Mānoa: Oceans absorb 6% more carbon thanks to rain
Streams and rivers carry dissolved inorganic carbon into the ocean.
A new study by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa finds that the ocean absorbs 6% more carbon than previously thought, thanks to rain. The study, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, is the first to quantify the amount of carbon that is carried into the ocean by rain.
The study´s findings could have implications for our understanding of the global carbon cycle.
The global carbon cycle is the process by which carbon moves through the Earth´s atmosphere, oceans, and land. The ocean is a major sink for carbon, absorbing about a quarter of the carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere by human activities. However, the amount of carbon that is absorbed by the ocean has been uncertain.
The new study provides a more accurate estimate of the amount of carbon that is absorbed by the ocean.
The study's findings could have implications for our understanding of the global carbon cycle. The study suggests that the ocean may be absorbing more carbon than previously thought, which could help to slow the rate of climate change.
The study was conducted by a team of researchers led by Dr. Craig Carlson, a professor in the Department of Oceanography at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
The researchers used a combination of field measurements and computer models to estimate the amount of carbon that is carried into the ocean by rain. The researchers found that rain carries about 0.25 petagrams of carbon into the ocean each year. This is equivalent to about 6% of the carbon that is absorbed by the ocean from the atmosphere.
The researchers say that their findings could have implications for our understanding of the global carbon cycle.
The study's findings could have implications for our understanding of the global carbon cycle. The study suggests that the ocean may be absorbing more carbon than previously thought, which could help to slow the rate of climate change.
The researchers say that more research is needed to better understand the role of rain in the global carbon cycle.
The researchers say that more research is needed to better understand the role of rain in the global carbon cycle. The researchers plan to conduct further studies to investigate the factors that control the amount of carbon that is carried into the ocean by rain.
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