How oceans serve as carbon stores

How oceans serve as carbon stores

The oceans in the world play an important role in the global carbon cycle because they play about a quarter of the carbon produced by humans from the atmosphere. This process, known as a reduction in carbon, is crucial for the regulation of the global climate and helps to slow down global warming caused by humans. In this article we are dealt with in detail with the essential role of the oceans as a carbon storage.

The concept of carbon storage

The carbon reduction phenomenon

The oceans take up about 2.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere every year. This is done on two main paths: physical diffusion and biological pumps.

The physical diffusion occurs when the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is higher than in the ocean surface. The CO2 dissolves in the water and penetrates into the deeper layers of the ocean. The so -called biological pump refers to the process in which marine animals and plants absorb CO2 and carry it further down in the food chain, which ultimately deposited on the sea floor.

The sequestration process

Once in the sea, the carbon can be saved in different shapes. Part of it is absorbed by marine organisms and installed in their body structures. When these organisms die, they sink to the sea floor, where the carbon is slowly buried in sediments. Another part dissolves as a carbon dioxide in the water column and stays there until it is returned to the atmosphere by physical or biochemical processes.

The importance of the oceans as carbon storage

The oceans as CO2-Senke

The oceans play an important role in the global carbon cycle because they play the main role in the absorption of CO2 from the atmosphere. By absorbing CO2, the oceans help to maintain the balance of the global carbon cycle and to reduce the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere. Without this important function of the oceans, the effects of the climate change caused by humans would probably be significantly worse.

Reduction of the greenhouse effect

Since CO2 is an important greenhouse gas, its reduction in the atmosphere contributes to reducing the greenhouse effect.

challenges and risks

ocean acidification

The absorption of CO2 through the ocean leads to the formation of carbon dioxide, which over time disintegrates into bicarbonate and hydrogen ions. This leads to acidification of the ocean, which can have serious effects on many marine organisms, especially those that form lime bowls or skeletons, such as corals and oysters.

Warming of the oceans

By absorbing CO2, the oceans contribute to reducing global warming. However, the oceans also store warmth, which leads to a heating of the oceans. The heating of the oceans can influence the sea currents that are of crucial importance for the climate on earth and can lead to an increase in sea level.

FAZIT

The role of the oceans as a carbon storage is essential for the regulation of the global carbon cycle and the mitigation of the effects of the climate change caused by humans. Despite the challenges and risks associated with it, the ability of the oceans to absorb carbon dioxide remains an important part of the global strategy to combat climate warming.