Scientists previously discovered a specific type of water mass called “Equatorial waters” in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Given the similarities in the Atlantic Ocean, they wondered if a similar water mass might exist there. In the fall of 2023, they discovered a large water blob in the Atlantic, which they named “Atlantic Equatorial Water.” Their detailed study was published in Geophysical Research Letters in a paper titled “Is There an Equatorial Water Mass in the Atlantic Ocean?”
According to the research paper, a “water mass” is defined as a body of water that originates in a particular region of the ocean and whose physical properties differ from that of the surrounding water. These properties include temperature, salinity, isotopic ratios, oxygen, silicate, nitrate, phosphate, etc. The study of these properties can offer insights into the oceanic circulation, mixing, and biochemical processes.
Representative Image: Research in the Atlantic Ocean.Canva
One permutation of these properties results in the formation of water masses called “Equatorial waters.” Equatorial waters are water masses of the permanent oceanic thermocline. NOAA defines a “thermocline” as the transition layer between warmer mixed water at the ocean's surface and cooler deep water below.
“It is generally accepted that, unlike the Pacific and Indian Oceans where the Equatorial Water is present, there is no Equatorial Water in the Atlantic Ocean and its place is occupied by the South Atlantic Central Water (SACW),” the researchers from The Shirshov Institute of Oceanology wrote in the study. However, they added, that a detailed study showed that the Atlantic Equatorial Water can be considered as a separate water mass which is probably formed by isopycnal mixing of SACW and the North Atlantic Central Water (NACW) in proportion approx. 3.5:1.
That Atlantic Ocean is not just one uniform body of water. Canva
From Brazil to the Gulf of Guinea
The aquatic mass that the researchers unveiled in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean stretches from the tip of Brazil to the Gulf of Guinea. "It seemed controversial that the equatorial water mass is present in the Pacific and Indian oceans but missing in the Atlantic Ocean because the equatorial circulation and mixing in all three oceans have common features," research’s lead author Viktor Zhurbas told Live Science.
For the study, the team utilized data input from the Argo program. “In 1998 the Argo program was launched, which collects information from inside the ocean using a fleet of robotic instruments that drift with the ocean currents and move up and down between the surface and a mid-water level,” the paper read.
Upon analysis of this data, the team found the massive water blob that they said was a distinct body of water, the Atlantic Equatorial Water (AEW). They further elaborated that this blob was, most likely, formed by the mixing of the South Atlantic Central Water and the North Atlantic Central Water. “Argo data allowed us to distinguish a formerly unnoticed water mass in the main thermocline of the Equatorial Atlantic and thereby complete the phenomenological pattern of basic water masses of the World Ocean,” they wrote.
Understanding the newly discovered globule within the Atlantic Ocean will provide some incredible insights to oceanologists about the processes of ocean mixing and other related processes. In the paper, the author noted that these waterholes can act as reservoirs of heat, salt, and dissolved gasses—all of which reflect climate variability. Studying AEW, as well as other oceanic masses, will also help scientists grasp how the mixing process transfers heat and oxygen around the globe.
This article originally appeared earlier this year.
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21 products that are gaslighting us into thinking they’re essential when they’re not
Some things in life are actually necessary—clean water, decent healthcare, basic human decency. But then there are the things that feel like they’re gaslighting us. The things we’re told we can’t live without, even though we survived just fine before they existed. Things like "smart" fridges, lawn fertilizer services, and yes—whole body deodorant.
Recently, our sister-site Upworthy asked their Facebook audience the question: What's a product or service that feels like it's gaslighting all of us into thinking it's necessary? More than 8,000 responses poured in. The answers were passionate, funny, and surprisingly unified.
Here are 21 products, services, and systems people called out for pretending to be essential—when they might actually be optional, overpriced, or flat-out invented.
1. Whole body deodorant
"Take a shower," said Shannon H.
“How did we ever manage all those years without it!! 😂😵💫” added Karen R.
Others noted it may help people with medical conditions—but for the average person, it's definitely a marketing creation.
2. Health insurance
It topped the list. Erica L. explained: “My doctor prescribes, the pharmacist issues meds, nurses care for people, surgeons do surgery—Health Insurance stands between health care and patients and says no, exclusively on whether they think it’s financially effective to treat you.”
