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hatrack

(59,578 posts)
Fri Aug 27, 2021, 07:12 AM Aug 2021

Baseline Conditions For Up To 95% Of Sea Surface - Temp, Acidity, Calcium - Will Change By 2100

Up to 95 percent of Earth's ocean surface will have changed by the end of the century unless humanity reins in its carbon emissions, according to research published Thursday.

Ocean surface climates, defined by surface water temperature, acidity and the concentration of the mineral aragonite -- which many marine animals use to form bones and shell -- support the vast majority of sea life. The world's seas have absorbed around a third of all carbon pollution produced since the Industrial Revolution.

But with atmospheric CO2 levels increasing at a rate unprecedented in at least three million years, there are fears that ocean surface climates may become less hospitable to the species it hosts. US-based researchers wanted to see what effect carbon pollution has already had on ocean surface since the mid-18th century. They also projected the impact of emissions through to 2100.

EDIT

Writing in the journal Nature Scientific Reports, the researchers found that under the RCP4.5 scenario, 36 percent of the ocean surface conditions present throughout the 20th century are likely to disappear by 2100. Under the high emissions scenario, that figure rises to 95 percent. The team also found that while ocean surface climates showed little sign of change during the 20th century, by 2100, up to 82 percent of ocean surface may experience climates not seen in recent history. These include seas that are hotter, more acidic and that contain fewer minerals vital for sea life to grow.

EDIT

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210826-ocean-surface-climates-may-disappear-by-2100-study

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