Spray From Tropical Oceans Are Scrubbing Greenhouse Gases from the Air

The greenhouse gas ozone is cleaned out of the air over tropical oceans faster than expected, a new Nature study says, probably because halogen molecules from the ocean spray work to break it down. The scientists, working out of Cape Verde Atmospheric Observatory off the coast of western Africa, postulated that because of this property, oceans can act as sinks for greenhouse gases — an important concept to be factored into climate models. However, the researchers warn that this delicate system, a welcome discovery now, could easily be overwhelmed by manmade greenhouse gas emissions.