New method helps accurately measure ocean temperature

Researchers have developed a new, more accurate method of measuring ocean temperatures by assessing the concentration of noble gases (also known as inert or noble gases) found in Antarctic ice, which can help to infer changes in sea temperatures from the last ice age to the present.

In a study published on January 5 by the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA), an international team of scientists, including researchers from EMPA and the University of Bern, developed a method using ice cores from Antarctica to more accurately measure the average global ocean temperature over the past 24,000 years, the period during which the transition from the last ice age occurred.

Accordingly, the permafrost layers in this area have formed a"atmospheric warehouse"Contains air bubbles or noble gases such as krypton, xenon and argon.

Because cold water absorbs noble gases from the atmosphere and warm water releases them, the concentration of noble gases in ice core bubbles can help scientists estimate the average ocean temperature during this period.

Using this method, the researchers determined a 2.6°C increase in average ocean temperatures over the 10,000-year period.

The team also believes that the method could theoretically be used to track current temperature changes, rather than just large-scale changes such as the transition from the last ice age to the present. This is important because as the global climate warms, the oceans absorb much of the extra heat.

Until now, measuring average ocean temperatures has been complex and often inaccurate due to variations in location, season, and ocean depth.

According to EMPA, the idea of ​​looking at the relationship between the concentration of atmospheric noble gases and the average temperature of the ocean is a valid and fruitful method in determining changes in ocean temperature.

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