Articles tagged with Ocean Currents
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.
Researchers propose using over 8,000 barges to pump saltwater onto ice sheets in the North Atlantic, creating a thicker sea ice layer that could help strengthen the down-welling current. This method aims to reduce the impact of global warming on northern Europe's climate.
The article discusses Nicol's model of krill's life history, which separates the species into different stages and explains how it drives its evolution. The study reveals that this life cycle keeps adult krill separate from younger stages, reducing competition for food and minimizing predation on juveniles.
Researchers discovered a surprisingly active innate immune system in sea urchins that utilizes previously unrecognized mechanisms. The study's findings have implications for understanding innate immunity in vertebrates and may lead to the discovery of novel immune diversity in other animals.
Researchers have expanded the view of climate history by analyzing new ice cores that provide a record of atmospheric conditions up to 650,000 years. The study suggests that current conditions are a distinct anomaly and may be linked to human influence on greenhouse gases.
A Rutgers-led team reports a steady millimeter-per-year rise in sea levels from 5,000 years ago until about 200 years ago, contrasting with the current two-millimeter annual increase. The findings argue against widely held tenets of geological science and provide a new baseline for addressing global warming.
A new study finds that sea otters played a key role in driving up the size of abalones in California's coastal kelp forests. The researchers speculate that by preying on sea urchins and smaller snails, otters allowed abalones to thrive and grow huge on abundant kelp.
Researchers detected 'milky seas' in the northwest Indian Ocean using satellite data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. The glowing waters were found to last at least three nights and span an area roughly the size of Connecticut, with boundaries matching surface ship reports.
Researchers found sea surface height to be a reliable indicator of long-term climate cycles like El Niño. A hydrophone-based system could potentially detect tsunamis by analyzing pressure fluctuations. However, the lack of comprehensive glacier inventories limits understanding of sea level rise connections.
Researchers from NSF deployed instruments to measure water temperature and currents in the Gulf of Mexico. The results suggest that deep, warm eddies in the Loop Current play a crucial role in intensifying hurricanes. This study provides new insights into hurricane intensity changes during landfall.
Scientists used satellite imagery to estimate that at least 23% of the Mississippi River's freshwater discharge traveled into the Gulf of Mexico, around Florida Keys, and into the Atlantic Ocean. The study combined MODIS data with ship observations to track the dark water plume's journey, reaching as far as the Georgia coast.
A new study suggests that the opening of the Drake Passage, a shallow gateway between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, led to the formation of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. This current cut off Antarctica from warm southward flowing currents, causing it to freeze and become desolate.
Researchers found that roughly 15% of genes are expressed differently among male salmon of the same species, depending on their life history. The findings suggest that the 'default' life cycle may result from active inhibition of development into a sneaker male.
The new Web-based modules, developed by COMET, will acquaint forecasters with the physics behind rip currents and help them use wind and wave forecasts to produce outlooks of rip-current risk. The modules include animated depictions of rip-current evolution in three dimensions.
Researchers studied the La Jolla submarine canyon's effect on ocean waves, finding that up to 60% of wave energy was reflected back into the open ocean. Another study tracked sulfur hexafluoride through the Denmark Strait to understand its role in driving global climate.
Researchers found nonlinear mechanisms that could lead to dramatic and swift changes in the North Pacific Ocean's biological systems. In contrast, physical characteristics such as sea surface temperature evolve in a linear manner, making regime-like fluctuations unreliable.
Researchers found that public opposition to offshore wind projects is driven by concerns about the ocean's aesthetic value and emotional connection. The study suggests that a better understanding of these values can inform a more effective policy framework for offshore wind development.
A team of scientists used a 3D acoustic imaging system to track the swimming behavior of zooplankton in the Red Sea, revealing that they 'treadmill' against upwelling and downwelling currents. The study sheds light on the mechanisms behind zooplankton patchiness and its ecological implications for predators.
A team of scientists from Israel, US, and Germany have found that tiny ocean animals called zooplankton can 'treadmill' against strong vertical currents to keep their depth. This remarkable behavior has significant implications for the survival of predators and humans.
