You are here

Home

Recent Changes in the Ventilation of the Southern Oceans

Primary tabs

Wed, 2013-02-06 21:51 — Kathy Gilbeaux

sciencemag.org - Darryn W. Waugh1,Francois Primeau2,Tim DeVries3,Mark Holzer4 - February 1, 2013

Abstract

Surface westerly winds in the Southern Hemisphere have intensified over the past few decades, primarily in response to the formation of the Antarctic ozone hole, and there is intense debate on the impact of this on the ocean's circulation and uptake and redistribution of atmospheric gases. We used measurements of chlorofluorocarbon-12 (CFC-12) made in the southern oceans in the early 1990s and mid- to late 2000s to examine changes in ocean ventilation. Our analysis of the CFC-12 data reveals a decrease in the age of subtropical subantarctic mode waters and an increase in the age of circumpolar deep waters, suggesting that the formation of the Antarctic ozone hole has caused large-scale coherent changes in the ventilation of the southern oceans.

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/339/6119/568.abstract

Science 1 February 2013:
Vol. 339 no. 6119 pp. 568-570
DOI: 10.1126/science.1225411

Country / Region Tags: 
Global
General Topic Tags: 
Climate
Problem, Solution, SitRep, or ?: 
Situation Report
Groups this Group Post belongs to: 
Climate Change Working Group

Comments

Wed, 2013-02-06 21:58 — Kathy Gilbeaux

May Lead To Decrease In Carbon Dioxide Absorption

huffingtonpost.com - by Lauren Morello - February 1, 2013

High above Antarctica, the atmosphere is slowly recovering from the decades-long barrage of manmade chemicals that ate a hole in the protective ozone layer.

But the legacy of that destruction lingers. Scientists have linked the ozone hole that forms each Antarctic spring high above Earth to changes in the fierce band of westerly winds that swirls around Antarctica.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

howdy folks
Page loaded in 0.360 seconds.