Researchers from Brown University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have made a surprising discovery about how particles sink in the ocean. They found that smaller particles can sink faster than larger ones due to their ability to absorb salt relative to their volume. This is the opposite of what would be expected in a fluid with uniform density. The researchers created a model to predict the sinking speed of particles and tested it using a controlled experiment with a stratified body of water and 3D-printed particles. The results confirmed the model’s predictions, showing that smaller particles sank faster than larger ones, and that elongated particles sank faster than spherical ones of the same volume. The findings could have important implications for understanding the ocean’s nutrient cycle and the settling of microplastics. The researchers hope to connect with oceanographers and climate scientists to see how their discovery can be applied to real-world problems, such as carbon capture and ocean conservation. The study was funded by the National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval Research.
In a surprising twist, microscopic porous particles plummet rapidly to the ocean floor during intense underwater snowstorms.
