While oceans absorb much of our CO2 output — somewhere around 30 percent — when the temperatures rise the reverse happens, and that CO2 is then released back into the air. Previously scientists believed that this process would take anywhere from 400 to 1400 years, but it turns out things could happen much, much sooner.
“We now think the delay is more like 200 years, possibly even less,” Tas van Ommen from the Australian Antarctic Division, told New Scientist.
The research team looked at ice cores in Antartica and dated CO2 bubbles found in the ice to come up with the 200 year estimate. Their findings, of course, aren’t 100 percent certain, and the potential difference could be by around 200 years. Which means that while the output of ocean CO2 may not happen for 400 years, it could also be happening any day now.
Post a Comment