{"id":350078,"date":"2024-11-04T07:45:03","date_gmt":"2024-11-04T06:45:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=350078"},"modified":"2024-11-04T07:45:05","modified_gmt":"2024-11-04T06:45:05","slug":"for-the-second-time-in-a-week-climate-scientists-surprised-with-an-increased-co2-absorption-mechanism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=350078","title":{"rendered":"For the second time in a week, climate scientists surprised with an increased CO2 absorption mechanism."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Anthony Watts<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the \u201cBut the science was settled!<\/em>\u201d department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may remember just four days ago, WUWT ran this story: Oops, Science Was \u201cSettled\u201d\u2014Until It Wasn\u2019t: Plants Absorb 31% More CO\u2082 Than We Thought<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, hot on the heels of that one, another underestimated CO\u2082 absorption has been found: New Study Reveals Oceans Absorb More CO2 Than Previously Thought<\/a>. The article states:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

New research confirms that the cooler temperature of the ocean surface layer enhances CO\u2082 absorption, with the Atlantic absorbing 7% more CO\u2082 annually than previously estimated.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scientists studied the \u201cocean skin\u201d \u2013 a sliver less than 2 mm deep at the ocean surface that is fractionally cooler than the rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Theoretical and lab work have suggested this temperature difference should increase the amount of CO\u2082 absorbed by the ocean \u2013 but this had never been successfully observed at sea before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new study \u2013 led by researchers from the University of Exeter\u2019s Penryn Campus in Cornwall \u2013 used precision measurements to confirm that the temperature of the ocean skin does indeed aid carbon absorption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carried out in the Atlantic, the findings suggest this ocean absorbs about 7% more CO\u2082 each year than previously thought. It might sound small, but when applied across all oceans this additional carbon absorption is equivalent to one and half times the carbon captured by annual forest growth in the Amazon rainforest.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Now, cumulatively, within a week, we now have a 38% difference in CO\u2082 absorption not previously known to climate science. That\u2019s big.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two recent studies on oceanic and terrestrial CO\u2082 absorption reveal significant, previously underestimated roles of natural carbon sinks, which have strong implications for climate models and predictions. Here\u2019s an quick analysis of these findings and their combined impact on climate sensitivity and modeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Increased CO\u2082 Absorption by Oceans<\/strong>: The study led by the University of Exeter shows that the oceans absorb 7% more CO\u2082 annually than previously estimated. This is due to the \u201cocean skin\u201d \u2013 a cooler, thin layer on the ocean\u2019s surface that enhances carbon uptake. These findings suggest that the global ocean absorbs an amount of CO\u2082 equivalent to 1.5 times the carbon captured by Amazon forest growth, highlighting oceans\u2019 role in moderating atmospheric CO\u2082 levels\u200b.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Higher CO\u2082 Absorption by Terrestrial Plants<\/strong>: In parallel, research by Oak Ridge National Laboratory finds that plants absorb 31% more CO\u2082 than prior models indicated. By tracking carbonyl sulfide, scientists achieved a more accurate estimate of global photosynthesis, especially in tropical rainforests, which emerged as vital carbon sinks. The revised figure raises the annual global Gross Primary Production (GPP) from 120 to 157 petagrams of carbon, further underscoring the importance of natural carbon dioxide sequestration for climate balance\u200b.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Cumulative Impact on Climate Models and Climate Sensitivity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The combined effect of these findings suggests that current climate models might be underestimating the natural carbon cycle\u2019s role in moderating atmospheric CO\u2082 concentrations. With both oceans and land absorbing more CO\u2082 than previously thought, climate models need to incorporate these increased absorption rates to predict temperature and atmospheric CO\u2082 levels more accurately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. Climate Sensitivity Adjustments<\/strong>: The increased CO\u2082 absorption could reduce climate sensitivity estimates in the short term, as more CO\u2082 is removed from the atmosphere than expected.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Long-term Climate Projections<\/strong>: Enhanced natural absorption may temporarily ease the pace of CO\u2082 buildup, but as oceans approach saturation and deforestation pressures mount on terrestrial carbon sinks, this buffering effect may diminish over time. Including these findings could lead to more refined, temporally dynamic climate models that adjust carbon dioxide sink efficiency based on environmental changes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Policy and Mitigation<\/strong>: Acknowledging the ocean and terrestrial ecosystems as increased carbon dioxide sinks emphasizes the importance of reevaluating climate science used to drive policy.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      We\u2019ve known for some time that climate models have been running \u201chot\u201d due to some of the emission scenarios like RCP 8.5 being unrealistic in CO\u2082 growth rates in the future. See: New Confirmation that Climate Models Overstate Atmospheric Warming<\/a>. Perhaps these new findings will cool some of those models (assuming climate science has any integrity left) and we\u2019ll hear less about a projected climate doomsday being just around the corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      From the \u201cBut the science was settled!\u201d department.
      \nNow, hot on the heels of that one, another underestimated CO\u2082 absorption has been found:\u00a0New Study Reveals Oceans Absorb More CO2 Than Previously Thought. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":350081,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691831309,691831308,691827130,691818153,691819140,691831307],"class_list":["post-350078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-absorption-by-terrestrial-plants","tag-atlantic-absorbing","tag-carbon-dioxide-co2","tag-climate-models","tag-climate-science","tag-co-absorption","fallback-thumbnail"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1t4q","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":349548,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=349548","url_meta":{"origin":350078,"position":0},"title":"Oops, Science Was \u201cSettled\u201d\u2014Until It Wasn\u2019t: Plants Absorb 31% More CO\u2082 Than We Thought","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"10\/30\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"A new study reveals that plants have been absorbing 31% more CO\u2082 than previously believed. Yes, 31%\u2014a glaring error that casts serious doubt on climate models, emissions scenarios, and policy prescriptions like Net Zero. For years, we were told that the \u201cscience was settled,\u201d and that urgent action was needed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"carbon dioxide (CO2)\"","block_context":{"text":"carbon dioxide (CO2)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=carbon-dioxide-co2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0100363520735-web-tete-1024x576.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0100363520735-web-tete-1024x576.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0100363520735-web-tete-1024x576.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0100363520735-web-tete-1024x576.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":322648,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=322648","url_meta":{"origin":350078,"position":1},"title":"\u00a03 Physicists Use Experimental Evidence To Show CO2\u2019s Capacity To Absorb Radiation Has Saturated","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"04\/25\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Adding CO2 to the atmosphere can have no significant climatic effect when rising above the threshold of about 300 ppm. Due to saturation, higher and higher concentrations do not lead to any further absorption of radiation.","rel":"","context":"In \"absorption of radiation\"","block_context":{"text":"absorption of radiation","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=absorption-of-radiation"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/00iStock-976912100.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/00iStock-976912100.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/00iStock-976912100.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/00iStock-976912100.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/00iStock-976912100.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":384904,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=384904","url_meta":{"origin":350078,"position":2},"title":"BOMBSHELL: Study Reveals Climate Warming Driven by Receding Cloud Cover","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"06\/25\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The recent paper by Tselioudis et al., titled \u201cContraction of the World\u2019s Storm-Cloud Zones the Primary Contributor to the 21st Century Increase in the Earth\u2019s Sunlight Absorption\u201d, is a fascinating\u2014and deeply problematic\u2014addition to the climate science canon. 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