The Southern Ocean continues absorbing significant amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide despite climate models predicting reduced capacity. Researchers have identified freshwater input from melting ice as the unexpected factor maintaining this crucial climate function.
Unexpected Climate Buffer Discovered in Southern Ocean
Climate scientists have identified a surprising mechanism that has allowed the Southern Ocean to maintain its crucial role in absorbing atmospheric carbon dioxide despite climate model predictions suggesting this capacity would decline, according to a new study published in Nature Climate Change. The research reveals how changing water properties have temporarily offset anticipated reductions in the ocean’s carbon sink function.