An analysis of sediment cores indicates that North Atlantic waters were relatively warm and continued to circulate even under major climate stress during the Last Glacial Maximum.
Atlantic Ocean
Posted inNews
Plastic Debris Helps Oil Residues Reach Farther Across the Ocean
Scientists matched oil residues found in Florida to a Brazilian spill thousands of miles away.
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The Northern Sargasso Sea Has Lost Much of Its Namesake Algae
There’s less than a tenth as much Sargassum as there was a few years ago, a shift that may be linked to increasing sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
What Could Happen to the Ocean’s Carbon If AMOC Collapses
Mass glacier melting may have led this influential ocean current system to collapse at the end of the last ice age. A pair of modeling studies examines how such a collapse could affect dissolved inorganic carbon and carbon isotopes in Earth’s oceans.
Posted inResearch & Developments
Sculpture by Singer-Songwriter Jewel Incorporates Near Real-Time NASA Ocean Data
The soundscape changes in accordance with near real-time Atlantic Ocean conditions, as the data updates every 12 minutes. “If it’s raining, the piece looks and sounds different. If it’s stormy, the piece is different. It’s a living instrument that the ocean gets to play in real time,” Jewel said.
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As Seas Rise, Corals Can’t Keep Up
Coral reef growth rates in the tropical western Atlantic have slowed to a fraction of what they once were, erasing coastal protection benefits they once offered.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
A Transatlantic Communications Cable Does Double Duty
A new device enables existing submarine cable networks to measure deep-sea movements. It could ultimately help improve tsunami warnings and climate monitoring.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Water Density Shifts Can Drive Rapid Changes in AMOC Strength
High-latitude variations in density, which appear to be driven by changes in atmospheric pressure, can propagate to midlatitudes and affect the current’s strength within just a year.
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Busy Hurricane Season Expected in 2025
A new NOAA report predicts an active Atlantic hurricane season, though global weather patterns could still shift predictions.
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Have We Finally Found the Source of the “Sargassum Surge”?
The complexity of modeling the tropical Atlantic makes identifying the source of the ongoing seaweed blooms difficult.