An increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations helped end the last ice age. But what caused the carbon dioxide increase in the first place? A team of scientists used the fossilized skeletons of deep-sea corals to find out. Amanda SemlerI’m a PhD candidate in Earth System Science at Stanford University, and I study how microbes […]
Coral reefs are under threat due to a warming climate. Learn about a technologically-savvy new way to counteract the effects of these warmer temperatures: Artificial Upwelling systems. Amanda SemlerI’m a PhD candidate in Earth System Science at Stanford University, and I study how microbes in deep ocean sediments produce and consume greenhouse gases. I’m a […]
Corals in Panama begin to find refuge in areas where upwelling of cooler water occurs. Is this behavior just a temporary fix in the face of climate change? Constance SartorConstance is a graduate student at the University of Guam studying coral genetics. She also paints murals integrating art and science at various aquariums and scientific […]
A large volcanic eruption in 2018 deposited tons of lava into the Pacific Ocean. Scientists were puzzled that the lava-impacted region of the ocean had explosive growth of microalgae called phytoplankton. They discovered that the lava was heating nutrient-rich waters at the seafloor, which made them rise up to the surface. Channing PrendI’m a physical […]
The transport of water from the deep ocean to the surface has many important impacts on global climate. By releasing virtual particles into climate models and tracking the pathways they take to reach the surface, this study finds that upwelling occurs much more quickly than previously thought. This result has implications for long-term climate projections. […]
A team of scientists used underwater ocean gliders to measure ocean turbulence and mixing along the Antarctic continental slope and their results are changing our understanding of the 3-dimensional circulation of the Southern Ocean. Veronica TamsittI’m a PhD student at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla California. My research is focused on the Southern […]
A group of scientists mapped the pathways of deep water to the sea surface in three-dimensions for the first time, finding that most upwelling happens at key spots of swirling eddies near undersea ridges and mountains. Veronica TamsittI’m a PhD student at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla California. My research is focused on […]
The bad news: coastal frozen sediments in the Arctic are melting and emitting methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. But there is good news: this methane release is accompanied by significant carbon dioxide absorption by seawater, enough to result in a net cooling effect for the atmosphere. Find out how these methane seeps […]
The regional impacts of ocean acidification are unclear. Researchers measured pH in the intertidal waters off the western coast of the United States. Read more to find out if the water pH was consistent along the coast and whether it is higher or lower than the global average pH of 8.1. Victoria TreadawayI am a […]
Researchers are using centuries of tree growth data to understand variability in upwelling, productivity and marine ecosystem health in the California Current. Brian CaccioppoliI am a recent graduate (Dec. 2015) from the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, with a M.S. in Oceanography. My research interests include the use of geophysical mapping techniques […]
In 1990, Andrew Bakun hypothesized that warming temperatures and changes in sea-level pressure gradients would lead to warm season intensification of upwelling favorable winds. This highlighted study puts his hypothesis to the test by analyzing historical wind trend data in four eastern boundary current systems of the world. The strength and spatial extent of upwelling […]