April 27, 2011

Data catches up with theory: Ocean front is energetic contributor to mixing

Wind blowing on the ocean is a crucial factor mixing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into the ocean depths and keeping it from going back into the atmosphere.

For more than two decades scientists have suspected there’s another – possibly substantial – source of energy for mixing that’s generated in the ocean where cold, heavy water collides with warm, light water. However, there’s never been a way to get enough measurements of such a “front” to prove this – until now.

Read more at UW Today:http://www.washington.edu/news/articles/data-catches-up-with-theory-ocean-front-is-energetic-contributor-to-mixing