This alarming missive just in from the: University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
As oxygen-deprived waters increase, they emit more greenhouse gasses into atmosphere
Above graphic from NOLA.COM click for details.
Cambridge, Md. (March 11, 2010) – The increased frequency and intensity of oxygen-deprived “dead zones” along the world’s coasts can negatively impact environmental conditions in far more than just local waters. In the March 12 edition of the journal Science, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science oceanographer Dr. Lou Codispoti explains that the increased amount of nitrous oxide (N2O) produced in low-oxygen (hypoxic) waters can elevate concentrations in the atmosphere, further exacerbating the impacts of global warming and contributing to ozone “holes” that cause an increase in our exposure to harmful UV radiation.
“As the volume of hypoxic waters move towards the sea surface and expands along our coasts, their ability to produce the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide increases,” explains Dr. Codispoti of the UMCES Horn Point Laboratory. “With low-oxygen waters currently producing about half of the ocean’s net nitrous oxide, we could see an additional significant atmospheric increase if these ‘dead zones’ continue to expand.”
Although present in minute concentrations in Earth’s atmosphere, nitrous oxide is a highly potent greenhouse gas and is becoming a key factor in stratospheric ozone destruction. For the past 400,000 years, changes in atmospheric N2O appear to have roughly paralleled changes in carbon dioxide CO2 and have had modest impacts on climate, but this may change. Just as human activities may be causing an unprecedented rise in the terrestrial N2O sources, marine N2O production may also rise substantially as a result of nutrient pollution, warming waters and ocean acidification. Because the marine environment is a net producer of N2O, much of this production will be lost to the atmosphere, thus further intensifying its climatic impact.
Increased N2O production occurs as dissolved oxygen levels decline. Under well-oxygenated conditions, microbes produce N2O at low rates. But at oxygen concentrations decrease to hypoxic levels, these waters can increase their production of N2O.
N2O production rates are particularly high in shallow suboxic and hypoxic waters because respiration and biological turnover rates are higher near the sunlit waters where phytoplankton produce the fuel for respiration.
When suboxic waters (oxygen essentially absent) occur at depths of less than 300 feet, the combination of high respiration rates, and the peculiarities of a process called denitrification can cause N2O production rates to be 10,000 times higher than the average for the open ocean. The future of marine N2O production depends critically on what will happen to the roughly ten percent of the ocean volume that is hypoxic and suboxic.
“Nitrous oxide data from many coastal zones that contain low oxygen waters are sparse, including Chesapeake Bay,” said Dr. Codispoti. “We should intensify our observations of the relationship between low oxygen concentrations and nitrous oxide in coastal waters.”
The article “Interesting Times for Nitrous Oxide” appears in the March 12, 2010 edition of the journal Science.
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There is seasonal anoxia/dysoxia in arctic areas such as the Barents Sea. In oceans that warm up, these oxygen-deficient waters may become less pronounced and may balance out the effects of increasing coastal “dead zones” in warmer areas.
“…changes in carbon dioxide CO2 and have had modest impacts on climate, but this may change…”
Grant Forcing?
This is obviously a huge problem and he needs a big grant to study it further. After all, we massive amounts of dead fish along the coast all the time.
We need to undertake a massive project to get the nitrogen out of the environment. No fertilizer for farms. Unless it is dead fish.
On the plus side, with the sun quieting down and cooling coming, even the tiny warming effects from CO2 and N2O will be welcome, and luckily, they are not quite so impotent in the cooling direction as in the warming direction. As the planet cools the atmosphere holds less moisture, making CO2 less redundant with water vapor, boosting its heat trapping effect. Does N20 absorption also ovelap with water vapor? I’m guessing so. Most greenhouse gases do.
Be afraid.
Be very afraid.
The Dead Zone will find you.
I do not know why this is.
But my mind drifts back to an old Bill Cosby bit:
THE BLOB.
Bill is listening to the radio. He hears a report that there is a blob which is eating up everything it contacts. The blob beats with a heartbeat sound. He has a panic. He builds a barricade to protect himself. Finally he convinces himself that the BLOB is right outside his front door. He lights the couch on fire to protect himself.
I think the Dead Zone is in my closet.
I feel it creeping up on me. . . . .
Man cannot “control” Mississippi River flooding without destroying tidal zones (marshes, swamps, etc.) and the Mississippi Delta itself. Look at Delta shrinkage over the past 50 years. Evac NOLA and blow the levies if you want to “save” the Gulf.
