Featured
-
-
News & Views |
Underestimated volcanic hazard of Santorini
Volcanism after large, caldera-forming eruptions is thought to be muted. Exploration of the partially submerged caldera of Santorini reveals that large explosive eruptions have occurred since the caldera formed.
- Ben Kennedy
-
Article
| Open Access
Diurnal warming rectification in the tropical Pacific linked to sea surface temperature front
Daytime surface ocean warming has large-scale patterns associated with the sea surface temperature front, leading to an afternoon slackening of the front and impacts on surface wind variability.
- Meghan F. Cronin
- , Dongxiao Zhang
- & Nathan Anderson
-
Article |
Wind-steered Eastern Pathway of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation
About half of the lower limb of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation flows east of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a pathway steered by wind and not bottom topography, according to hydrographic data, reanalysis and model simulations.
- Zhengyu Liu
- , Sifan Gu
- & Chengfei He
-
Article
| Open Access
Regional variations in relative sea-level changes influenced by nonlinear vertical land motion
A probabilistic reconstruction of vertical land motion reveals regional variations in relative sea-level changes and large uncertainties in sea-level projections due to nonlinear effects.
- Julius Oelsmann
- , Marta Marcos
- & Florian Seitz
-
Brief Communication
| Open Access
Noble gas evidence of a millennial-scale deep North Pacific palaeo-barometric anomaly
Noble gas concentrations in the deep North Pacific indicate that sea-level pressure in Antarctic Bottom Water formation regions has changed over the past 2,000 years.
- W. J. Jenkins
- , A. M. Seltzer
- & C. R. German
-
Article
| Open Access
Mercury fluxes from hydrothermal venting at mid-ocean ridges constrained by measurements
Hydrothermal venting makes limited contribution to the inventory of oceanic mercury compared with anthropogenic inputs, according to measurements at mid-ocean ridges.
- Natalia Torres-Rodriguez
- , Jingjing Yuan
- & Lars-Eric Heimbürger-Boavida
-
Article
| Open Access
Strong temperature gradients in the ice age North Atlantic Ocean revealed by plankton biogeography
Spatial changes in planktonic foraminifera species assemblages reveal steeper thermal gradients in the North Atlantic Ocean during the Last Glacial Maximum than simulated by climate models, according to a macroecological analysis of marine sediment cores.
- Lukas Jonkers
- , Thomas Laepple
- & Michal Kucera
-
News & Views |
Butterfly effect of shallow-ocean deoxygenation on past marine biodiversity
A geochemical study of an ancient mass-extinction event shows that only moderate expansion of oxygen-deficient waters along continental margins is needed to decimate marine biodiversity. This finding provides a stark warning of the possible consequences of human-driven ocean deoxygenation on life in Earth’s shallow oceans.
- Brian Kendall
-
Article
| Open Access
Globally limited but severe shallow-shelf euxinia during the end-Triassic extinction
While global ocean redox patterns during the end Triassic were similar to today, pulses of localized anoxia were probably linked to mass extinctions on continental shelves, according to analysis of molybdenum records.
- Andrew D. Bond
- , Alexander J. Dickson
- & Bas van de Schootbrugge
-
Article |
Century-scale carbon sequestration flux throughout the ocean by the biological pump
The century-scale marine sequestration flux of biogenic inorganic carbon driven by the biological pump over the whole water column may be several times higher than previous estimates.
- Florian Ricour
- , Lionel Guidi
- & Louis Legendre
-
Research Briefing |
Marine heatwaves are occurring globally below the sea surface with increasing frequency
Analysis of sea temperatures using a four-dimensional spatio-temporal framework has revealed a great number of marine heatwaves occurring globally below the sea surface. These extreme events, which threaten the ecologically important epipelagic zone, have occurred increasingly frequently during the past three decades owing to ocean warming.
-
Article
| Open Access
Frequent marine heatwaves hidden below the surface of the global ocean
Substantial numbers of marine heatwaves are hidden globally below the sea surface, according to analyses of ocean temperature data.
