Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => The Environment => Topic started by: litespeed on 13/11/2009 17:10:07

Title: Is Total Ocean Heat Content Going Up or Down
Post by: litespeed on 13/11/2009 17:10:07

I spent the entire morning trying to make sense out of the data. The best I can come up with is summarized here. http://oceans.pmel.noaa.gov/Pdf/heat_2006.pdf

My take on the issue is the oceans are in near stasus, or cooling slightly, perhaps taking up more CO2. I was especially intriqued by the Mona Loa CO2 graph. Its the first time I have seen it, and don't know quite what to make of it in general.

The following link is best used as an explanation on one method used to gather ocean information.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88520025

Title: Is Total Ocean Heat Content Going Up or Down
Post by: MichaelJPierce on 22/12/2009 19:30:30

The quick answer to your question is no.

However, just as your first paper you cited talks about is a variation in the temperature of the upper layer of the ocean. The temperatures are directly related to barometric pressures around the world and will vary the temperture of the ocean's upper layer accordingly. The deeper you go in the ocean however, given that you are not near volcanic activity, will become more constant and no vary as widely as the surface. The upper layers of the ocean act as a sort of insulation for the lower depths. Think of a cave. The deeper the cave the more constant the temperature, regardless of the temperature outside. Because of this natural phenomenon. Many Green enthusiasts have built homes out of caves (natural or constructed) which allows them to save energy because the temperature maintained in caves on average is a pleasant temperature for most of mankind. Also, when barometric temperatures change outside the cave a draft will occur. Hot weather has a low barometric pressure, so air from the cave drafts outward, and vise versa with pressures associated with poor weather or low temperatures.

Because this same phenomenon goes on in the oceans we get currents of the upper layers that are different from the currents of the lower depths. Meaning that all the ocean temperatures will never be the same, except for some global catastrophe.

Title: Is Total Ocean Heat Content Going Up or Down
Post by: litespeed on 23/12/2009 00:19:19

Mike

Good post.  The US has deployed hundreds of automatic diving bouys that sweep up and down and travel long distanaces from their little bitty penquin wings. The latest is the oceans seem to be cooling, but that is preliminary. I look forward to more data.