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Earth Science

Study: Past Climate Change Was Caused by Ocean, Not Just the Atmosphere 185

Chipmunk100 writes Most of the concerns about climate change have focused on the amount of greenhouse gases that have been released into the atmosphere. Researchers have found that circulation of the ocean plays an equally important role in regulating the earth's climate. The study results were published the journal Science (abstract. "Our study suggests that changes in the storage of heat in the deep ocean could be as important to climate change as other hypotheses – tectonic activity or a drop in the carbon dioxide level – and likely led to one of the major climate transitions of the past 30 million years," said one of the authors."
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Study: Past Climate Change Was Caused by Ocean, Not Just the Atmosphere

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  • by turkeydance ( 1266624 ) on Sunday October 26, 2014 @06:16PM (#48236451)
    no...please...not Billy Ocean
  • really? (Score:2, Informative)

    by darkain ( 749283 )

    The year is 2014, and these "scientists" are just NOW realizing that the ocean plays a key role in global climate change? We learned about this in elementary school. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E... [wikipedia.org]

    • by Trepidity ( 597 )

      It's been pretty well known that oceans play an important role in climate, yes. That is why, for example, Norway is habitable. But you might want to read the paper (or at least the abstract) to see what specifically it's claiming. They are not claiming to have discovered the idea of oceans being related to climate.

      Also: El Niño is pretty irrelevant to a discussion of geological timescale phenomena.

    • "scientists" are just NOW realizing that the ocean plays a key role in global climate change?

      No, they've known for a while.

      We learned about this in elementary school. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E [wikipedia.org]...

      Ten to one odds that the article is something deeper than you realize.

    • I really hope the statement was taken out of context. I'm a layman, but I read a lot and I know that. Anyone who studies climate should have learned that in the beginning of their first year classes. Well, grade school is just a fuzzy memory, but I believe it was taught then.

    • by crioca ( 1394491 )

      The year is 2014, and these "scientists" are just NOW realizing that the ocean plays a key role in global climate change?

      No, they've known this for a long time. Next question?

      • by sycodon ( 149926 )

        It just took them until 2014 to write it all down, eh?

        Why would Science publish an article tell us what we already know?

        • by AK Marc ( 707885 )
          There was lots about this at the "beginning" of AGW (or before). http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/vir... [ucsd.edu] I'm not sure when that was written, but I remember hearing about the Atlantic Conveyor Belt in the '90s or earlier.

          Maybe they found more information about details and confirmation. Such things get published all the time.
          • by ls671 ( 1122017 )

            I read a bit about the Atlantic Conveyor Belt. This is why it is much warmer in Paris France (48 51 N 2 2 E) than Gaspe, Quebec, Canada. (48 50 N 64 29 W). You just freeze your butt in Gaspe.

            Even Montreal at 45 30 N 73 34 W is cooler than Paris.

            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

        • It just took them until 2014 to write it all down, eh?

          Why would Science publish an article tell us what we already know?

          No. The models have included oceans as a thermal body for heat storage for a very long time. The part they play however has been under active investigation and debate however.

          Don't get fooled by clickbait headlines.

        • It just took them until 2014 to write it all down, eh?
          Why would Science publish an article tell us what we already know?

          This paper finds that the start of the current ice age, being the formation of ice sheets in the northern hemisphere, was due to a change in ocean currents that more closely thermally connected the hemispheres.

          So I think the finding is a little more specific than "Past Climate Change Was Caused by Ocean, Not Just the Atmosphere".

    • Re:really? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Eunuchswear ( 210685 ) on Sunday October 26, 2014 @07:32PM (#48236873) Journal

      Every time an idiot posts a "scientists are just NOW realizing that..." post we're seeing Dunning Kruger in action.

    • Re:really? (Score:4, Interesting)

      by TapeCutter ( 624760 ) on Sunday October 26, 2014 @08:46PM (#48237229) Journal

      The year is 2014, and these "scientists" are just NOW realizing that the ocean plays a key role in global climate change?

      No, the slashdot summary paints a binary picture of air/water, to say that such a naive picture would find itself in one of the world's most respected scientific journals stretches credulity well past it's breaking point.

      BTW: El-Nino is caused by oscillating prevailing winds pushing warm water east or west, it acts like a "see-saw" in a strong wind, however you're correct in that the imbalance does "pump" some deep water to the surface. I haven't RTFA but what they are more likely talking about here is the The Great Ocean Conveyor Belt [youtube.com] and the effect on prehistoric climate when those currents abruptly changed for some geological reason (such as a gazzillion tons of ice falling off greenland, tectonic movements, etc).

    • by dywolf ( 2673597 )

      It was a study about the past.

      You know how you folks are always going on about "the climate has changed before, and nobody knows why" ??

      Well....this is scientists figuring out that why.

  • by Karmashock ( 2415832 ) on Sunday October 26, 2014 @06:49PM (#48236657)

    ... political. It would be nice to just talk about the science and mute all the political gamesmanship.

    • The ocean is a liberal conspiracy!

