deep ocean circulation
"The California coast is less vulnerable, relative to some tropical locales, to ocean acidification because of the strong upwelling of deep ocean water offshore. The deep water is colder and more nutrient-rich than the surface water. In effect, the deep ocean circulation is like a tape recorder, and we are replaying the CO2 levels from 50 years ago, when those parcels of water were last at the surface."
"The URI professor said that large-scale deep ocean circulation is like a global conveyor belt moving warm and cool waters in consistent patterns around the world. But, he added, global warming has the potential to decrease or even shut down this conveyor belt, which would have important consequences for the Earth's climate and marine ecosystems."
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