Important note: Health insurance can provide life-saving access for many—but what people are frustrated by here is the profit-first system, not care itself.
3. The wedding industry
Multiple people slammed the high cost of modern weddings.
JoElla B. put it plainly: “We spend too much time and money planning one day, and not enough thought on how to blend two lives in a mutually beneficial one.”
Others called out expensive dresses, venues, and pressure to perform for social media.
4. Bottled water
Carole D. said: “Water in plastic bottles! Get a cup!”
While bottled water has value in emergencies, it’s often just filtered tap water—sold for profit in plastic.
5. Baby product overload
“Most baby products,” wrote Kelli O. “They really aren’t as needy and complicated as companies want us to think.”
6. Fabric softener
“It’s bad for clothes, bad for the Earth, bad for the wallet, and totally unnecessary,” said Gail H.
Some experts agree—many softeners contain chemicals that can reduce fabric lifespan and irritate skin.
7. Smart appliances
“Adding ‘phone controls’ to every appliance instead of making them last as long as they used to,” wrote Sherry S.
When your fridge needs a software update, something’s gone off the rails.
8. Makeup and anti-aging products
“Anything anti-aging,” said Melissa T., “Please just let me age into the gargoyle I was meant to become.”
Others questioned products designed to “fix” eyelashes, eyebrows, pores, and graying hair.
April S. added, “Products that women are convinced they MUST have in order to be ‘beautiful’ and therefore ‘loved.’”
9. Cosmetic surgery
Ron P. called out the industry as a whole. And while body autonomy matters, many commenters questioned whether insecurities are being commodified and sold back to us.
10. Ticketmaster and “convenience fees”
“Let’s go back to waiting in line at a record store,” wrote Nicole C.
Zaida B. added: “Convenience fee for online purchases—then charging $10 more at the actual event.”
11. Engagement rings
James P. didn’t mince words: “Engagement rings.”
The diamond industry has long been criticized for manufactured scarcity and marketing-fueled necessity.
12. Lawn chemicals and services
“Plant native grasses and you don’t have the pests or need for constant watering,” wrote Jamie B.
Environmental groups have raised similar concerns over runoff and unnecessary pesticide use.
13. AI and generative tech
“This stuff squeezes the lifeblood and individuality out of the human experience,” said Teresa L.
Saskia D. and others echoed skepticism about its necessity, even as many of us are being pushed to use it.
14. Funeral services
Amy W. shared: “My parents both have already paid to have themselves cremated and are very adamant that they do not want anything big done for them. In their words, ‘I won’t care, I’m dead.’”
Of course, some families find comfort in tradition—but the cost and pressure can feel overwhelming and predatory.
15. Rinse and repeat
Amy D. nailed it: “It’s just to sell more. Not even sure you need it at all.”
16. Credit Card Surcharges
Shawn S. took aim at the extra fees popping up at checkout: “That is the cost of doing business and shouldn’t be the burden of the purchaser.”
Many questioned why customers are increasingly being asked to pay extra simply for the convenience of using a card.
17. Constant phone upgrades
“Apple are notorious for releasing the same shit every year,” said Steph S.
Diana H. added, “Needing to upgrade our phones so frequently.”
Built-in obsolescence and marketing cycles drive most of the demand.
18. Vitamins and supplements
“If I took every supplement they say I NEED I wouldn’t need food. Nor could I afford it,” said Tausha L.
19. Fake pockets on women’s pants
Jessica W. said, “I have to buy men’s pants for work because women’s pants would just get torn up too fast!”
Form over function, and then they charge more for it.
20. Disposable everything
“The ‘convenience’ of disposable everything,” said Rick R.
It’s killing the planet—and draining wallets.
21. Tipping
“I’m sick of supplementing for corporations that refuse to pay a living wage,” wrote Susan V.
Tipping culture has evolved into something far removed from its original intent, and for many, it now feels like a burden shifted onto the customer.
The bigger picture
People aren’t saying all these things should vanish tomorrow. But when we start seeing convenience sold as necessity, and insecurity turned into billion-dollar markets, it's worth asking: who benefits from all of this?
And more importantly—who pays?
This article originally appeared earlier this year.