A study by Oregon State University suggests that ocean currents could disrupt the marine food chain, leading to a decline in phytoplankton productivity. The Atlantic Conveyer current, which warms Europe, is a critical component of this process, and its disruption could have far-reaching consequences for global food security.
A research team has confirmed that ocean circulation in the southern hemisphere adapts to sudden changes in the north, enabling more accurate forecasts of ocean reactions to climate change. The study reveals a mechanism linking the two hemispheres, with waters in the southern hemisphere playing an active role in sudden climate changes.
Researchers improved hurricane prediction using high-resolution general circulation models, predicting the course of four storms with increased accuracy. A new study found that solar emissions likely control Jupiter's X-ray emissions, providing a potential proxy for monitoring flares invisible to space weather satellites.
Researchers have discovered that the George VI Ice Shelf experienced a significant retreat around 9,500 years ago, driven by changes in ocean currents. This finding challenges the long-held assumption that rising air temperatures are the primary cause of ice shelf collapse.
A new study refines hurricane intensity prediction models by incorporating the impact of large eddies on wind speed and air humidity. The research suggests that large eddies contribute significantly to energy, heat, and moisture transfer between the ocean and atmosphere.
Researchers discovered a correlation between the deepening of the Pacific Ocean's CCD and global cooling approximately 34 million years ago. The study suggests that prolonged absence of warm summers inhibited summer snow melt, leading to ice sheet growth.
A study suggests that high levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere led to rapid cooling and the formation of Antarctica's ice sheet. Fossil evidence from deep-sea core samples indicates cold-loving plankton were present in the waters east of Antarctica, contradicting theories that warm ocean currents kept the continent ice-free.
Researchers have discovered an 8,200-year-old sea-level record that suggests a catastrophic freshwater flood into the North Atlantic 8,200 years ago led to a sudden climate change. The finding provides new evidence for ocean current disruption and adds credibility to a popular theory.
Researchers analyzed three of Iris Murdoch's works, including her final novel, to study the effects of Alzheimer's on language. The findings suggest a decline in vocabulary and simplified language in her final novel, consistent with early stages of the disease.
The study combined three computer models to investigate the effect of surface waves and wind on hurricane dynamics. The team found a new characterization of the effect of surface waves on air-sea momentum under hurricane wind forcing, which is necessary for accurate predictions of track and intensity.
Physical oceanographers investigate how sea floor structure affects the Gulf Stream's meandering behavior. They discover a new mechanism, jet equilibration, where counter-currents lead to a nearly straight path.
Researchers studied coastal 'jet' south of Block Island, revealing strong seasonal variability in currents. Analysis showed that freshwater outflow from estuaries and wind stress drive the interplay behind this phenomenon, producing a stronger jet during summer and weaker flow during winter.
Climate modeling reveals that Antarctica's isolation allows the Gulf Stream to dictate warm conditions over Europe. The Antarctic circumpolar current separates the continent from warm subtropical waters, reducing its impact on global climate.
Researchers have found stable alternating bands of current on Earth that resemble those on Jupiter, both resulting from underlying turbulent flows. This similarity may hold clues to understanding planetary and oceanic circulations, with implications for climate research and future space observational studies.
Researchers found that increased Labrador water transport due to Gulf Stream movement actually decreases primary productivity, contrary to expected outcomes. This phenomenon may be linked to nutrient supply and influence large-scale climatic effects on the carbon cycle.
The subpolar gyre's weakening trend is attributed to heat exchanges from the ocean to the atmosphere playing a bigger role. This study, published on Science Express Web site, found Labrador Sea water warmed during the 1990s, reducing contrast with warmer southern latitudes and driving ocean circulation.
Researchers at the University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Oceanography have received a $1.1 million NSF grant to study the impact of Earth's rotation on ocean circulation and mixing. The grant will be used to simulate the rotation of the earth and investigate horizontal stirring in the ocean caused by small eddies.
Researchers developed a method to estimate background levels of heavy metals in soil, allowing for the estimation of manmade contamination worldwide. A new analysis of satellite data provided detailed information on tropical Atlantic surface current variability, which can be used to infer global ocean patterns. Additionally, a simple m...
The University of Delaware has launched a new, 146-foot coastal research vessel to replace its aging ship, Cape Henlopen. The vessel will feature state-of-the-art modular design and clean operation, meeting international underwater noise standards.
