Declining Snow Cover Fosters Large Ocean Plant Blooms

A NASA funded study has found that declining winter snow in Southeast Asia and the Himalayan Mountains is creating weather changes in the Indian subcontinent and the Western Arabian Sea that promote large blooms of phytoplankton. A difference in air temperature and pressure systems generates monsoon winds that stir up the ocean water, creating prime conditions for the plants. Researcher, Joaquim Goes has observed a 350 percent increase in phytoplankton concentrations over the last seven years.

The decline in snow cover means that more of the sun's energy is absorbed by the land mass, heating the air above. A low pressure system develops over the land and a high pressure system over the cool sea, which produces the strong winds. An upwelling of cooler nutrient rich water, brought on by the winds, provides the ideal conditions for the blooms of ocean plants.

An increase in phytoplankton can benefit fisheries, but excessive growth can deplete oxygen levels, causing a decline in fish populations. The breakdown of the phytoplankton consumes oxygen, which can further deplete oxygen levels. Denitrifying bacteria can thrive in the oxygen-depleted waters making the water uninhabitable for many plants.

Link: NASA Study Finds Snow Melt Causes Large Ocean Plant Blooms a news release from the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration with links to research reports

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 8:15 PM on May 4, 2005

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