Elephant seals help scientists solve climate mystery

[xchrom]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/feb/26/elephant-seals-scientists-climate-mystery


A Southern Ocean elephant seal wears a sensor on its head as it swims in the Southern Ocean, Antarctica. Photograph: Iain Field/Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems CRC/Reuters

Elephant seals wearing head sensors and swimming deep beneath Antarctic ice have helped scientists better understand how the ocean's coldest, deepest waters are formed, providing vital clues to understanding its role in the world's climate.

The tagged seals, along with sophisticated satellite data and moorings in ocean canyons, all played a role in providing data from the extreme Antarctic environment, where observations are very rare and ships could not go, said researchers at the Antarctic Climate & Ecosystem CRC in Tasmania.

Scientists have long known of the existence of "Antarctic bottom water," a dense, deep layer of water near the ocean floor that has a significant impact on the movement of the world's oceans.

Three areas where this water is formed were known of, and the existence of a fourth suspected for decades, but the area was far too inaccessible, until now, thanks to the seals.

[hedda_foil]

1. Paging Dr Who. Unless I'm mistaken, that seal has been overtaken by miniature DALEKS!

Daleks talking over Antarctica from deep sea bases!!!



http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/exterminate&usg=__sAJ8nVPWF6N8JcrlHdTdHugy2fg=&h=450&w=400&sz=49&hl=en&start=10&zoom=1&tbnid=93Z12rEmqWub4M:&tbnh=127&tbnw=113&ei=EMAsUdPNMYW4qAHBhoGYCA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Ddaleks%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26biw%3D600%26bih%3D1024%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1&sa=X&ved=0CDwQrQMwCQ

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. it's on the lookout for sharks with frikkin' laser beams ... (nt)