A 23,000-Year Record of Surface Water pH and P CO 2 in the Western Equatorial Pacific Ocean
The oceans play a major role in defining atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) levels, and although the geographical distribution of CO 2 uptake and release in the modern ocean is understood, little is known about past distributions. Boron isotope studies of planktonic foraminifera from the western equ...
| Published in: | Science |
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| Main Authors: | , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
2003
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1080796 https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.1080796 |
| Summary: | The oceans play a major role in defining atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) levels, and although the geographical distribution of CO 2 uptake and release in the modern ocean is understood, little is known about past distributions. Boron isotope studies of planktonic foraminifera from the western equatorial Pacific show that this area was a strong source of CO 2 to the atmosphere between approximately 13,800 and 15,600 years ago. This observation is most compatible with increased frequency of La Niña conditions during this interval. Hence, increased upwelling in the eastern equatorial Pacific may have played an important role in the rise in atmospheric CO 2 during the last deglaciation. |
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