NEW OCEAN FLOOR MAP HELPS SCIENTISTS USE OCEAN CIRCULATION TO PREDICT GLOBAL WARMING

Like a hot tub steams up nearby mirrors, heat from the oceans will directly affect global warming in the surrounding atmosphere. So, being able to forecast which area of the ocean will warm next can help us understand the progress of global warming.

Researchers from NOAA and the Scripps Institute of Oceanography have developed a map of the ocean floor that helps scientists chart how the oceans circulate - and how they distribute heat.

Depth variations make a big difference to the pattern of ocean circulation, yet, until NOAA and Scripps developed this map, scientists had to rely on fairly crude representations of the ocean floor.

As scientists feed data into computers that simulate the path of global warming, the new map gives them the ability to feed accurate data about the ocean floor resulting in a more on-target prediction of global warming.

You can see the sea maps by visiting the Internet at http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/image/seafloor.html

For more information contact Matt Stout at (202) 482-6090.

E-MAIL: Matthew.Stout@noaa.gov