Ocean Less Effective At Absorbing Carbon Dioxide Emitted By Human Activity
Monday, February 16, 2009 - 10:22
in Earth & Climate
In the Southern Indian Ocean, climate change is leading to stronger winds, which mix waters, bringing carbon dioxide up from the ocean depths to the surface. As a result, the Southern Ocean can no longer absorb as much atmospheric CO2 as before. Its role as a 'carbon sink' has been weakened, and it may now be ten times less efficient than previously estimated. The same trend can be observed at high latitudes in the North Atlantic.