Articles tagged with Seawater
Research from the University of East Anglia reveals that the Southern Ocean's carbon sink has reinvigorated after a decade of stagnant absorption. The team attributes this change to shifts in wind patterns and temperature, which have led to increased upwelling of deep waters containing higher concentrations of dissolved CO2.
Researchers found that elephant seals shed significant amounts of mercury during molting, resulting in high concentrations of the toxic metal in coastal waters. The study reveals a previously unrecognized source of mercury contamination in coastal waters, highlighting the need for further monitoring and mitigation efforts.
Tropical Storm Ignacio is weakening as it moves over colder Pacific waters, with the Global Precipitation Measurement mission analyzing its precipitation patterns. The storm has decreased in intensity from a category four hurricane to a strong tropical storm, with maximum sustained winds near 75 mph.
Typhoon Goni is weakening due to increasing vertical wind shear and interaction with southern Japan's land. Forecasters predict the storm will make landfall in Kyushu, Japan on August 25 before moving north through the Sea of Japan.
Typhoon Atsani intensified with heavy rainfall rates exceeding 90 mm/h, reaching 16.8 km in height. NASA's GPM analysis predicts it will become a super-typhoon by August 20, posing a threat to the Pacific Ocean.
A study by University College London found that warm, stagnant water from the deep Arctic Ocean and Nordic Seas contributed to the end of the last Ice Age. The researchers used proxy data to reconstruct past ocean circulation changes, which showed a warmer deep Arctic Mediterranean during glacial times.
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin pioneered a new technique to track subglacial discharge in tidewater glaciers. This method is essential for understanding how glaciers are melting and changing due to climate shifts.
A UGA researcher is urging the academic community, federal responders, and the oil and gas industry to collect more baseline data in the world's oceans to establish critical environmental baselines. This data is essential for documenting anthropogenic perturbations, such as oil spills, and preparing for future disaster response.
The Galápagos penguin population has doubled over the past 30 years due to changes in wind currents and ocean temperatures. This expansion of the cold pool, where sea surface temperatures are below 22 degrees Celsius, has bolstered algae and fish numbers, supporting the penguin population.
A study found that simulated seawater flooding significantly reduced growth of sensitive vegetable seedlings. Salt-tolerant varieties like spinach, eggplant, and tomato showed less damage, with some experiencing a 43-67% reduction in photosynthetic rate after two weeks.
Researchers have tracked the movement of internal waves in the South China Sea, revealing that they are generated daily from internal tides. These massive underwater waves can reach heights of over 170 meters and travel hundreds of kilometers, playing a crucial role in global climate regulation and marine ecosystems.
Scientists analyzed ocean temperature measurements, finding a layer between 300-1,000 feet below the surface has been accumulating more heat than previously recognized. This warming will drive a surge in global surface warming as warm water moves westward, affecting surface temperatures and climate patterns.
A new study by University of Utah researchers shows that two-thirds of the remaining water after rainfall is released by plants, while more than a quarter lands on leaves and evaporates. The study also found that only 38% of water entering groundwater interacts with soil before reaching streams and groundwater.
A new study reveals that chemical-laden plumes from hydrothermal vents can be traced across the Pacific for over 4,000 kilometers and impact global ocean chemistry. The iron transported by these plumes has the potential to serve as a key life-sustaining micro-nutrient in the surface oceans of Antarctica.
Tropical Storm Linfa has strengthened in the South China Sea, with maximum sustained winds reaching 50 knots (57.5 mph) on July 7. The storm is moving northwards between Luzon and Taiwan, forecast to make landfall in mainland China.
Research reveals Alaskan coastal waters may struggle to support shellfish hatcheries due to ocean acidification, with potential impacts on the industry by 2040. The study highlights the need for effective monitoring and mitigation efforts to ensure the long-term sustainability of shellfish farming in Alaska.
A new study suggests that retreating sea ice in the Iceland and Greenland Seas may be changing the Atlantic Ocean's circulation patterns. This shift could lead to a cooling of western Europe as the Gulf Stream weakens, resulting from reduced oceanic convection.
Researchers found that Elegant Terns have expanded their breeding range from the Gulf of California into Southern California, driven by declining productivity in the Gulf. The study suggests that ocean warming and overfishing are causing ecological collapse in the region.
A new study by UC Santa Cruz scientists reveals the 'hydrothermal siphon' drives global ocean water circulation through the seafloor. The process is sustained by fluid flow and heat transfer through thousands of extinct underwater volcanoes, with smaller seamounts favored as sites of discharge.
Tropical Storm Kujira made landfall on Hainan Island, China, with surface wind speeds near 65 knots, according to NASA's RapidScat data. The storm then moved into the Gulf of Tonkin, where it was centered near 20.1 North latitude and 107.8 East longitude, with maximum sustained winds near 35 knots.
