Ocean Stratification

[Tom Harris]

Hi,

The group may be interested in an article I published yesterday with Jan Umsonst on Ocean Stratification and global temperature jumps. 

We focussed on the physical side of trapped heat in the surface layers created by feedback mechanisms that have seen record heat content rises in the top 300m leading to storm anomalies and, most worryingly, are set to drive a potential 2026 El Niño to new heights of SST and SAT in 2027.

We are planning to cover the biological and chemical ramifications of stratification in a future article, which look just as bad. We'll be covering the carbon pump, acidification, deoxygenation and toxic blooms. 

The article is published on my Climate Uncovered Substack: https://drtomharris.substack.com/p/the-great-decoupling-how-ocean-stratification

Comments here or on the Substack welcome.

All the best,

Tom

[rob de laet]

Great article Tom, 

crucial element of the climate crisis, especially with regards to planetary temperature regulation outside of the narrow GHG framework!

Rob de Laet 

Project Lead Cooling the Climate

Member of the EcoRestoration Alliance

Fellow of Global Evergreening Alliance

Fellow fo the Schumacher Institute

Planetary Solvency Taskforce

Co-founder of Senang Eco Services

WhatsApp: +55 71 992617846

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[Anton Alferness]

Great write-up, Tom. 

I am curious what physical oceanographers would think of using mechanical methods to disrupt stratification in localized experiments initially, and if successful, scaling that disruption to regional deployment for future SSTAs, like the Blob off the west coast of NA. I am confident that prospect has potential risks, but so does doing nothing, which we've proven we're pretty good at doing nothing. 

-Anton

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[Tom Harris]

Hi, 

The second article on Ocean Stratification is now up on my Substack at: https://drtomharris.substack.com/p/the-great-decoupling-2-changes-in

In this one, Jan and I look at the biochemical impacts of stratification including the deadly three of deoxygenation, acidification and darkening. The chemical and biological responses to these trends in addition to warming are likely to have increasing affects on carbon sinking and severe weather.

Tom 

[Tom Goreau]

There are further positive feedbacks from increased stratification and decreased oxygen on production of greenhouse gases, especially nitrous oxide because N2O production by nitrifiers greatly increases at low oxygen levels:

 

T. J. Goreau, W. A. Kaplan, S. C. Wofsy, M. B. McElroy, F. W. Valois, & S. W. Watson, 1980, Production of nitrite and nitrous oxide by nitrifying bacteria at reduced concentrations of oxygen, APPLIED ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, 40: 526-532

 

 

 

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[Tom Harris]

I'm delighted to share that "The Great Decoupling" articles that Jan Umsonst and I recently published on Substack, were discussed on Radio Ecoshock with Kevin Trenberth, Distinguished Scholar at the National Centre for Atmospheric Research. 

Well worth a listen 👇 

https://www.ecoshock.org/2026/03/your-planet-burns.html

[Tom Harris]

Thanks Tom, 

I've check that N2O reference and share it with Jan.

On Friday, March 27, 2026 at 3:58:43 PM UTC Tom Goreau wrote: