Articles tagged with Ocean Currents
The OSTM/Jason 2 satellite will monitor global sea-level rise and study ocean circulation and its links to Earth's climate. The mission aims to improve weather and climate forecasts, providing better seasonal predictions and near-real-time data on ocean conditions.
A new study confirms that oxygen-poor regions in tropical oceans are expanding, limiting habitats for predatory fishes and other marine organisms. The research team analyzed ocean oxygen measurements and found significant declines in tropical oceans between 300 to 700 meters depth over the past 50 years.
Arctic sea ice is expected to decline further, with a 59% chance of breaking the annual minimum record for the third time in five years. This is due to the preponderance of younger, thinner ice and warming temperatures, which could have negative effects on wildlife and open up shipping lanes.
Researchers at Georgia Tech have discovered a new climate pattern called the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation, which explains changes in water temperature, salinity, and nutrients. This finding may help scientists predict how the oceans will respond to warming temperatures and ecosystem shifts.
A team of Penn State paleoclimatologists found that a lack of cloud cover led to pre-human supergreenhouse periods during the Cetaceous and Eocene. By altering the Earth's albedo through changes in cloud cover, the researchers were able to recreate temperature regimes with mean annual temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
A new study finds that higher CO2 concentrations increase phytoplankton productivity in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, promoting larger diatom chains. Additionally, research suggests that to stabilize global temperatures, future greenhouse gas emissions must be eliminated, committing the climate system to warming on centennial timescales.
A new study using seafloor cores has found a strong correlation between dust and past climates, suggesting that atmospheric moisture and dust move in tandem with temperature changes. This discovery may inform current ideas to seed oceans with iron-rich dust to mitigate global warming.
A growing awareness is being raised about the interconnectedness of ocean health and human well-being, with emerging diseases and contaminants posing significant risks. NOAA's Oceans and Human Health Initiative aims to develop early warning systems to mitigate these risks while optimizing the health benefits of sea products.
The UK's National Health Service (NHS) is turning 60, but its future is uncertain due to a lack of scientific focus on health-system reform. The Editorial calls for a radical change in the NHS's training system and culture to address its fundamental problems.
Researchers at University of California, Santa Barbara study ocean floor seeps and find that only 1% of dissolved methane escapes into the air, with most transported below surface where it's oxidized by microbial activity. This discovery offers a potential solution to mitigating climate change.
Scientists have discovered giant mud waves in the Arctic Ocean, measuring nearly 100 feet across, defying previous expectations of calm ocean currents. The expedition aims to understand how water is exchanged between basins and how the Arctic affects global climate systems.
Researchers from NOAA and University of Miami found that natural climate variations can impact hurricane intensity. They discovered that regions with warmer oceans have increased potential intensity, while others experience decreased potential intensity.
A new study reveals that gray whale populations are significantly lower than their historical estimates, suggesting a reduced food supply due to climate change and altered Arctic ecosystems. The findings also indicate that the current population is too small to play its natural role in ocean ecology.
Oregon State University will lead a component of the National Science Foundation's Ocean Observatories Initiative, located in the Pacific Northwest's coastal ocean. The $331.5 million research facility project will create a distributed, multi-tiered observatory spanning global, regional and coastal scales.
Researchers using pinhead-sized fossils from sediments deep beneath the Atlantic Ocean found that large continental ice sheets did not exist in both hemispheres around 41 million years ago. The findings resolve a long-standing problem and provide renewed confidence in our understanding of geological events and ice sheet existence.
Researchers confirm the existence of a 'supergyre' connecting the three Southern Hemisphere ocean basins, which plays a crucial role in governing global climate. The Tasman Outflow, occurring at an average depth of 800-1,000m, may influence the response of the thermohaline circulation to climate change.
Recent tsunami and storm events, such as the 2004 Sumatra tsunami, caused widespread damage along North America's Atlantic coast. In contrast, the Antarctic Bottom Water has warmed within recent decades, with temperatures rising by 0.0028ºC each year. Additionally, climate changes around 8,200 years ago were linked to the final drainag...
BLUElink provides broad-scale information on ocean currents, temperature, and salinity for the first time, improving forecasting capabilities. The system relies on access to accurate oceanic observations, including satellite data and robotic profilers.
The new dredge, which uses jets of water to lift scallops off the seafloor without physically contacting it, caught 50-60% of a normal catch rate in field tests. This technology has the potential to reduce damage to marine habitat and catch essential fish species.
Scientists at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory report that the Transantarctic Mountains formed from the remnants of a gigantic high plateau. The study reveals that the adjacent land sank, and glaciers accentuated the topography, leading to peaks up to 4.5 kilometers high.