- Di Sun
- , Furong Li
- & Bohai Zhang
-
Research Briefing |
Bipolar control on changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide over millennial timescales
Deep-sea acidity data combined with ice-core carbon dioxide records reveal that an interplay between the two polar regions modulates ocean ventilation through various modes. These modes explain past variations in deep-sea carbon storage and atmospheric carbon dioxide on millennial timescales.
-
Article |
Spatial pattern of marine oxygenation set by tectonic and ecological drivers over the Phanerozoic
Tectonic and ecological factors controlled spatially contrasting marine redox changes through the Phanerozoic, a pattern that was in turn linked to background extinction rates, according to a machine learning-based analysis of shale geochemical data.
- Xiangli Wang
- , Thomas J. Algeo
- & Maoyan Zhu
-
Article
| Open Access
Millennial atmospheric CO2 changes linked to ocean ventilation modes over past 150,000 years
The variable intensity of Southern Ocean as well as North Atlantic deep-water ventilation explains differences in atmospheric CO2 trends and magnitudes during cold stadials over the past 150,000 years, according to a record of deep-ocean acidity.
- J. Yu
- , R. F. Anderson
- & J. F. McManus
-
Perspective |
Biogeochemistry of Earth before exoenzymes
Exoenzymes produced by heterotrophic microorganisms early in Earth history helped unlock previously unavailable organic matter and transformed ocean geochemistry.
- Nagissa Mahmoudi
- , Andrew D. Steen
- & Kurt O. Konhauser
-
Article
| Open Access
Warming beneath an East Antarctic ice shelf due to increased subpolar westerlies and reduced sea ice
Oceanographic observations indicate sustained warming and enhanced basal melt since 2016 below the Fimbulisen ice sheet in East Antarctica, associated with increased subpolar westerlies and reduced sea ice.
- Julius Lauber
- , Tore Hattermann
- & Geir Moholdt
-
Research Briefing |
Bubble bursts increase melt rates of tidewater glaciers
Glacier ice contains high-pressure air bubbles, which burst into seawater as ice melts at tidewater glacier termini. Laboratory measurements found that these bubbles double the rate of ice melt. Theoretically, this effect could be even larger in a real glacier. However, bursting bubbles are currently neglected in models projecting sea level rise.
-
Article
| Open Access
Melting of glacier ice enhanced by bursting air bubbles
Laboratory experiments suggest that bursting bubbles enhance ice melt from tidewater glaciers, and consequently, glacier-ice structure needs to be accounted for in projections of ice loss and sea-level rise.
- Meagan E. Wengrove
- , Erin C. Pettit
- & Eric D. Skyllingstad
-
Article |
Recent trends in the chemistry of major northern rivers signal widespread Arctic change
Divergent trends in biogeochemical constituents of the six largest rivers in the Arctic from 2003 to 2019 support multi-faceted changes on the Arctic landscape under global environmental change.
- Suzanne E. Tank
- , James W. McClelland
- & Robert M. Holmes
-
Research Briefing |
Estimates of global marine plastic mass demystify the missing plastic paradox
There is a large discrepancy between estimates of oceanic plastic input and the amount of plastic measured floating at the ocean surface. Model results show that this can be explained by large objects being underestimated in previous mass budget analyses, combined with lower input estimates.
-
Article
| Open Access
Global mass of buoyant marine plastics dominated by large long-lived debris
A 3D global marine plastic mass budget suggests that larger items contribute more than 95% of buoyant plastics by mass and are longer lived than previously estimated, which suggests there is no missing sink of marine plastic pollution.
- Mikael L. A. Kaandorp
- , Delphine Lobelle
- & Erik van Sebille
-
Perspective |
Oxygen dynamics in marine productive ecosystems at ecologically relevant scales
The impact of dissolved oxygen fluctuations on marine ecosystems requires consideration of appropriate temporal and spatial scales.
- Folco Giomi
- , Alberto Barausse
- & Marco Fusi
-
Brief Communication
| Open Access
Glacier retreat alters downstream fjord ecosystem structure and function in Greenland
Glacier retreat in Greenland not only changes the primary productivity of downstream fjord ecosystems but also the ecosystem structure and functioning, according to seasonal sampling of two downstream fjords.
