Posted on 08/22/2014 6:04:22 AM PDT by corlorde
The Atlantic ocean could be contributing to the 'pause' in global warming by drawing down heat by nearly a mile, according to a new study.
The research from the University of Washington shows that heat from the surface is plunging deep in the north and south Atlantic, affecting the balance between incoming heat and heat radiated back into the atmosphere. The study is published in Science.
Recent measurements of ocean temperature made by thousands of buoys and observations of Earth's radiative energy by satellite instruments have shown that the Earth is warming up. In fact, Earth's heating rate increased between the 1985-1999 and 2000-2012 periods.
But this increased heating has not directly corresponded with surface warming - and apparently, the answer could be found deep in the Atlantic.
The temperature at the Earth's surface depends upon where the heat is deposited in the oceans. If the upper levels warm, so too will the atmosphere above it. However, if ocean circulations cause more heat to be drawn down to deeper depths, then surface temperatures will cool.
Ka-Kit Tung, a University of Washington professor of applied mathematics and co-author Xianyao Chen of the Ocean University of China, observed deep-sea temperatures from Argo floats that sample the water down to 6,500ft (2,000m).
The authors say that fluctations in surface temperature are part of a cycle involving ocean circulation responses to changes in how dense the upper Atlantic Ocean layers are - ie, how saline they are.
The cycle starts when saltier, denser water at the surface northern part of the Atlantic, near Iceland, causes the water to sink, taking heat down with it. This changes the speed of the current in the Atlantic Ocean that circulates heat throughout the planet.
Recent observations at the surface in the North Atlantic show record-high saltiness, Tung said, while at the same time, deeper water in the North Atlantic shows increasing amounts of heat.
The cycle switches naturally between warm and cool because of tropical water being carried to the North Atlantic, warming the surface and deep water and causing ice to melt. In turn, this makes the surface water there less dense and after a few decades will set off the cooling phase.
After 30 years of warming, the researchers say we are now in the 'cool' phase.
The pause in global warming has been attributed to many environmental factors, with another recent study from ETH Zurich citing climate fluctuations like El Nino and solar irradiance. The team also said that global warming would continue once these natural fluctuations settle down
They just keep making stuff up, if they were smart they would just shut up and hope people forgot the whole mess!
Summer 2014 Is The Coldest In A Decade
At Least Satan and Neptune will be warm.
What a pantload.
And I’ve been thinking it was mean fairies and unicorns that were spoiling their “settled science.”
“Ok, so the heat stays at the bottom of the ocean? I guess this is the well know phenomena of warm water sinking and cold water rising.”
Amazing, isn’t it?
Invisible aliens (not Mexicans) from outside the solar system are stealing our heat bringing it to their home planet in giant interplanetary freighters.
It's right there in the newest computer models so it must be true.
Wow. It’s simply amazing what coal fired power plants and gas guzzlers can accomplish!
They should be looking for what kicked off the Ice Ages 2 million years ago.
Ka-kak-kit-kat-kung-fu wants more money to study.
Water expands and sinks? Lighter water sinks?
Heat flows down? Really? Amazing? It does defy the laws of physics so I guess applied mathematics must be at work... something I just don’t understand. No mere mortal can ever understand this.
Only Ka-kak-kit-kat-kung-fu and his associate Ping-pong-ping-pang, they just call him fork around the lab because he is the biggest forker anybody knows, can save us.
Sure does make sense doesn’t it? /s
Bravo sierra.
Bbbbbbbbut that is just in North America.
No, wait, Europe is expecting snow in the Scottish Highlands in August and I hear tip of South America is much colder than “normal”
Hmmmmm, must have more money to study this.
Due to “Moon Aliens cyphering off Earth’s heat to warm the dark side”...
There - one more just in case no one buys the “Ocean is to Blame” theory...
The level of intelligence exhibited here is astonishing!
Too much of changing their apocalypse-myth to meet the climate facts that are not cooperating. This ocean thing came up when their initial predictions of global meltdown became nonsense. Their religion is pure so they are compelled to keep rationalizing and devising new ways to maintain it. This keeps the collection plate chock full with Uncle Sugar’s money every Sunday.
It also means they don’t know spit about the climate!
Lies, Damn Lies, Statistics and Environmentalists
Perfect response.
What satellites are showing warming? WattsUpWithThat’s data shows the satellites are on the cooling side.
I DO KNOW that most of our climate is Solar driven regardless of what the heck is in the atmosphere. We are entering a solar maunder minimum meaning we are cooling...and we’ll be cooling for quite some time. I can’t wait to see their spin on all this.
In the meantime, most of us will be freezing our buns off.
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