The Southern Ocean has a powerful influence on Earth’s climate, as it stores more anthropogenic CO2 and heat than any other latitude band on Earth. This massive body of water also plays a pivotal ecosystem role in regulating the supply of nutrients to lower latitudes which supports about 80% of ocean production. Its ability to Continue Reading
By Sarah Gille, Simon Josey, and Seb Swart: EOS article 13 May 2016 https://eos.org/meeting-reports/new-approaches-for-air-sea-fluxes-in-the-southern-ocean Air-sea exchanges in the Southern Ocean of momentum, heat, freshwater, carbon dioxide, and other gases are not well documented because fluxes are sparsely sampled (see Figure 1) and because high winds, high sea state, and lack of calibration for bulk formulas make Continue Reading
The global oceans are estimated to contribute an impressive 50-85% of the oxygen (O2) present in the earth’s atmosphere. It is often assumed the Amazon and other reputable rainforests are responsible for atmospheric O2, however rainforests only cover 2% of the earth’s total surface area; the oceans cover a remarkable 71%. From the Blue Planet Continue Reading