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  • RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

The oceans store more carbon than thought — but not enough to save the planet

Although the marine ‘carbon sink’ is bigger than expected, it is still inadequate to keep global warming at bay.
Stormy seas in the Southern Ocean

The Southern Ocean. An analysis that includes data on marine salinity concludes that the global ocean holds more carbon than previously estimated. Credit: Peter Barritt/Alamy

The oceans take up around 10% more of humanity’s carbon emissions than previously thought. This uptake slows global warming but worsens problems such as ocean acidification1.

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Nature 610, 10 (2022)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-03033-8

References

  1. Terhaar, J., Frölicher, T. L., & Joos, F. Biogeosciences 19, 4431–4457 (2022).

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