Deep ocean warming as climate changes

New research suggests that most of the excess heat in the North Atlantic is in the deep ocean.

Humans have caused most of the warming in the oceans. In the North Atlantic, the majority of the warming is held in the deep ocean.

The deep ocean will warm by 0.2 degrees C in the next 50 years, according to researchers from the University of Exeter and the University of Brest.

Ocean warming can have a range of consequences.

As our planet warms, it's vital to understand how the excess heat taken up by the ocean is redistributed in the ocean interior all the way from the surface to the bottom, and it is important to take into account the deep ocean to assess the growth of Earth.

As well as finding that the deep ocean is holding much of this excess heat, our research shows how ocean currents redistribute heat to different regions.

The redistribution was found to be a key driver of warming in the North Atlantic.

The researchers studied the system of currents.

AMOC works like a conveyer belt, carrying warm water from the tropics north to the deep ocean.

Warming transferring by AMOC from one region to another is highlighted in the findings.

Excess heat from the Southern Hemisphere is becoming important in the North Atlantic, accounting for 25% of excess heat.

The study used temperature records and chemical make-up to discover the past changes in the ocean.

The paper, published in the Nature journal Communications Earth and Environment, states that the redistribution of excess heat is a key driver of warming in the North Atlantic.

More information: The redistribution of anthropogenic excess heat is a key driver of warming in the North Atlantic, Communications Earth & Environment (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s43247-022-00443-4 Journal information: Communications Earth & Environment Citation: Deep ocean warming as climate changes (2022, May 17) retrieved 17 May 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-05-deep-ocean-climate.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.