Erich Osterberg (IMAGE)
Caption
Researchers in the lab of Erich Osterberg (pictured), an associate professor of earth sciences at Dartmouth, found that levels of methanesulfonic acid (MSA), an airborne byproduct of marine phytoplankton activity, were stable for centuries before plummeting in the mid-20th century. They initially investigated whether the precipitous drop indicated a crash in marine productivity in the North Pacific before finding that MSA also plummets in environments high in emissions generated by burning fossil fuels, even if marine ecosystems are stable.
Credit
Seth Campbell
Usage Restrictions
N/a
License
Original content