Scientists have developed a real-time operational forecast system using satellite data, providing accurate 3D ocean conditions and helping Coast Guard rescuers determine the direction of stranded individuals. The system uses multiple satellite measurements and sensor data to generate forecasts several days ahead.
Researchers discovered that the oldest Toba eruption, 788,000 years ago, may have triggered a glacial period rather than contributing to it. The study suggests that factors other than volcanism played a more significant role in governing glacial to interglacial transitions over the last 3 million years.
A new method to monitor sea surface temperatures and height in the North Pacific may help measure wind patterns and ocean dynamics, potentially improving fisheries management. Vegetation growth during warm months slows the increase in summer temperatures, but a temperature rise of 3-5 degrees Celsius could harm vegetation growth and ac...
A recent UCLA study found that Caribbean island lizards share genetic material due to ocean currents, which carry them from one island to another. This challenges the long-held assumption that species on separate islands evolve independently.
Researchers at Columbia Climate School have discovered that the majority of water in the Indonesian Throughflow flows below 300m below the surface, making it colder and deeper than thought. This finding has significant implications for understanding heat exchange between oceans and the atmosphere.
Phytoplankton's shift to red pigments occurred due to a global ocean oxygen depletion, which paved the way for their evolution. This discovery reveals how the ocean's chemistry has been dominated by red phytoplankton ever since.
Dr. S. Bradley Moran and his team will conduct field and modeling studies to assess and improve POC tracing methods, focusing on Th-234's variability in estimating export flux. The research aims to provide accurate information on mechanisms of estimating upper ocean POC export flux using thorium-234.
A team of scientists will search for marine organisms with potential to cure human maladies such as cancer and AIDS-related infections in the Gulf of Mexico. They will also explore abandoned oil rigs and an ancient shoreline, cataloging diversity of organisms and collecting new species.
Scientists have developed a new adaptation of seismic reflection profiling to create detailed pictures of oceanic features, including eddies and internal waves. This technique has the potential to improve our understanding of ocean mixing and its role in climate modeling.
Florida manatees face a deadly threat when water cools to 68 degrees Fahrenheit, leading to physiological events that weaken their immune systems. The discovery of cold stress syndrome's causes could improve treatment for affected manatees and inform plans to minimize power plant shutdowns' impact.
A study by OSU researchers found that their weather forecasting tool, AMPS, outperformed competing models in predicting extreme weather conditions at the South Pole. This achievement has implications for extending the limited summer research season and improving polar forecasting skills.
Dr. Thomas Rossby is recognized for his groundbreaking acoustically tracked floats and innovative methods to measure ocean currents, offering new insights into the North Atlantic circulation. His work has revolutionized our understanding of physical ocean processes using sound in the sea.
Researchers at the University of Florida have developed a new index that can accurately predict days with high risk of rip currents, allowing for timely lifeguard deployments and potential beach closures. The model was tested in Volusia County, where lifeguards reported an average of 686 rip-current rescues annually.
A team of researchers at an Arctic ice camp gather data to better understand the physical, biological, and chemical environment of the ice-covered ocean. They examine sea ice thickness, atmospheric mercury levels, and its impact on marine mammals.
A new study found that global warming could lead to abrupt changes in climate and sea level, with potential societal disruptions. The researchers discovered an Antarctic melting event that raised sea levels by 70 feet in under 500 years, causing widespread warming in the Northern Hemisphere.
The KESS research team will use cutting-edge technology to study the dynamical and thermodynamical processes controlling the Kuroshio Extension and its recirculation gyre. The study's findings will have significant implications for fisheries, climate research, and understanding storm tracks.
New research on corals from the Madracis genus reveals significant genetic variation among species, challenging traditional classifications. The study found two distinct species, while four others exhibited considerable overlap in genetic material, making identification difficult.
Researchers from PISCO integrate genetics, microchemistry, and computer mapping to understand coastal ecosystems. They discover coastal hotspots with abundant food and faster growth rates, and track larvae movements using mini-flight recorder technology.
The Pacific Ocean's sardine and anchovy regimes alternate every 25 years, affecting the marine food web and climate. These cycles are similar to El Niño events but take place over longer time periods.