How does the ocean affect the rate of accumulation of #CO_2# in the atmosphere?
1 Answer
Yes it does - in particular the temperature of the ocean is a determining factor.
Explanation:
CO2 is part of the carbon cycle and as such, moves from the land to the atmosphereby human burning of fossil fuels and forest fires,. But CO2 also moves from the atmosphere into the oceans when when the solubility is right - this is called an ongoing "flux" or movement of CO2 in and out of the oceans. Hence the oceans act as a kind of buffer to ensure that not too much CO2 remains in the atmosphere and hence the greenhouse effect will not get too strong.
When the oceans are colder, they can absorb more CO2 out of the atmosphere, and when they warm up, they tend to release it back into the atmosphere. However, global warming is also now transferring heat from the atmosphere to the oceans and so the oceans are less inclined to absorb excess CO2 from the atmosphere. Also, as the oceans absorb excess CO2 from the atmosphere, this tend to make the salinity of the oceans become more acidic.
