A study has found that the ocean skin – a thin upper ocean layer – significantly impacts ocean carbon uptake, affecting the global ocean carbon sink
A groundbreaking study reveals that the ocean skin, a barely perceptible layer less than one millimetre thick, has emerged as a vital player in regulating ocean carbon uptake.
This have soled the puzzle of helping reducing carbon emissions. This is important considering that the ocean takes some of the largest impact of climate change.
Scientists have long been puzzled by the skin’s role in carbon absorption and the global ocean carbon sink.
Influence on ocean carbon uptake
With 26% of human-generated carbon dioxide emissions being absorbed by the ocean between 2011 and 2020, understanding the factors influencing carbon sequestration is paramount in addressing the carbon cycle and climate change.
Hugo Bellenger and his team embarked on a 15-year study (2000-2014), utilising an Earth system model to investigate the influence of oceanic temperature and salinity gradients in representing the ocean skin. Their findings, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, provide the first model-based estimate of the ocean skin’s impact on ocean-atmosphere carbon dioxide exchange.
Dynamic skin’s effect on carbon sequestration
Integrating the ocean skin representation in the Earth system model resulted in a 15% increase in the simulated ocean carbon sink—consistent with previous estimates.
However, the researchers observed a significant reduction in this effect when they allowed the ocean skin to react to changing ocean carbon concentrations in the model. With a dynamic skin, the contribution to the simulated ocean carbon sink decreased to approximately 5%.
Importance for future climate modelling
The study highlights the necessity of incorporating ocean skin into future climate and carbon modelling efforts. By doing so, a more precise model can be developed, reducing regional errors in carbon dioxide flux.
The interactive parameterisation of the ocean skin offers critical insights for policymakers and scientists striving to address climate change and manage carbon emissions effectively.
The research underscores the ocean skin’s role in carbon uptake and emphasises the broader significance of understanding its functioning in marine processes.
The ocean skin significantly influences global climate patterns and carbon cycling by orchestrating heat and chemical exchange between the ocean and atmosphere through diffusion.
Unlocking the mysteries of ocean skin is crucial
In conclusion, unlocking the mysteries of the ocean skin is a crucial step in comprehending and combating climate change.
With the ocean acting as a significant carbon sink, grasping the factors impacting its efficiency is indispensable for developing effective strategies to address the pressing challenges of the climate crisis.
The study’s findings will shape future research efforts and contribute to informed decision-making in the global fight against climate change.
