Nature & Environment
World's Oceans Impact Climate Far More Than Previously Thought by Forming Clouds
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Sep 30, 2015 07:07 AM EDT
It turns out that the surface of the oceans may impact climate far more than once thought. Scientists have found that the oceans seem to produce significantly more isoprene than first estimated, which may affect climate conditions.
Isoprene is a gas that's formed by both vegetation and the oceans. It's important to the climate since the gas can form particles that can become clouds and then later affect temperature and precipitation. Previously, researchers believed that isoprene was primarily caused by biological processes from plankton in seawater. Now, though, researchers have found that isoprene can also be formed without biological processes in surface film of the oceans by sunlight.
In this latest study, the researchers took samples from the Northern Atlantic Ocean near Bergen in Norway. They collected the film from the surface of the water and then analyzed them carefully. It became clear that isoprene was produced in magnitudes that were previously attributed solely to plankton.
The researchers found that about .3 megatons of isoprene are emitted per year locally. Global simulations, though, show emissions of about 1.9 megatons per year. In addition, the newly discovered photochemical pathway along could contribute .2 to 3.5 megatons per year additionally and could explain recent disagreements.
"The existence of the organic films at the ocean surface due to biological activities therefore influences the exchange processes between air and sea in an unexpected strong way," said Hartmut Herrmann, one of the researchers, in a news release. "The photochemical processes at this interface could be a very significant source of isoprene."
The findings reveal a bit more about the oceans and show that when it comes to climate regulation, our world's seas play a major role.
The findings are published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.
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First Posted: Sep 30, 2015 07:07 AM EDT
It turns out that the surface of the oceans may impact climate far more than once thought. Scientists have found that the oceans seem to produce significantly more isoprene than first estimated, which may affect climate conditions.
Isoprene is a gas that's formed by both vegetation and the oceans. It's important to the climate since the gas can form particles that can become clouds and then later affect temperature and precipitation. Previously, researchers believed that isoprene was primarily caused by biological processes from plankton in seawater. Now, though, researchers have found that isoprene can also be formed without biological processes in surface film of the oceans by sunlight.
In this latest study, the researchers took samples from the Northern Atlantic Ocean near Bergen in Norway. They collected the film from the surface of the water and then analyzed them carefully. It became clear that isoprene was produced in magnitudes that were previously attributed solely to plankton.
The researchers found that about .3 megatons of isoprene are emitted per year locally. Global simulations, though, show emissions of about 1.9 megatons per year. In addition, the newly discovered photochemical pathway along could contribute .2 to 3.5 megatons per year additionally and could explain recent disagreements.
"The existence of the organic films at the ocean surface due to biological activities therefore influences the exchange processes between air and sea in an unexpected strong way," said Hartmut Herrmann, one of the researchers, in a news release. "The photochemical processes at this interface could be a very significant source of isoprene."
The findings reveal a bit more about the oceans and show that when it comes to climate regulation, our world's seas play a major role.
The findings are published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Related Stories
New York City May Risk Future Flooding as Climate Change Worsens
Pizzly Bears: Warmer Climate Leads to Hybridization
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone