Tag

Salinity

All articles tagged with #salinity

science19 days ago•23 min saved

Slower Atlantic Conveyor Could Tilt Earth Toward a Snowball Freeze

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is weakening as the climate warms, reducing a major heat-transport system that keeps Europe warm and helps regulate global weather. Projections suggest about a 50% weakening by 2100, with salinity changes in the South Atlantic identified as a key driver, though model predictions vary widely. A complete AMOC shutdown could trigger drastic shifts—stronger European temperature extremes, Sahel drought, and potentially a snowball-Earth-type cooling—with some studies hinting the tipping point could arrive as early as the 2040s. Geoengineering ideas like damming the Bering Strait exist but are controversial and uncertain. The article emphasizes urgency to cut greenhouse-gas emissions under the Paris Agreement to avert severe outcomes.

via Science News Explores|

#amoc #climate-change #geoengineering

science7 months ago•6 min saved

Southern Indian Ocean Rapid Freshening Rewrites Ocean Circulation

Six decades of observations show a historically salty patch in the Southern Indian Ocean is losing salt at a rapid pace, with the high-salinity region shrinking about 30% over the past 60 years as freshwater from the Indo-Pacific pool is transported southward by shifts in atmospheric circulation; scientists estimate the freshwater input is roughly 60% of Lake Tahoe’s annual inflow each year, gradually diluting surface waters and affecting global ocean circulation, including the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, though the study notes the freshening is a gradual process rather than a single dramatic event.

via Indian Defence Review|

#amoc #freshwater #indo-pacific

biology7 months ago•77 min saved

Salt cycles drive mixed clonal-aggregative multicellularity in a choanoflagellate

Researchers show Choanoeca flexa forms multicellular sheets clonally, via aggregation, or through a mix—clonal-aggregative multicellularity—driven by evaporation–refilling salinity cycles in Curaçao splash pools. Low salinity supports both cell division and aggregation to build sheets, while hypersalinity triggers dissociation into desiccation‑resistant cysts that can rehydrate into sheets. Aggregation is active, requires living cells, and exhibits kin recognition and species specificity; density and salinity shift the balance between clonal and aggregative modes. Genomic analyses identify candidate kin‑recognition loci. Together, the findings reveal a flexible, environmentally entrained route to multicellularity, expanding our understanding of choanoflagellate biology and potential premetazoan life histories.

via Nature|

#biology #choanoflagellate #clonal-aggregative

science7 months ago•5 min saved

Southern Indian Ocean Freshening Could Redraw Global Climate Currents

New research shows the Southern Indian Ocean has become dramatically less salty over six decades, with salinity down about 30% due to wind-driven freshwater inflows from the Indo-Pacific pool. The resulting lighter, less dense water weakens deep ocean mixing, potentially disrupting the global thermohaline circulation and altering climate patterns beyond the region, with possible impacts on marine ecosystems.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#climate-change #ocean-currents #salinity

science1 year ago•2 min saved

Mystery Islands and Springs Emerge in Great Salt Lake, Raising Environmental Concerns

Scientists have discovered that the strange islands appearing on Utah's Great Salt Lake are formed by underground freshwater reservoirs, which may help understand and protect the lake's fragile ecosystem amid declining water levels and increasing salinity.

via ScienceAlert|

#ecosystem #great-salt-lake #islands

science1 year ago•5 min saved

Formation of Massive Salt Deposits in the Dead Sea

Researchers study the Dead Sea's unique conditions to understand the formation of massive salt deposits, revealing processes like evaporation, temperature fluctuations, and double diffusion that contribute to salt giant formation, with implications for understanding similar structures in Earth's history and potential resource extraction.

via Phys.org|

#dead-sea #evaporation #salinity

science1 year ago•3 min saved

Southern Ocean's Circulation Reverses, Signaling Climate Shift

Researchers have discovered a historic reversal in the Southern Ocean's circulation, with increasing surface salinity and rising deep waters bringing heat and CO₂ to the surface, disrupting traditional ocean dynamics, accelerating ice melt, and potentially triggering significant global climate impacts similar to the collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation.

via Cape Town ETC|

#climate-change #ocean-circulation #salinity

environment1 year ago•4 min saved

Rising Ocean Salinity Near Antarctica Threatens Sea Ice and Climate Stability

The Southern Ocean around Antarctica is becoming saltier and losing sea ice at an unprecedented rate, driven by a surprising feedback loop where increased salinity causes heat to rise from the depths, melting ice and further accelerating climate change impacts globally. This rapid change threatens ecosystems, sea levels, and weather patterns, highlighting the urgent need for continued monitoring and updated climate models.

via ScienceAlert|

#antarctica #climate-change #environment

science1 year ago•1 min saved

Rising Salinity in Southern Ocean Accelerates Antarctic Ice Loss

A recent study reveals that increasing salinity in the surface waters near Antarctica is accelerating sea ice melt, contributing to the observed decline in Antarctic sea ice over the past decade and indicating a shift to a new environmental system.

via The New York Times|

#antarctica #climate-change #ocean-studies

science1 year ago•2 min saved

Scientists Discover Blood-Red Waterfall in Antarctica

Scientists have discovered that Antarctica's Blood Falls is caused by ancient, iron-rich, highly saline water trapped beneath a glacier for around 1.5 million years. The high salinity prevents freezing in extreme cold, and when the iron oxidizes upon contact with air, it turns the water red, creating the striking waterfall.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#antarctica #blood-falls #geothermal-heat

science-and-environment2 years ago•1 min saved

"NASA Observes El Niño's Impact on Coastal Salinity"

NASA has observed how El Niño affects the salinity of coastal waters, with satellite images revealing changes in sediment marks and dissolved salt content. The event leads to less freshwater flowing from rivers into the ocean, resulting in higher salt content at river mouths and up to 125 miles from shore. This relationship between El Niño/La Niña weather cycles and the coastal water cycle will have significant impacts on marine environments and global climate as weather events intensify.

via The Inertia|

#coastal-waters #el-nino #nasa

environment2 years ago•1 min saved

Mysterious Pink Transformation: Kealia Pond on Maui Draws Crowds and Concerns

Kealia Pond in Maui, Hawaii, has turned a vibrant pink and purple color due to a natural phenomenon caused by a type of halobacteria found in waters with high salinity. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirms that the pink water has been present for the last nine days and is not likely toxic. Samples have been sent to the University of Hawaii for further testing. Spectators are enjoying the rare and beautiful sight, which has drawn a crowd of onlookers.

via Hawaii News Now|

#environment #kealia-pond #maui