Dutch researcher Joris van den Berg developed a mathematical model to predict sand wave movement, improving safety for shipping and offshore infrastructure. The model simplified equations, enabling quick predictions of interventions like dredging and potentially unlocking studies on sand waves and banks.
Ancient DNA from trees, plants, and insects in a boreal forest reveals temperatures were around 10C in summer and -17C in winter. The findings suggest the global ocean was one to two meters higher during that time compared to current levels.
A new study warns that massive sulphide deposits near hydrothermal vents could smother and contaminate rare organisms, potentially threatening the origins of life on Earth. The mining process could also raise nutrients in the ocean, causing algal blooms and disrupting food chains.
Researchers have discovered that oceanic storms, known as eddies, pump nutrients up from the deep ocean to fuel massive blooms of microscopic plant life. These nutrient-rich waters support a vibrant ecosystem, attracting zooplankton and other animals higher up the food chain.
A study found that climate swings brought great CO2 pulses up from the deep sea, contributing to further warming. The researchers discovered ancient carbon dioxide in sediment cores from the Pacific Ocean, indicating that massive amounts of CO2 were released into the atmosphere during ocean circulation changes.
A new mooring system has been installed on top of Kick'em Jenny, a submarine volcano, allowing for real-time data collection and transmission. This will improve researchers' ability to detect precursory activity before an eruption takes place.
Researchers have found a 'short-circuit' in the Southern Ocean's circulation, which could aid predictions of future climate change. This process allows cold waters to return to the surface more rapidly than previously thought, affecting global heat and carbon distribution.
Two studies suggest that the melting of the Greenland ice cap could significantly affect ocean circulation, leading to substantial changes in global climate. The authors analyze sediment records from past glacial periods, finding that sudden episodes of ice sheet melting may cause abrupt climate instability.
A new high-resolution computer model has been developed to better understand how air-sea interactions affect hurricane intensity. The model uses detailed data from the Coupled Boundary Layer Air-Sea Transfer (CBLAST) field program, which provided unprecedented information about ocean and sea surface conditions near hurricanes.
Experts warn of uncertainty over sea-level rise due to rapidly changing Antarctic Ice Sheet, particularly in the Amundsen Sea Embayment. Thinning ice shelves and increased melting are contributing to faster flow, potentially leading to 'runaway' thinning and several feet of sea-level rise over centuries.
Researchers directly derived air-sea momentum exchange from ocean current observations under Hurricane Ivan, confirming the trend that momentum transfer decreases at high wind speeds. The findings improve storm surge modeling and have significant implications for ocean circulation and numerical model accuracy.
A new study reveals that a sudden ocean climate change in the late 1970s may be responsible for Alaska's decline in Steller sea lion population. Climate change affected water temperatures and ocean currents determining the abundance of available fish for the sea lions to eat, leading to a decline.
A massive cold-water eddy has been discovered off the coast of Sydney, altering the East Australian Current's flow. The eddy's impact on the Tasman Sea ecosystem is still unknown.
Researchers at University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed a new technique using the Ultrachron machine to analyze monazite mineral, allowing them to pin dates to geologic processes with high accuracy. This breakthrough is providing new insights into the expansion of the North American continent and the growth of the Himalayas.
Researchers have discovered that marine turtles use a relatively simple navigation system involving the Earth's magnetic field to return to the same egg-laying site. This allows them to correct any deflection caused by ocean currents, but may also cause them to wander at sea during adverse conditions.
A delayed arrival of cold, nutrient-rich water due to altered ocean currents led to reduced barnacle and mussel larvae settlement on rocky shores. The change resulted in lower phytoplankton abundance and a recovery of mussel recruitment when stronger nutrient-rich currents arrived later.
Scientists analyzed data from a devastating 2006 Java earthquake that triggered a tsunami, leading to the development of an early warning system for earthquakes. Researchers also studied tectonic processes causing subsidence in Louisiana, while investigating ways to monitor volcanic explosivity through ground deformation near vents.
A new climate model predicts that the Southern Ocean's absorption of heat and carbon dioxide will slow the rate of global warming. The ocean's ability to sequester heat and carbon dioxide could lead to sea level rise, but also change the chemistry of the water, making it less habitable for some marine organisms.
A fossil coral reef in Western Australia indicates that sea levels may rise by 3-4 meters during the 21st century due to global warming. The reef, dated to 128-125,000 years ago, suggests that rapid melting of land-based ice sheets contributed to this predicted rise.
Researchers from EPICA project establish precise link between climate records from Greenland and Antarctica using methane concentration data. They find that short temperature changes in the South are connected to fast changes in the North through Atlantic Ocean currents, indicating a general 'bipolar seesaw' connection.
Researchers at UGA discovered a bacterial gene switch that regulates the conversion of sulfur compounds in ocean water to atmospheric emissions, impacting global warming. This breakthrough could help understand the biology and ecology of this process and its practical applications.
