Oceanographic research is essential to understand climate change because oceans play a crucial role in regulating the climate by absorbing heat and carbon dioxide, thus influencing global climate phenomena.
Oceans play a major role in climate balance, particularly due to their ability to absorb a huge amount of heat from the sun. By capturing and redistributing this heat, they prevent abrupt temperature changes between the poles and the equator, thus serving as a true thermal buffer for the planet. Additionally, the ocean regularly stores and releases carbon dioxide (CO₂) present in the atmosphere, directly influencing the climate. Without the ocean in this regulatory role, our planet would experience extreme and much more unstable temperatures.
Oceans absorb a large part of the heat coming from the atmosphere: about 90% of the additional heat related to human activities ends up there. They therefore store a huge amount of energy, temporarily mitigating warming at the surface. But beware, it doesn't disappear: this heat gradually comes back out, altering ocean currents and climates. Oceans also play a crucial role as a carbon sink. They absorb nearly a quarter of the CO₂ that we emit each year from burning fossil fuels. Without this, the situation would already be much more critical. But this carbon storage comes at a cost: the water becomes more acidic, seriously threatening marine ecosystems.
Oceans are quite a machine for predicting the climate. By observing phenomena like El Niño and La Niña, researchers gain a better understanding of how the weather evolves over the long term. These oceanic cycles disrupt temperatures and precipitation all around the planet: thus, studying them helps to predict droughts, floods, or even hurricanes. Satellites, floats, and buoys continuously analyze changes in temperature, salinity, and underwater currents. Thanks to these direct observations, scientists calibrate their climate models to more accurately anticipate what our climate will look like in the coming years and decades.
Oceans absorb a very large amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) produced by our human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels or deforestation. By capturing this surplus CO₂, the water transforms: it becomes more acidic, a phenomenon known as ocean acidification. And this is not trivial... Because acidification alters the biochemical balance of the oceans, making life more complicated for many marine species, especially those equipped with shells or calcium carbonate skeletons like corals, oysters, or plankton. This affects the entire marine food chain and disrupts whole ecosystems. Observing these changes allows us to measure precisely how much the climate is evolving, which makes the oceans true warning signals regarding global climate health.
Ocean currents act like immense conveyor belts that move heat around the planet: the best-known example is surely the Gulf Stream, which warms the climate of Western Europe. When these currents operate normally, they balance temperature differences between the warm regions of the equator and the cold areas near the poles. If their path or intensity changes, it seriously alters global weather conditions, with consequences for rainfall patterns, droughts, and even storms. Understanding their changes helps us anticipate the effects of climate change and predict potential large-scale disruptions.
The El Niño phenomenon, triggered by an abnormal warming of the waters in the equatorial Pacific, influences the climatic conditions of entire regions, causing droughts, heavy rains, and hurricanes around the globe.
The average depth of the oceans on Earth is about 3,700 meters. However, more than 80% of these marine areas remain largely unexplored, representing a huge potential for future scientific research.
The oceans produce about 50% of the oxygen on Earth, largely due to the activity of phytoplankton, these tiny marine plant organisms that also absorb a significant amount of carbon dioxide.
The Great Barrier Reef in Australia regularly loses parts of its reef due to ocean acidification and warming waters, concretely illustrating the immediate consequences of climate change.
Yes, climate change can alter the salinity and density of ocean waters, risking the slowdown or disruption of major ocean currents like the Gulf Stream. Such a change would have significant consequences for regional climates and global weather patterns.
Each of us can take action by reducing our carbon emissions (through sustainable transportation, reducing energy waste), limiting the use of single-use plastics, and actively supporting policies that protect the oceans and their ecosystems.
Ocean acidification is caused by the increased absorption of carbon dioxide (CO₂). This phenomenon alters the pH of marine waters, directly affecting marine organisms such as corals and shellfish. In the long term, this can lead to significant disruptions in marine ecosystems and impact human food resources.
Ocean currents ensure a circulation of warm and cold water around the globe, redistributing heat to different continents. For example, the North Atlantic Drift (an extension of the Gulf Stream) significantly warms Northern Europe, allowing it to enjoy a relatively mild climate for its latitude.
Scientists use a variety of tools, such as satellites, underwater drones (autonomous robots), oceanographic buoys, sensors mounted on ships, and complex computer models that simulate large-scale marine climate interactions.
The ocean stores and redistributes a large amount of heat from the sun, significantly influencing climate patterns. It also absorbs a remarkable quantity of atmospheric carbon dioxide, helping to regulate the greenhouse effect and thus the global climate.
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