Scientists study ocean absorption of human carbon pollution | John Abraham

Knowing the rate at which the oceans absorb carbon pollution is a key to understanding how fast climate change will occur

As humans burn fossil fuels and release greenhouse gases, those gases enter the atmosphere where they cause increases in global temperatures and climate consequences such as more frequent and severe heat waves, droughts, changes to rainfall patterns, and rising seas. But for many years scientists have known that not all of the carbon dioxide we emit ends up in the atmosphere. About 40% actually gets absorbed in the ocean waters.

I like to use an analogy from everyday experience: the ocean is a little like a soda. When we shake soda, it fizzes. That fizz is the carbon dioxide coming out of the liquid (that is why sodas are called "carbonated beverages"). We're doing the reverse process in the climate. Our carbon dioxide is actually going into the oceans.