Researchers reveal source of enriched mid-ocean ridge basalt

Combinations of stable molybdenum (Mo) isotopes and radiogenic isotopes have great potential for researchers studying mantle heterogeneities, especially those with subduction-related processes. 

However, the current Mo isotope database for mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) is very small and the possible effects of magma generation and evolution on Mo isotopes remain debated.

Recently, Dr. Chen Shuo and Dr. Sun Pu from the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS) and their collaborators have revealed the source of enriched mid-ocean ridge basalt by Mo isotope systematics of lavas from the East Pacific Rise (EPR).

More Information

Southern Ocean storms cause outgassing of carbon dioxide

Storms over the waters around Antarctica drive an outgassing of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, according to a new international study with researchers from the University of Gothenburg. The research group used advanced ocean robots for the study, which provides a better understanding of climate change and can lead to better global climate models.

The world's southernmost ocean, the Southern Ocean that surrounds Antarctica, plays an important role in the global climate because its waters contain large amounts of carbon dioxide. A new international study, in which researchers from the University of Gothenburg participated, has examined the complex processes driving air-sea fluxes of gasses, such as carbon dioxide.

More Information

Fossil snail shells offer new tool for analyzing ancient ocean chemistry

A collection of fossil shells from marine snails and clams is challenging a theory that says the world's deadliest mass extinction was accompanied by severe ocean acidification.

Instead of showing damage or signs of repair—which would be expected if the mollusk was surviving in acidic conditions—the shells were in excellent shape, according to a study that was published on Jan. 24, 2022, in

 

Scientific Reports.

William Foster, a scientist at the University of Hamburg and former postdoctoral researcher at The University of Texas at Austin Jackson School of Geosciences, led the research.

The study is the first to use shells from fossilized mollusks to investigate ocean chemistry, demonstrating a new tool that scientists can use to study the conditions of the planet's deep past...

More Information

 

Shift work helps marine microbes share scarce ocean resources

Though they may be small, microorganisms are the most abundant form of life in the ocean. Marine microbes are responsible for making roughly half of the organic carbon that's usable by life. Many marine microbes live near the surface, depending on energy from the sun for photosynthesis. Yet between the low supply of and high competition for some key nutrients, like nitrogen, in the open ocean, scientists have puzzled over the vast diversity of microbial species found there. Researchers from the University of Washington, in collaboration with researchers from 12 other institutions, show that time of day is key, according to a study published Jan. 20 in Nature Ecology & Evolution.

https://phys.org/

Rare coral reef discovered near Tahiti by a UNESCO mission.

A scientific research mission supported by UNESCO has discovered one of the largest coral reefs in the world off the coast of Tahiti. The pristine condition of, and extensive area covered by, the rose-shaped corals make this a highly valuable discovery.

” To date, we know the surface of the moon better than the deep ocean. Only 20% of the entire seabed has been mapped. This remarkable discovery in Tahiti demonstrates the incredible work of scientists who, with the support of UNESCO, further the extent of our knowledge about what lies beneath. ” Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General.

A scientific research mission supported by UNESCO has discovered one of the largest coral reefs in the world off the coast of Tahiti. The pristine condition of, and extensive area covered by, the rose-shaped corals make this a highly valuable discovery.

” To date, we know the surface of the moon better than the deep ocean. Only 20% of the entire seabed has been mapped. This remarkable discovery in Tahiti demonstrates the incredible work of scientists who, with the support of UNESCO, further the extent of our knowledge about what lies beneath. ” Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General.

More Information

 

Satellites show 'mega-iceberg' released 152 billion tons of fresh water into ocean as it scraped past South Georgia

152 billion tons of fresh water—equivalent to 20 times the volume of Loch Ness or 61 million Olympic-sized swimming pools, entered the seas around the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia when the megaberg A68A melted over three months in 2020/2021, according to a new study.

In July 2017, the A68A iceberg snapped off the Larsen-C Ice Shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula and began its epic 3.5-year, 4,000-km journey across the Southern Ocean. At 5719 square kilometers in extent—one-quarter the size of Wales—it was the biggest iceberg on Earth when it formed and the sixth largest on record. Around Christmas 2020, the berg received widespread attention as it drifted worryingly close to South Georgia, raising concerns it could harm the island's fragile ecosystem.

More Information