- Lorenz Meire
- , Maria Lund Paulsen
- & John Mortensen
-
Article |
Ocean heat uptake and interbasin redistribution driven by anthropogenic aerosols and greenhouse gases
Anthropogenic greenhouse gases and aerosols have counteracting effects on heat uptake and interbasin transport in the ocean, according to an ensemble of climate model simulations.
- Shouwei Li
- , Wei Liu
- & Laifang Li
-
All Minerals Considered |
Vivianite blues
From Dutch painters to ocean sediments, Caroline Slomp discusses the role vivianite plays in the distribution of phosphorus, an essential nutrient for life.
- Caroline P. Slomp
-
Article |
Recent state transition of the Arctic Ocean’s Beaufort Gyre
The Arctic Ocean’s Beaufort Gyre has transitioned to a state where the freshwater content has plateaued and the cold halocline layer has thinned, as a result of variation in the regional wind forcing.
- Peigen Lin
- , Robert S. Pickart
- & Takashi Kikuchi
-
Article |
Submarine terraced deposits linked to periodic collapse of caldera-forming eruption columns
Submarine terraced deposits of some caldera-forming explosive eruptions result from periodic collapses of the eruption column and can be used to estimate their source eruption rate, according to an analysis of such terraces and analogue experiments.
- Johan T. Gilchrist
- , A. Mark Jellinek
- & Sean Wanket
-
Article
| Open Access
Multi-proxy constraints on Atlantic circulation dynamics since the last ice age
The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation was shallow and weak during the Last Glacial Maximum, and water masses took time to adjust to circulation shifts during the Last Deglaciation, according to a reassessment of proxy records and model simulations.
- Frerk Pöppelmeier
- , Aurich Jeltsch-Thömmes
- & Thomas F. Stocker
-
News & Views |
Simplifying climate complexity
The El Niño Southern Oscillation strongly impacts climate, but its variability remains difficult to predict. A conceptual model based on shifting circulation patterns offers a simple explanation for this complex behaviour.
- Antonietta Capotondi
-
Article |
ENSO complexity controlled by zonal shifts in the Walker circulation
A simple conceptual model suggests that the complex behaviour of the El Niño/Southern Oscillation can be explained by zonal shifts in the Walker circulation.
- Sulian Thual
- & Boris Dewitte
-
Article |
Atmospheric and oceanic circulation altered by global mean sea-level rise
Climate model simulations suggest that atmospheric and oceanic circulation are modified by spatially uniform changes in global sea level.
- Zhongshi Zhang
- , Eystein Jansen
- & Zhengtang Guo
-
Article
| Open Access
Oxygenation of the Earth aided by mineral–organic carbon preservation
Iron input into the ocean is a key control on mineral–organic preservation, and therefore the accumulation of oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere, according to a theoretical model and supported by proxy records for iron phases and cycling.
- Mingyu Zhao
- , Benjamin J. W. Mills
- & Caroline L. Peacock
-
Article
| Open Access
Crevasse refreezing and signatures of retreat observed at Kamb Ice Stream grounding zone
Observations from a remotely operated underwater vehicle reveal crevasse refreezing and the fine-scale variability in ice and ocean structure at the Kamb Ice Stream grounding line in West Antarctica.
- J. D. Lawrence
- , P. M. Washam
- & B. E. Schmidt
-
Editorial |
Unravelling ENSO complexity
Progress in understanding and modelling ENSO complexity provides a promising opportunity to both improve seasonal climate prediction and constrain future anthropogenic warming.
-
Article |
Pacific shoreline erosion and accretion patterns controlled by El Niño/Southern Oscillation
The El Niño/Southern Oscillation drives coherent patterns of beach erosion and accretion around the Pacific Rim, according to analysis of satellite imagery covering over 8,300 km of sandy coastline.
- Kilian Vos
- , Mitchell D. Harley
- & Kristen D. Splinter
-
Article |
Abrupt episode of mid-Cretaceous ocean acidification triggered by massive volcanism
Volcanic activity led to ocean acidification at the onset of Oceanic Anoxic Event 2, which then persisted for 600,000 years due to biogeochemical feedbacks, according to marine osmium isotope and carbonate sedimentation records offshore from southwest Australia.
