A team of scientists led by researchers from the UK has made an important discovery after months of oceanic expeditions across the Atlantic, carefully measuring gas levels and temperature.

. They found that a thin layer of cold surface water, less than 2 millimeters deep, plays a significant role in helping oceans absorb carbon dioxide.

The Guardian reported that the scientists observed that the slight temperature difference between the "skin of the ocean" and the water layer beneath it creates an interface that leads to greater carbon dioxide absorption. Using highly sensitive equipment to measure water temperature, they tracked small differences in the amount of carbon dioxide in the air moving toward and then away from the ocean surface.

This discovery is important for developing climate models, as oceans currently absorb about a quarter of human-generated carbon emissions. Daniel Ford, a researcher at the University of Exeter in the UK, explained: "With COP29 taking place this work highlights the importance of the oceans. It will also help us improve global carbon assessments that are used to guide emission reductions." Ford was aboard the research vessel RRS Discovery, which sailed between Southampton and Punta Arenas in Chile.

He added, "The seven-week journey required us to keep all the different instruments working together to collect a wide range of measurements for the study. We encountered very rough seas in the northern Atlantic and near the Falkland Islands, which was a significant challenge. However, we got some relief when we were closer to the equator, with the glassy, mirror-like ocean."

The 2-millimeter-thick water layer is slightly colder due to the "cold skin effect," which occurs because heat escapes from the water when it is in direct contact with the atmosphere.