A groundbreaking study shows that fishing can promote fluctuations in targeted fish populations, increasing uncertainty and risk of collapse. The study analyzed CalCOFI data to find that fishing selectively culls larger individuals, leaving a stock of near-juveniles less able to cope with environmental pulses.
NASA's Aqua and Jason satellites have observed a general warming of ocean temperatures and a rise in sea surface heights in the central and eastern Pacific along the equator, indicating El Niño development. The current El Niño signal is far less dramatic than that seen during the start of the last major El Niño episode in 1997-1998.
The new Hurricane web portal provides a variety of measurements from NASA instruments, including current conditions, image galleries, event-based data, and tools. The portal also features links to various analysis software systems, such as Giovanni, allowing users to explore and analyze Earth sciences data interactively.
Researchers found that plasmaspheric drainage plumes can overload the dayside reconnection site, reducing solar wind coupling and influencing auroral activity. Climate models also predict increased carbon emissions due to rising temperatures, especially in southern regions of the US. Additionally, remote wind forcing played a role in t...
A new computer model combines ocean current simulations and genetic forecasting to predict coral reef ecology and animal dispersion patterns. The model was tested with empirical data from threatened staghorn corals, showing successful predictions of genetic patterns on a regional scale.
A new analysis of data from twin satellites reveals that Greenland's ice sheet is losing ice at a rate five times faster than the previous year and a half. The rapid loss of ice primarily affects one shoreline, potentially impacting ocean circulation and global sea levels.
Conservation assessments of endangered Caribbean sea turtles are overly optimistic due to a lack of focus on declining turtle populations on historically important nesting beaches. The study highlights the critical importance of re-establishing lost nesting sites to prevent permanent population decline.
PLANKTON*NET offers a vast database of over 3000 images and 500 species descriptions, promoting global collaboration in biodiversity research. The project aims to network all data bases and integrate them into the World Data Centre for Marine Environmental Sciences.
Researchers studied particle flow inside coronal streamers to understand space weather hazards. Turbulence within an oceanic mixed layer was found to inhibit sedimentation of planktonic particles. Zonal currents in the western equatorial Pacific Ocean were observed to flip direction, affecting water transport and zonal mass balance.
Scientists discovered ancient plant life in core samples from the Arctic Ocean, revealing that sea surface temperatures reached 23°C during the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum, a period similar to current global warming. The findings suggest that carbon dioxide levels played a crucial role in past and present climate changes.
Biologists observed sea slug navigation, feeding, mating, and egg-laying behavior, shedding light on its complex nervous system. The study confirms that many wild behaviors are similar to laboratory observations, providing new insights into sensory systems and neural controls.
Researchers used neodymium isotopes in tiny fish teeth to date the Drake Passage opening and confirm it was earlier than previously thought, potentially contributing to Antarctica's cooling. The circumpolar current isolated the continent from warm waters, leading to upwelling of cold water and growth of algae that consumed carbon dioxide.
Research papers predict increased solar flares and storms due to enhanced solar radiation. The Antarctic Circumpolar Current is expected to strengthen with climate change induced by increasing greenhouse gases. Deep atmospheric convection enhances natural greenhouse gas feedbacks, leading to an amplified positive water vapor effect.
A hydrological mapping study found that the Judea Group Aquifer in Israel's desert has an average yearly volume of 100 million cubic meters, with only 20% currently used. The remaining water could supply 5% of Israel's total freshwater needs and meet the potable water needs of several towns at a lower cost.
Researchers have developed a method to detect super-salty, submerged eddies called Meddies using sensor data from U.S. and European satellites. These warm, deep-water whirlpools play a significant role in carrying salty water from the Mediterranean Sea into the Atlantic, affecting global ocean circulation and climate change.
New study reveals ice sheets can react differently to global warming, growing in some cases and disappearing rapidly in others. The Scandinavian Ice Sheet, which existed 10,000 years ago, grew during a period of warming but cold climate, before rapidly disintegrating once the climate warmed further.
The HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) provides long-range weather prediction, enhances ocean current understanding, and supports real-time maritime operations. This innovative tool enables accurate forecasts and tracking of pollution, algal blooms, and oil spills.
Scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution are developing a new suite of ocean bottom seismometers to record both small and large earthquakes on the seafloor. The instruments will enable accurate recordings of foreshocks and mainshocks, providing critical data for understanding earthquake processes.
Scientists highlight Amazon deforestation, West Antarctic Ice Sheet melting, slowdown of North Atlantic Current, ocean acidification, and the impact of land use changes on the planet's functioning. The symposium showcases new research models and a collaborative databank to assess Earth System consequences.