The Southern Ocean’s Role in Carbon Exchange During the Last Deglaciation
A Drop in the Ocean The concentration of atmospheric CO 2 rose by ∼80 parts per million (ppm), from ∼190 to 270 ppm, during the last deglaciation. It is widely believed that the primary source of that CO 2 was the deep Southern Ocean. Burke and Robinson (p. 557 , published online 15 December) presen...
| 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)
2012
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1208163 https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.1208163 |
| Summary: | A Drop in the Ocean The concentration of atmospheric CO 2 rose by ∼80 parts per million (ppm), from ∼190 to 270 ppm, during the last deglaciation. It is widely believed that the primary source of that CO 2 was the deep Southern Ocean. Burke and Robinson (p. 557 , published online 15 December) present a 25,000-year-long record of the radiocarbon content of deep-sea corals collected from the Southern Ocean, which shows evidence of the 14 C-depletion that must have accompanied CO 2 sequestration. 14 C depletion and ocean stratification ended between 15,000 and 14,000 years ago, in a manner consistent with the transfer of large amounts of CO 2 from the deep Southern Ocean to the atmosphere. The observed 14 C drop can explain the atmospheric CO 2 rise between 17,500 and 14,500 years ago, adding support to the existing model of deglacial CO 2 dynamics. |
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