Oceanography

Subtropical Waters Flushing Through Greenland, Driving Glacial Melting

Subtropical waters are reaching Greenland's glaciers and likely triggering an acceleration of ice loss, reports a team of researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and the University of Maine. "This is the first time we ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 16 2010 - 8:03pm

Measuring The Changing Climate's Impact On Ocean Biology

A three-year field program now underway is measuring carbon distributions and primary productivity in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean to help determine the impacts of a changing climate on ocean biology and biogeochemistry. The study will also help validate o ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 25 2010 - 4:18pm

Hydrothermal Venting On The Pacific Antarctic Ridge?

Scientists writing this week in Geophysical Research Letters say they have pinpointed six spots on the remote Pacific Antarctic Ridge, 1,000 miles from the west coast of Antarctica, where they think  hydrothermal vents are likely to be found. Two pieces of ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 3 2010 - 1:01pm

Aquatic 'Dead Zones' Exacerbate Global Warming, Contribute To Ozone 'Holes'

 Increased amounts of nitrous oxide (N2O) produced in low-oxygen (hypoxic) waters can elevate concentrations in the atmosphere, further exacerbating the impacts of global warming and contributing to ozone "holes", according to a new article publi ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 11 2010 - 7:33pm

No Slow Down In Atlantic "Conveyor Belt," Satellites Show

Satellite measurements of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), part of the global ocean conveyor belt that helps regulate climate around the North Atlantic, show no significant slowing over the past 15 years and suggest that the circulat ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 25 2010 - 5:38pm

Atlantic 'Conveyor Belt' Not Slowing Says NASA

PASADENA, Calif.- New NASA measurements of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, part of the global ocean conveyor belt that helps regulate climate around the North Atlantic, show no significant slowing over the past 15 years. The data suggest t ...

Blog Post - Richard Mankiewicz - Mar 26 2010 - 2:24am

Effects Of Ocean Acidification Could Be Widespread

Marine ecosystems could be radically altered by ocean acidification resulting from increasing levels of atmospheric CO2, say researchers presenting at the Society for General Microbiology's spring meeting. As a result of it's impact on fish stock ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 29 2010 - 5:50pm

Scientists Investigate Origins Of Sea Floor Supervolcanoes

Supervolcanoes have been blamed for multiple mass extinctions in Earth's history. But despite their global impact, their origin and triggering mechanisms have remained unexplained. New data obtained during a recent Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (I ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 9 2010 - 12:35pm

Deepest Undersea Volcanic Vents Discovered In Caribbean

the world's deepest undersea volcanic vents, known as 'black smokers' have been discovered in the Cayman Trough 3.1 Miles beneath the surface of the Caribbean Sea. Using a remotely controlled, deep-diving vehicle, scientists uncovered slende ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 12 2010 - 10:54am

Intensified Water Cycle Linked To Ocean Salinity Changes

The world's water cycle has already intensified and the changes are consistent with predictions made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, according to  new research in the Journal of Climate. The stronger water cycle means arid regions ha ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 16 2010 - 12:49pm