- Matthew M. Jones
- , Bradley B. Sageman
- & Richard W. Hobbs
-
Brief Communication
| Open Access
Recovery from microplastic-induced marine deoxygenation may take centuries
Regional recovery from microplastic pollution-induced marine deoxygenation may take hundreds of years, according to a combination of biogeochemical and microplastic modelling.
- Karin Kvale
- & Andreas Oschlies
-
Article |
Rates of seafloor and continental weathering govern Phanerozoic marine phosphate levels
Marine phosphate levels and biological productivity were lowest during the early Phanerozoic when seafloor weathering rates were high and continental weathering rates were muted, according to a statistical model of coupled elemental cycles.
- Shlomit Sharoni
- & Itay Halevy
-
Article
| Open Access
Epipelagic nitrous oxide production offsets carbon sequestration by the biological pump
Substantial nitrous oxide production in the epipelagic zone of the subtropical ocean partially offsets carbon sequestration by the marine biological pump, according to observations from the South China Sea and subtropical northwest Pacific.
- Xianhui S. Wan
- , Hua-Xia Sheng
- & Shuh-Ji Kao
-
Article |
Mineral-catalysed formation of marine NO and N2O on the anoxic early Earth
Marine emissions of N2O could have sustained an early Archaean atmosphere of 0.8–6.0 ppb N2O without a protective ozone layer, according to mineral incubations combined with diffusion and photochemical modelling.
- Steffen Buessecker
- , Hiroshi Imanaka
- & Hinsby Cadillo-Quiroz
-
Perspective |
Diverse geochemical conditions for prebiotic chemistry in shallow-sea alkaline hydrothermal vents
The spatial and temporal geochemical variability of alkaline hydrothermal systems in shallow waters could support prebiotic chemical reactions required for the emergence of life.
- Laura M. Barge
- & Roy E. Price
-
Article
| Open Access
Carbon dioxide sink in the Arctic Ocean from cross-shelf transport of dense Barents Sea water
Accounting for deep, cross-shelf carbon export into the Nansen Basin increases the carbon sequestration of the Barents Sea region of the Arctic Ocean by some 30%, according to numerical modelling supported by observational data.
- Andreas Rogge
- , Markus Janout
- & Anya M. Waite
-
Article |
Annual variations in phytoplankton biomass driven by small-scale physical processes
Annual variations of phytoplankton biomass can be explained by processes acting on small spatio-temporal scales, according to a global analysis of satellite observations of sea surface chlorophyll and temperature from 1999 to 2018.
- M. G. Keerthi
- , C. J. Prend
- & M. Lévy
-
Article
| Open Access
Declining metal availability in the Mesozoic seawater reflected in phytoplankton succession
The rise of secondary-endosymbiont-bearing algal groups—better adapted to low nutrient conditions than the green algae they supplanted—was tied to a fall in marine trace metal concentrations during the Mesozoic, according to a comparative genomic analysis.
- Qiong Zhang
- , El Mahdi Bendif
- & Rosalind E. M. Rickaby
-
Article |
Negligible atmospheric release of methane from decomposing hydrates in mid-latitude oceans
Methane hydrates decomposing beneath mid-latitude ocean basins are unlikely to be a source of atmospheric methane, according to direct measurements of dissolved methane in the water column from seep fields along the US Atlantic and Pacific margins.
- DongJoo Joung
- , Carolyn Ruppel
- & John D. Kessler
-
Article |
The biogeochemical balance of oceanic nickel cycling
Biological uptake in the surface and release in the deep ocean contribute to oceanic nickel distribution, including the residual surface Ni pool, according to culture experiments, field data and global biogeochemical circulation modelling
- Seth G. John
- , Rachel L. Kelly
- & Shun-Chung Yang
-
Research Briefing |
Air temperature — not just ocean warming — affects submarine melting of Greenland glaciers
Melting of the edges of the Greenland ice sheet by the ocean since 1979 is — counterintuitively — controlled almost as much by air temperature as by ocean temperature.
-
News & Views |
Ocean commitment and controversy
Controversy pervaded the June 2022 UN Ocean Conference, with partisan alliances forming around burgeoning environmental and social issues. Yet, out of the talks, emerged strong aspirations across UN states and other stakeholders to restore and protect the ocean.
- Lisa A. Levin
Weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation abyssal limb in the North Atlantic