Originally Posted by Beer Belly

The ocean is where mother earth stores CO2 in the carbonate cycle. Water holds less gas as it warms (you have seen this demonstrated by the little bubbles that form in your tea pot before the water bubbles) CO2 levels have been proven to FOLLOW temperature cycles, they do not dictate them. CO2 is a very poor greenhouse gas, especially in the minute ppm (parts per million) changes that occur.

Having said that: Iron levels in the oceans do change, mostly from the iron rich sands that the high winds pick up in Africa for us (Atlantic & Gulf). Probably Australia for other parts of the world.

What the iron does for phytoplankton (plant plankton) is allows it to bind nitrogen from the atmosphere (we all know N, P, K = plant growth). I don't remember if it absorbs nitrogen and converts to nitrate or absorbs nitrates directly. (KNO3 = salt peter = potassium nitrate)


Beer belly is wicked smaaat.