Sea–air carbon dioxide flux

As atmospheric carbon dioxide levels continue to rise, the ocean plays a crucial role in limiting climate change by absorbing roughly a quarter of the carbon dioxide emitted by human activity. However, this uptake is far from uniform across the global ocean. A new satellite-based product can now map the ocean carbon sink at unprecedented resolution, offering unique insights into this highly variable and complex component of Earth’s climate system. 

The image shows carbon dioxide flux between the sea surface and the atmosphere, for October 2022 as an example.

Read full story: High-resolution mapping reveals ocean carbon sink detail