Rain may increase ocean carbon uptake more than we thought
Global carbon budgets, which track carbon's movement among the atmosphere, ocean and land, may underestimate how much carbon the ocean absorbs by roughly 5% to 15% because current estimates do not fully account for rain's effects on the ocean surface.
A new study published in Nature Geoscience suggests that rain may increase ocean carbon uptake by up to 13.6% more than previously estimated, potentially biasing global carbon budgets by 5% to 15%. Rain dilutes surface water, carries dissolved CO₂ into the ocean, and creates turbulence that enhances gas exchange between the ocean and atmosphere.
The researchers used a model called RIM-3 to account for the effects of rainfall on sea-surface salinity over time, validating their findings with satellite observations. While rain's cooling effect could further increase ocean carbon uptake, existing measurements often miss the fresher layers rain creates, making it challenging to determine the extent of rain's impact on CO₂ uptake.
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