrations in the atmosphere, further exacerbating the impacts of global warming and contributing to ozone "holes", according to a new article published this week in Science. "As the volume of hypoxic waters move towards the sea surface and expands along our coasts, their ability to produce the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide increases," explains Dr. Codispoti of the UMCES Horn Point Laboratory. "With low-oxygen waters currently producing about half of the ocean's net nitrous oxide, we could see an additional significant atmospheric increase if these 'dead zones' continue to expand." read more