Research teams from GEOMAR and CAU discover the Southeast Pacific has been significantly underestimated as a source of nitrous oxide. Continuous measurement data show the region emits up to 1.4 megatons of nitrous oxide each year, exceeding similar areas in other tropical oceans.
A new study finds that Alaska's glaciers are losing mass exceptionally fast due to surface melting, overshadowing iceberg calving, and making climate-related melting the primary driver of global sea level change. This will have significant implications for future sea level projections and models.
Researchers found that the Abu Dabbab earthquakes are caused by an active fault that slides along a rigid block of igneous rock, lubricated by fluids from the Red Sea. This unique setup allows high-frequency sounds of earthquakes to rise through the rock with little weakening of the acoustic signal.
Researchers studied the western Grand Canyon and found that it must be younger than a fault slip that occurred 18 to 12 million years ago. The data also suggest that the notion of the canyon starting to erode about six million years ago is still the best scientific idea for its age.
Researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution discovered that methane formation occurs independently of venting process and is produced on geological time scales deep beneath seafloor. Abiotic compound formate is formed during vent circulation process, providing evidence for purely chemical processes in origin of life.
Researchers found that Greenland's inland lakes are unlikely to drain rapidly and exacerbate sea-level rise. Instead, they will likely drain through surface stream runoff, transferring water to coastal areas of the ice sheet.
A NASA spacecraft will use radar equipment developed in Antarctica to scan Europa for potential water plumes and habitable conditions, driven by evidence of an ocean beneath the thick ice cover.
A new study has identified a critical piece of evidence for how the Earth responds to changes in climate, finding that cold water influx from icebergs altered rainfall patterns and led to rapid increases in atmospheric methane. The findings suggest that Heinrich events, which caused huge icebergs to enter the North Atlantic, had a sign...
NASA has selected two Southwest Research Institute instruments, a mass spectrometer and ultraviolet spectrograph, to investigate Jupiter's fourth-largest moon, Europa. The mission will explore potential life in the outer solar system and study the moon's subsurface ocean.
A CU-Boulder instrument, SUDA, has been selected for a NASA mission to Jupiter's icy moon Europa to measure surface particles and study the moon's hidden ocean. The mission aims to understand the prerequisites of life in the solar system.
Glaciers on the Southern Antarctic Peninsula have been destabilized and are melting at accelerated rates since 2009, contributing significantly to rising sea levels. Warming ocean currents and changes in wind circulation are thought to be the primary causes of this phenomenon.
Researchers detected a sudden onset of ice loss in Antarctica's Southern Antarctic Peninsula, with glaciers shedding 55 trillion liters of water annually. The region's ice loss shows no signs of waning and is attributed to warming oceans.
Researchers demonstrate that ocean microbes control the chemistry of sea spray ejected into the atmosphere, affecting cloud formation and sunlight scattering. The study reveals the importance of complex interactions between microbes in seawater, which influence the composition and cloud-forming ability of sea spray aerosol.
A 55-million-year-old global warming event triggered a highly corrosive deep-water current in the North Atlantic Ocean. Researchers recreated the ocean basins and land masses of that time using a global climate model to understand how this event occurred.
Researchers discovered that a 55 million-year-old ocean current, formed by the North Atlantic's shape and changes in ocean currents, caused more severe acidification than other oceans during the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum. This event may have implications for today's climate sensitivity to increasing carbon dioxide.
Researchers at the University of Oregon have found that water plays a key role in forming magma and producing explosive volcanoes in the Cascade Range. The discovery, driven by computer modeling and data from olivine-rich basalt samples, helps solve a puzzle about plate tectonics and the Earth's deep water cycle.
Researchers found that ocean currents strongly affect methane-consuming bacterial populations in Arctic cold seeps, controlling their prevalence and methane consumption rates. Fluctuations in these communities were linked to changes in water temperature and salinity.
A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that ocean fronts increase total ecosystem biomass and fisheries production. By incorporating front dynamics into current climate models, researchers found that these regions can aggregate food and resources, leading to higher productivity in the ocean.
A study published in Nature Geoscience found that ocean currents can significantly impact the removal of methane from seawater. The researchers discovered that fluctuations in current strength and variability control the prevalence of methanotrophic bacteria, leading to reduced methane consumption.
The Capitanian extinction, dated to 262 million years ago, is now recognized as a major extinction event globally, with severe losses in brachiopods at high latitudes and widespread loss of carbonates across the Boreal Realm. This new evidence supports its status as a true mass extinction, updating the 'Big 5' list to the 'Big 6'.
