Deep-sea explorers are investigating the mystery of the record-breaking ocean heat.

The oceans that are red hot amplify the dangerous heat waves, flooding, and storms on the earth. However, what exactly is going on beneath the oceans is unanswered. A majority of these waters are not mapped, undiscovered, or investigated.

Though a couple of ocean robotics and sonars on the ocean’s surface, as also satellites orbiting through space have helped scientists to better understand how greenhouse gas emissions influence ocean dynamics, they’ve just scratched the surface off the surface of the Iceberg. “We don’t know the underlying causes and how the numerous interesting things that happen in deep seas” explained Nathalie Zilberman, an oceanographer at the University of California San Diego. “We don’t know because there isn’t enough evidence.”

One of the most difficult issues is what’s behind the absence of an Argentina-sized piece from the ice that covers Antarctica. Antarctic ocean. The waters reached their lowest temperature ever recorded in the month of June. Sea ice has dwindled 2.6 million square kilometers (1 million square miles) lower than the average between the years 1981-2010 as in the US National Snow and Ice Data Center.

In search of a method to discover the root of the disappearance of Antarctic sea ice, and the high temperatures of the ocean have led to discussion with scientists. Researchers have linked the rise to a rise in temperatures in the atmosphere as well as a slowing down of wind speeds which reduced the amount of Saharan dust that is found in the Atlantic Ocean, a decrease in sulfur dioxide emissions from vessels – pollution that blocks solar radiation and may chill our planet, in addition to increasing El Nino conditions on the Pacific Ocean.

There are more chances in the case of the terrain. Meteorologists and scientists from the area of climate science have been capable of accurately predicting local heat waves, that are bringing record temperatures across Japan through Texas and Sardinia. But, more intense storms that hit the ocean have caught them off guard.

Forecasters recognized something was wrong in the first week of April as data revealed temperatures on the ocean’s surface in certain areas in the North Atlantic rising to levels that weren’t recorded in satellite records since they started in 1979. The changes were so dramatic that scientists had to extend the y-axis in charts to take into account these previously undiscovered temperatures.

Let’s take a look at our views from the North Atlantic which has been virtually completely removed from our charts in July. In that way, we’ve required to expand the y-axis of the charts so that we can show the real-time data.

“The temperatures in the North Atlantic are unprecedented and very alarming. They are much higher than the forecasts of models,” Michael Sparrow, director of the World Meteorological Organization’s Department of climate research, said at the beginning of the month. “This can have a negative impact on the fisheries and ecosystems along with meteorological conditions.”

The second alert was sounded by a distinct group of scientists. They last week published research papers that were published in Nature Communications that concluded a circulation system that circulates water throughout the Atlantic Ocean is likely to be destroyed between 2025-2095 if greenhouse gas emissions remain at current levels. The circulation is referred to as the Atlantic meridional overturning Circulation (AMOC) can be described as an essential component in the climate system of our world. If it were to disappear, it could have severe implications for the North Atlantic region, scientists have said.

In the midst of all this is a fact that, in the year 1955, oceans have been able to absorb up to 90 percent of extra heat caused by the growing greenhouse gas emissions. They’ve also served as sponges and prevented the earth’s temperature from rising a substantial amount. The knowledge of the ways in which heat is stored and the impact it has on ocean currents, as well as rising sea levels is a relatively new discovery and not sufficient.

The reason is the problem of collecting regular and reliable information about the ocean. While hundreds of thousands of meteorological stations across the globe gather millions of data points every day, the arid marine conditions can make it hard to reproduce. The equipment wears down quickly and becomes more expensive to maintain. It’s not enough to monitor the surface as the level is also vital.

To address the issue, a small group of oceanographers developed an Argo program in the year 1999. They designed two-meter-long robots, dubbed “Argo floatings.” which can freely drift along the ocean’s currents. Each day, they traverse 2,000m underwater for data about saltiness and sea temperature. This data is sent by satellites and is available free to all scientists, without a 24-hour wait.

More than 10,000 marine robots were deployed in the past, and around 3,900 are still in use currently. The innovation they brought in terms of information can be compared to the beginning of the satellite age. In the last two decades, more than 4,000 publications in science were based on Argo information, according to those who run the Argo program.

The next challenge is the deep ocean.

“Everything that occurs in deep seas is far more dramatic,” Zilberman said. Zilberman is co-chairman for Deep Argo. Deep Argo program. “The pressure is much higher and the weather is more severe and more frigid.”

In the year 2015, researchers started working on modifications to Argo floating floats to allow them to go further. The initial attempts failed and the machines exploded at depths of just 2,600 meters because of the pressure. With time, it became apparent that the design and materials were upgraded. Researchers made adjustments in the form of the initial robot, changing from a cylindrical shape into a sphere, and also the transition from steel and titanium and finally, glass. The robots of the future are called Deep Argo floats – spending an entire year in water deeps of 6,000 meters is equivalent to wear and tear of four years of wear and tear on lower waters.

Zilberman was among the scientists who traveled 300 miles off to the coast of New Zealand into the Pacific Ocean to launch the initial two Deep Argo floats in 2015. As a young researcher, she was impressed by the experiences of the astronauts who took the rovers on Mars. When the floats fell overboard, she gave them a wave and then said goodbye.

“It was quite nerve-wracking,” she said. “You’re developing a device that can go 6,000 meters deep daily over a period of 10 days. What could occur? “

Deep Argo is still in the early stages of piloting, however, it has provided the latest data, which have allowed researchers to gain a greater understanding of the depths in the Australian-Antarctic Basin which is one of the least studied areas. Some have also observed an increasing trend towards warming in this part of the Southern Ocean and cooling patterns in specific regions in that region of the North Atlantic depths. But with only 200 robots working it is impossible to get a complete understanding of the changes that are globally.

“You will require more Deep Argo floats deployed, about 1200” Zilberman said. “But it’s about the financing because Deep Argo floats cost two at least three times more than ordinary ones. “

While Deep Argo robots are expensive, However, their use is much less costly than vessels that carry the same tools to measure similar measurements. These ship-based studies were conducted in the late 80s and early 90s and may cost as much as up to $35,000.

It’s essential to carry out further research in the depths of the ocean. sea because the scale of climate change has been clearly demonstrated. For Zilberman, she saw it as an attraction. She opted to work as an oceanographer, with a focus on the deep ocean following her introduction to Jacques Cousteau documentaries as a young child. “There’s the element of risk which is what makes it all the more exciting,” she said.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/deep-sea-researchers-probe-mystery-of-record-ocean-heat-4243956