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Published on: July 28, 2023
Chapter 1. Impacts of the oceans on climate change
Philip C Reid1, Astrid C Fischer, Emily Lewis-Brown
1Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, United Kingdom.
Advances in Marine Biology
|November 10, 2009
Summary
Oceans regulate climate by absorbing greenhouse gases, but warming oceans and acidification threaten this buffering capacity. Urgent global ocean observation is needed to accurately model climate change feedbacks.
Area of Science:
- Oceanography
- Climate Science
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Oceans are critical climate regulators, absorbing atmospheric heat and carbon dioxide (CO2).
- Rising global temperatures and CO2 levels are causing significant, rapid changes in ocean systems.
- Ocean acidification, a direct result of CO2 uptake, impacts marine life and biogeochemical cycles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine how ocean regulatory processes change in response to climate change.
- To assess the potential for positive ocean feedbacks to exacerbate global warming.
- To highlight the inadequacy of current ocean observation systems for climate modeling.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing scientific literature on oceanographic and climate change interactions.
- Analysis of data on sea temperature, sea level, and ocean CO2 uptake.
- Assessment of polar region responses and ice-ocean dynamics.
Main Results:
- Accelerating sea temperature rise and sea-level increase are evident.
- Ocean CO2 uptake is approximately 40% of anthropogenic emissions, but may decrease.
- Polar regions exhibit rapid climate change responses, with potential for methane release.
- Ocean acidification is impacting marine ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles.
- Antarctic ice sheets show rapid deflation linked to oceanic heat flux.
Conclusions:
- Oceanic buffering of climate change is diminishing, with potential for positive feedbacks.
- Inadequate ocean observation systems hinder accurate climate change modeling.
- Failure to incorporate ocean feedbacks may lead to underestimation of necessary climate mitigation actions.
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