    • by crioca ( 1394491 )
      The politics is the only reason it gets discussed so much; if we were just talking about the science there wouldn't be all that much to talk about, because most of us lack the necessary knowledge to discuss the finer points of climate change modelling.
      • Lots of science is discussed here and elsewhere all the time by laymen. You don't need the controversy to get people to talk about it.

        The politics do cause people to obsess on it, but the obsession isn't useful for spreading understanding.

    • I just read this on Facebook which will turn your brain into mush [ijreview.com]. People really believe that scientists who believe go are radical socialists with funding from Soros. After all the majority are democrats! Problem is this is mainstream as we all know we ascended into communism when Clinton was elected ... rolls eyes. It would not be an issue if just 10% believed this. Not 45% of all Americans

  • Obvious to Engineers (Score:5, Informative)

    by DanielRavenNest ( 107550 ) on Sunday October 26, 2014 @06:50PM (#48236669)

    Any engineer who has studied thermodynamics knows that water has about four times the specific heat as air. The mass of the oceans is about 260 times that of the atmosphere. Combine these facts, and you find the oceans have about 1000 times the heat capacity of the atmosphere. Thus it should be obvious that in any scenario of temperature change, the oceans will play a big, if not dominant part.

    In regards to Chipmunk100's summary, greenhouse gases affect the heat input to the planet. The oceans represent a vast amount of thermal storage capacity. One is the current rate of change, the other is the integrated total of the changes over a number of centuries. Different units with different dimensions. A change in greenhouse gases today will take a long time to show up as an overall change in ocean temperature.

    • Don't forget that this also has feedbacks. The global oceans hold ~60x atmospheric levels of CO2, and warm water will hold less dissolved gasses, leading to outgassing of CO2 and leading to more ocean warming. You will also get more water vapor ( another greenhouse gas ) in the atmosphere, but that will - eventually - be countered somewhat by the albedo effect of the large scale clouds that will form.

      • but that will - eventually - be countered somewhat by the albedo effect of the large scale clouds that will form.

        Possibly, but probably not [skepticalscience.com].

      • You will also get more water vapor ( another greenhouse gas ) in the atmosphere, but that will - eventually - be countered somewhat by the albedo effect of the large scale clouds that will form.

        I understand the reflective effect of cloud coverage, but isn't that useless if the steady-state temperature is very different from current temperatures? What prevents extreme greenhouse effects from pushing Earth into a Venus-like state?

        • What prevents extreme greenhouse effects from pushing Earth into a Venus-like state?

          A: Its more distant orbit from the Sun.

          • I will buy the distance argument if Venus's current temperature is believed to be independent of its current cloud cover, but I don't believe that is the case (Venus is by far the hottest planet in the Solar System [wikipedia.org]). It sounds like Venus is hotter given its cloud cover than would be expected without, which implies that Earth will also get hotter in similar conditions. Maybe not 300C hotter, but even 10C hotter is world-changing.
            • Not even the most extreme global warming activists believe that there will be 10 degrees of warming (degrees C or F). The changes measured in the atmosphere and the oceans to date are so small as to be barely detectable. Comparing the Earth to Venus is like comparing a rocket-propelled grenade to a nuclear warhead. Both can kill you if you get close enough, but the preventative measures are entirely different. Telling people to build nuclear bomb shelters in the face of a grenade attack won't ultimately bri

          • >A: Its more distant orbit from the Sun.

            You say that, and Neil De Grasse Tyson specifically says that Neptune's closer orbit had no significant impact on it's climate and that prior to massive greenhouse gasses, all the evidence suggests it was quite similar to early earth - especially it's climate, without that impact, Venus may have had as much life as Earth does.

            So now I wait for you to show me why I should trust YOUR claims about Astrophysics more than Tyson's - a PHD in Astrophysics along with your

            • I'm quite curious what this "evidence" is that you recite that suggests the conditions of Venus billions of years ago. As far as I know, only the Russians have landed anything on Venus, and those crafts basically took a few pictures and died within a couple of hours due to the extreme conditions.

              And, of course, you tried the old shift-the-burden-of-proof gambit. I really don't care whether you trust my answer or not. Common sense will tell you that the Earth has already experienced this "runaway greenhouse"

              • I didn't make claims - I merely said that Tyson said (in an episode of Cosmos actually) that Venus's being closer to the sun had little or no impact on it's climate but greenhouse gasses did.
                That is ONE claim - singular, with a citation.

                You've given no evidence at all for your disagreement.

                You started out with zero credibility (since I have no reason to believe you), and instead of gaining some by citing good sources or pointing me at evidence you cited "common sense" - which causes anybody who knows anyth

                • Your claim that Tyson said something in an episode of Cosmos is not a citation.

                  Common sense had better apply to most theories: common sense was developed in your ancestors that survived the winters and famines. It is not always accurate, but it is a better starting place than psychopathic fantasy.

                  If you hold your hand closer to a light bulb or a heating element, it will get warmer. That is all the evidence needed. If you cannot understand that, then I don't suppose I have much to talk about with you.

                  • >Your claim that Tyson said something in an episode of Cosmos is not a citation.

