Oceanography News :: ScienceDailyGeoSEA array records sliding of Mount Etna's southeastern flank
~ The southeast flank of Mount Etna slowly slides towards the sea. A team of scientists showed for the first time movement of Etna's underwater flank using a new, sound-based geodetic monitoring network. A sudden and rapid descent of the entire slope could lead to a tsunami with disastrous effects for the entire region. Find out more...
Oceans are changing
~ New research finds that when westerly winds in the Antarctic Ocean strengthen during the austral summer (October to February), surface waters in the region acidify faster than can be accounted for by increases in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere alone. Find out more...
Polar bears gorged on whales to survive past warm periods; won't suffice as climate warms
~ A new study found that while dead whales are valuable sources of fat and protein for some polar bears, this resource will likely not be enough to sustain most bear populations in the future when the Arctic becomes ice-free in summers. Find out more...
Rapid, widespread changes may be coming to Antarctica's Dry Valleys
~ Antarctica's sandy polar desert, the McMurdo Dry Valleys, has undergone changes over the past decade and the recent discovery of thawing permafrost, thinning glaciers and melting ground ice by a research team are signs that rapid and widespread change could be on the horizon. Find out more...
High-res data offer most detailed look yet at trawl fishing footprint around the world
~ A new analysis that uses high-resolution data for 24 ocean regions in Africa, Europe, North and South America and Australasia shows that 14 percent of the overall seafloor shallower than 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) is trawled. The analysis shows that the footprint of bottom-trawl fishing on continental shelves and slopes across the world's oceans often has been substantially overestimated. Find out more...
Global sea level could rise 50 feet by 2300, study says
~ Global average sea-level could rise by nearly 8 feet by 2100 and 50 feet by 2300 if greenhouse gas emissions remain high and humanity proves unlucky, according to a review of sea-level change and projections. Find out more...
'Turbidity currents' are not just currents, but involve movement of the seafloor itself
~ Turbidity currents in submarine canyons often involve large-scale movement of the seafloor. This discovery could help ocean engineers avoid damage to pipelines, communications cables, and other seafloor structures. Find out more...
Ground shaking during devastating flood offers new insights
~ Scientists were able to record a sudden outburst of a glacial lake with seismometers deployed the year before in the wake of the catastrophic Ghorka earthquake in April 2015. The authors of a new study argue that such major flood events have a greater impact on erosion rates than the annual monsoon rainfalls. The reason is that the water masses mobilize large boulders and coarse sediment which usually protect the riverbed. Find out more...
Seagrass meadows in Guam have decreased by 22 percent, new analysis shows
~ As the oceans warm and humans migrate to or grow in numbers in coastal areas of the world, scientists are increasingly keeping an eye on ocean seagrasses and their decline. A new analysis shows that seagrass meadows in Guam have decreased by 22 percent. Find out more...
Climate change efforts should focus on ocean-based solutions
~ The first broad-scale assessment of ocean-based measures to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide, counteract ocean warming and/or reduce ocean acidification and sea-level rise shows their high potential to mitigate climate change and its impacts. The study identifies ocean-based renewable energy as the most promising, and several local marine conservation and restoration options as 'no-regret measures', that should be scaled-up and implemented immediately, but concludes all other measures are still too uncertain to recommend without further research. Find out more...