The Southern Ocean Could Be Accumulating a Significant Amount of Carbon Dioxide

The southern ocean has played a crucial role in mitigating global warming by absorbing approximately 25% of human-induced carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and over 90% of the additional heat generated by these emissions. Extensive assessments conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlight the ocean’s significant contribution to regulating Earth’s climate. As a result, scientists are increasingly concerned about a potential ‘massive burp’ of CO2 that the Southern Ocean may be accumulating.