                    It's hardly difficult to verify.
                    And here is a description of the episode and the opening sequence I was talking about:
                    http://www.evolutionnews.org/2... [evolutionnews.org]

                    And here is some deniers complaining BECAUSE he said it:
                    http://thefederalist.com/2014/... [thefederalist.com]

                    >Common sense had better apply to most theories
                    It doesn't because common sense was evolved to deal with extreme macro-level abstractions based on extremely imperfect measuring devices kn

                    • I've entertained your references there, and they don't provide a theory or an explanation of how Earth could have a runaway greenhouse effect such as that posited for Venus. They are of no value toward verification of your ideas.

                      The Earth isn't wrapped in foil. It is exposed to the same radiation as Venus, but at a lower exposure. The Earth orbits 150 million km from the Sun, for Venus it's 106 million km. As the exposure goes down by the cube, that makes the Earth's exposure (106/150)^3 = 35% that of Venus

                    • Excuse me. I should have used the square in my calc. That makes it 50%.
                    • >I've entertained your references there, and they don't provide a theory or an explanation of how Earth could have a runaway greenhouse effect such as that posited for Venus. They are of no value toward verification of your ideas.

                      I NEVER said the Earth COULD have such an effect on that scale, nor in fact that Tyson - though he certainly hinted at the possibility.
                      I said that Neil De Grasse Tyson says the proximity of Venus to the sun had little or no impact *there* - and I gave you proof that he said that

                    • I'm getting tired of running around in your circles. But I will tell you this: I am a scientist, I took physics as part of my education, and I don't have to rely upon websites for those predisposed to weak understandings to know what to believe. (You don't even refer to the words of Mr. Tyson: you refer to some secondary summary for those who need sound-bites.) When you are capable of having a real discussion rather than spewing forth nonsense, then let me know...
    • by Livius ( 318358 )

      Greenhouse gases aren't simply heating the atmosphere, they reflect infrared radiation, including anything radiating from the surface of the ocean. The heat isn't going anywhere, regardless of where it started.

  • The study says that the ocean currents changed (of course, everyone knows that will cause a different climate). The reason the currents changed is because of lowered ocean levels and much more ice on Antarctica (blocking the flow of the water).

    The question of course to ask is, what caused the lowered ocean levels in the first place?
    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward

      link [wattsupwiththat.com]
      Meanwhile the number of record low temps outnumbers record high temps 2 to 1 in 2014. Thats right, more record highs means global warming, but more record lows is just temperature. 18 years of no warming is just temperature, but 6 months of warmer is climate.

      No one believe your lies anymore, give up, you are the only delusional ones that belive yourselves.

      • Re:In Related News (Score:5, Informative)

        by Truth_Quark ( 219407 ) on Sunday October 26, 2014 @10:44PM (#48237737) Journal

        Meanwhile the number of record low temps outnumbers record high temps 2 to 1 in 2014.

        No, that's just the USA.

        Thats right, more record highs means global warming, but more record lows is just temperature.

        No, it's that record highs globally means global warming, record lows in the USA only means that 1.9% of the planet is cooler.
        The reason that this is not inconsistent is that 1.9% of the planet doesn't have to have the same temperature trend as the global mean.

        18 years of no warming is just temperature,

        This 18 years? [woodfortrees.org]. Because that's warming.

        but 6 months of warmer is climate.

        Six months of warmest.

        No one believe your lies anymore

        This from the guy who tried to pass off the USA as the globe, the last 18 years of warming as not warming, and restated the latest 6 months that were the warmest ever recorded as 6 months warmer in the context of 18 years (falsely) not warmer.

        Care to explain yourself on any of those points?

      • Meanwhile the number of record low temps outnumbers record high temps 2 to 1 in 2014.

        Actually it's now about 1.45 to 1 [noaa.gov] in 2014.

      • by dywolf ( 2673597 )

        The only one lying is Watts and anyone who links to his blog of misinformation.

  • No, really, how many of you thought that the whole effect of the ocean was understood and implemented in the existing climate models?

    When the climate models are provided with both their assumptions, omissions, and error, then maybe we can consider basing public policy on them. Until that time, keep them in the lab and out of public debate because they are nothing more than an opinion ... and we have more than enough of those to go around.

  • by silentcoder ( 1241496 ) on Monday October 27, 2014 @09:20AM (#48239685)

    Scientists: "Our studies have increased our knowledge of the climate, which will help us to make our models even more accurate and refine our generic theories further giving even better immediacy to the results"

    Deniers: "See, scientists still know nothing about the climate - they are constantly finding things that influence it which they didn't know about before so we should just ignore whatever they say about it forever"

    Deniers with rabies: "See, humans can't possibly be influencing the climate because there are all these huge natural forces more powerful than us and there's no way humans could EVER change their environment and even though we always change it to suit ourselves surely none of our changes could ever have negative unintended consequences - only governments and LAWS have unintended consequences because guvmit is evil and this whole thing is just a giant hoax they made up because they hate my SUV"

Neutrinos have bad breadth.

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