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Oceanic crust formation is dynamic after all

Researchers have observed dynamic upwelling in the underlying mantle beneath a spreading center, leading to new crust formation. This finding resolves a long-standing debate regarding the relative importance of passive and dynamic upwelling in oceanic crust creation.

SourceBrown University·JournalNature·DateNov 25, 2009

Wind shifts may stir CO2 from Antarctic depths

A team of scientists suggests that shifting winds in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica may have triggered a rapid increase in carbon dioxide levels at the end of the last ice age. This mechanism could amplify manmade warming and has been supported by sediment core analysis, but other climate models disagree.

SourceColumbia Climate School·JournalScience·DateMar 12, 2009

Southern Ocean resistant to changing winds

New study reveals that despite increased wind speeds, Southern Ocean currents and upwelling patterns remain unchanged, contradicting previous concerns about the ocean's capacity to combat climate change. The research suggests that small-scale ocean eddies balance stronger winds, preventing a significant impact on carbon dioxide storage.

SourceCSIRO Australia·JournalNature Geoscience·DateDec 7, 2008

Newly discovered West Coast arrhythmias cause

A new synthesis of decades of atmospheric and oceanographic data reveals that wild fluctuations in winds and currents are changing the way scientists think about the future of ocean resources off the US West Coast. Key findings include repeated low oxygen zones larger than Rhode Island and massive die-offs of seabirds.

SourceSeaWeb·DateFeb 16, 2007

Hotspots or not? Isotopes score one for traditional theory

A recent study in Nature supports the traditional theory of mantle plumes as the source of volcanic islands. Researchers found a close correlation between modeled and observed ratios of uranium-series isotopes across eight island locations, allowing them to estimate changes in temperature, speed, and size of mantle plumes.

SourceBrown University·JournalNature·DateDec 6, 2006

Studies show global warming is likely to drive big changes in California's coastal waters

Computer simulations show that wind-driven upwelling along the California coast will intensify over the next 50 years due to increased carbon dioxide concentrations. The upwelling season is expected to extend further into the fall, supporting some of the observational work showing a trend toward increased upwelling intensity.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Cruz·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateDec 17, 2003

Why Is Africa So High?

Scientists discover African Superswell is caused by hot mantle material rising from the core-mantle boundary, elevating southern Africa and driving tectonic plates. This phenomenon, known as dynamic topography, reveals a link between deep mantle dynamics and surface features.