A long-lived patch of warm water off the West Coast has been wreaking havoc on US weather patterns, causing droughts, unusual fish sightings, and altering marine ecosystems. The study also explores its connection to the 'polar vortex' and finds a link between the Pacific Ocean's surface temperatures and extreme winter conditions.
Researchers at OIST found that the energy lost to friction between falling rain and whipping winds in a typhoon can lessen its destructive force by as much as 30 percent. This discovery significantly reduces the margins of error in predicting typhoon intensity, which is crucial for anticipating damages and minimizing loss of lives.
A University of New Hampshire professor has identified a new source of abiotic methane for gas hydrates in the Arctic Ocean, suggesting a previously undiscovered stable reservoir. The findings indicate that gas hydrates throughout the Arctic may be supplied by a significant portion of abiotic gas.
A study published this week found that over 6.3 million people may be exposed to antibiotic-resistant bacteria while engaging in water sports, with surfers and swimmers at highest risk. The research highlights the importance of maintaining good water quality standards to minimize exposure to these harmful microbes.
A study published in Science reveals that swirling ocean currents, known as eddies, play a significant role in delivering carbon from phytoplankton blooms to the deep ocean. The research, led by Melissa Omand, found that these currents transport small, non-sinking phytoplankton cells to depths of up to 1,000 meters.
The study found that the Atlantic Ocean's overturning has been weakening since 1970, mainly caused by freshwater from melting Greenland ice sheets. This could lead to major negative effects on ocean ecosystems, fisheries, and regional sea-level rise.
A new study suggests that ocean pipes would increase global warming due to decreased cloud cover and increased sea-ice melting, rather than cooling the Earth as predicted.
Cyclone Nathan strengthened to hurricane force as it approached landfall in Queensland's Cape York Peninsula, with sustained winds increasing to over 30 meters per second. The storm was moving west at 6 knots and generating rough seas, threatening coastal erosion upon landfall.
Researchers say engineered CNT membranes have potential to tackle water purification challenges, offering purified water with reduced energy consumption. However, hurdles remain, including high production costs and need for uniform pore distribution.
Researchers discovered two seafloor gateways that allow warm ocean water to reach the base of Totten Glacier in East Antarctica. This finding explains the glacier's rapid thinning and raises concerns about sea level rise. The study highlights the importance of understanding the role of oceanic gateways in glacier melting.
Research suggests that heterothermy, a metabolic adaptation, enabled land mammals to survive on drifting vegetation rafts and establish populations on Madagascar. Delayed childbirth and prolonged sperm storage also facilitated colonization by allowing females to reach the island with unborn offspring.
Researchers found daily rhythms in metabolism among microbial communities in different ocean habitats, with common photoautotrophs initiating a cascade effect. This work suggests that microbial communities behave similarly across entire ocean basins.
Scientists confirm an underground saltwater ocean on Ganymede, estimated to be 60 miles thick and buried under a 95-mile crust of ice. This discovery could open up possibilities for life beyond Earth and is made possible by the unique capabilities of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.
A new study by a team of Cassini mission scientists led by the University of Colorado Boulder has found evidence of hydrothermal activity on Enceladus, a Saturn moon with remarkable geologic activity. The tiny grains of rock detected near Saturn imply that seawater infiltrates and reacts with a rocky crust, emerging as a heated, minera...
Scientists at the University of Southampton found that ocean tides have increased by 1-2 mm per year globally, with some sites experiencing changes comparable to global mean sea level rise. This has significant implications for energy extraction, coastal flooding and erosion, navigation and sediment movement.
Researchers at CU-Boulder propose that water trapped deep below Earth's crust may have flooded the lower crust, creating buoyancy and lift, which could explain the region's high elevation. This mechanism is supported by past seismic studies showing a correlation between crustal thickness/density and elevation.
Scientists have estimated that Mars once had a massive ocean covering 19% of its surface, which would have made the planet habitable for longer. The new research uses detailed observations of water in Mars' atmosphere to determine the amount of water lost over time.
Researchers study ionosphere irregularities to improve GPS communications and investigate nutrient upwelling in the Salish Sea. The study reveals that estuary-enhanced upwelling in the Strait of Juan de Fuca is a critical source of nitrogen, driving enhanced upwelling and influencing marine life.
A team of researchers found that sea levels rose by an average of four inches along the Northeast Coast from New York to Newfoundland, causing flooding independent of hurricanes or winter storms. The extreme increase was linked to changes in ocean circulation and the North Atlantic Oscillation.
A study by Alfred Wegener Institute finds that ocean acidification negatively impacts diatom growth in the Southern Ocean, particularly under changing light conditions. Diatoms' biomass production could be drastically reduced in future scenarios with more acidic water.