Unfortunately, same applies to the Everglades and Atlantic Coastal area along the Intercoastal Waterway. (Nothing is life is free and somethings cost more than you ever imagined.)
Where is any evidence that this natural process is “increasing”, compared to what has been going on near every river mouth for millions and billions of years?
Ancient Earth’s seas and skies were much warmer, there were as many rivers as today (or even more). How come this process never resulted in disaster?
They are losing the battle on CO2 grounds, and are desperate to find some other “greenhouse” gas to keep scaremongering and getting grants. Pathetic.
Six ‘mays’ and seven ‘cans’ in this article. As a measure of scientific value such a measure scores a fail in my new assessment system.
Doug
Hereby the latest example of algae bloom…. just in one single day because of flooding in Southern Spain.
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=43093
“When suboxic waters (oxygen essentially absent) occur at depths of less than 300 feet, the combination of high respiration rates, and the peculiarities of a process called denitrification can cause N2O production rates to be 10,000 times higher than the average for the open ocean.”
But it’s not the open ocean. Making a comparison to the open ocean just inflates their numbers for hysterical effect.
The problem is silt and fertilizer run-off. Things that are being ignored with all this global warming crap.
I’m so tired and over all this hyped up science.
These science pieces, with their “reaching” link to “may affect climate change” are continuing to float to the top like the dead fish highlighted in the press release.
This research says dead zones contribute to climate change. Previous research says climate change contributes to dead zones. (See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100311141213.htm.) Can they have it both ways?
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Nitrous = go real fast.
Collect all the Nitrous you can there is money to be made here.
First CO2, then Methane, now NO2.
Stage: “Bargaining”.
Small correction: Cosby’s routine was “The Chicken Heart” from his Wonderfulness album. But you have the rest down pat. Cheers –
But, wait, another article blamed these dead zones on global warming (aka “global climate change”).
http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/3444187
So, these dead zones are caused by global warming and also contribute to global warming? It’s a vicious cycle, It’s worse than we thought. We’re all gonna die.
If the seas will die and the air will set on fire by global warming, why not all of you drink “Armageddon´s specially formulated Kool-Aid” to end all these end of the world stories, once and for all…btw you won´t need any healthcare reform.
Good idea, don´t you think so?
Last but not least: Nitrous oxide is the “laughing gas”…so fishes die from laughing at armageddon scientists…
Forget CO2, it’s really N2O that we should have worried about and “It’s worse than we thought’. Quote”We should intensify our observations of the relationship between low oxygen concentrations and nitrous oxide in coastal waters.” Unquote.
Only the application of more grant money can save us from the oncoming disaster – those who took marine science want a piece of the action that climate scientists have been getting.
Have these guys not heard of the”Boy who cried Wolf ?” . The climate scientists have throughly poisoned the well for doomsayers.Heck, just read their own words ? ” Winter brings respite but spring runoffs start the problem anew”.
It’s cyclic, not a problem that started last week.
Whenever I see the word “alarming” in some piece of post modern science ‘snip’, I know that I can safely ignore the entire thing.
Luckily our oceans insist in providing wind, waves, currents, tidal flows, convective flows, close contact with atmospheric oxygen, and mass volumetric mixing.
Just shows how silly some people have become
Methinks they have been partaking too much of this Nitrous Oxide themselves
Wow. So Dr. Lou Codispoti is concerned about nitrous oxide from dead zones ‘exacerbating the impacts of global warming and contributing to ozone “holes”’ And “an additional significant atmospheric increase if these ‘dead zones’ continue to expand.”
But wait – theres more! “Because the marine environment is a net producer of N2O, much of this production will be lost to the atmosphere, thus further intensifying its climatic impact.” Omigod – we had better do more research to assess this threat.
And yes – there it is: “Nitrous oxide data from many coastal zones that contain low oxygen waters are sparse, including Chesapeake Bay,” said Dr. Codispoti. “We should intensify our observations of the relationship between low oxygen concentrations and nitrous oxide in coastal waters.”
Well, he has life’s little expenses, like all of us. He reminds me of a certain Natalia Shakhova, of the University of Alaska:
http://www.herkinderkin.com/2010/03/methane-alarm-please-fund-my-research-2/
Tell me, isn’t nitrous oxide also known as “laughing gas”? Heh heh heh…
Note: Not everything is a joke, nor to be made light of without consequence. Think before you laugh too hard, you may just choke to death. AGW sounds like a hoax, smells like a hoax, looks like a hoax, and feels like a hoax. Dead fish and dead seas are not a hoax, don’t smell like a hoax, don’t look like a hoax, and don’t feel like a hoax.