Localized subduction of anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the Southern Hemisphere oceans

The oceans slow the rate of climate change by absorbing about 25% of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions annually. The Southern Ocean makes a substantial contribution to this oceanic carbon sink: more than 40% of the anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the ocean has entered south of 40° S. The rate-l...

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Published in:Nature Geoscience
Main Authors: Sallee, Jean-baptiste, Matear, Richard J., Rintoul, Stephen R., Lenton, Andrew
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Nature Publishing Group 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00140/25129/82433.pdf
https://doi.org/10.1038/NGEO1523
https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00140/25129/
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spelling ftarchimer:oai:archimer.ifremer.fr:25129 2023-05-15T18:18:30+02:00 Localized subduction of anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the Southern Hemisphere oceans Sallee, Jean-baptiste Matear, Richard J. Rintoul, Stephen R. Lenton, Andrew 2012-08 application/pdf https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00140/25129/82433.pdf https://doi.org/10.1038/NGEO1523 https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00140/25129/ eng eng Nature Publishing Group https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00140/25129/82433.pdf doi:10.1038/NGEO1523 https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00140/25129/ 2012 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved. info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess restricted use Nature Geoscience (1752-0894) (Nature Publishing Group), 2012-08 , Vol. 5 , N. 8 , P. 579-584 text Publication info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2012 ftarchimer https://doi.org/10.1038/NGEO1523 2021-09-23T20:23:12Z The oceans slow the rate of climate change by absorbing about 25% of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions annually. The Southern Ocean makes a substantial contribution to this oceanic carbon sink: more than 40% of the anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the ocean has entered south of 40° S. The rate-limiting step in the oceanic sequestration of anthropogenic carbon dioxide is the transfer of carbon across the base of the surface mixed layer into the ocean interior, a process known as subduction. However, the physical mechanisms responsible for the subduction of anthropogenic carbon dioxide are poorly understood. Here we use observationally based estimates of subduction and anthropogenic carbon concentrations in the Southern Ocean to determine the mechanisms responsible for carbon sequestration. We estimate that net subduction amounts to 0.42 ± 0.2 Pg C yr−1 between 35° S and the marginal sea-ice zone. We show that subduction occurs in specific locations as a result of the interplay of wind-driven Ekman transport, eddy fluxes and variations in mixed-layer depth. The zonal distribution of the estimated subduction is consistent with the distribution of anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the ocean interior. We conclude that oceanic carbon sequestration depends on physical properties, such as mixed-layer depth, ocean currents, wind and eddies, which are potentially sensitive to climate variability and change. Article in Journal/Newspaper Sea ice Southern Ocean Archimer (Archive Institutionnelle de l'Ifremer - Institut français de recherche pour l'exploitation de la mer) Southern Ocean Nature Geoscience 5 8 579 584
institution Open Polar
collection Archimer (Archive Institutionnelle de l'Ifremer - Institut français de recherche pour l'exploitation de la mer)
op_collection_id ftarchimer
language English
description The oceans slow the rate of climate change by absorbing about 25% of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions annually. The Southern Ocean makes a substantial contribution to this oceanic carbon sink: more than 40% of the anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the ocean has entered south of 40° S. The rate-limiting step in the oceanic sequestration of anthropogenic carbon dioxide is the transfer of carbon across the base of the surface mixed layer into the ocean interior, a process known as subduction. However, the physical mechanisms responsible for the subduction of anthropogenic carbon dioxide are poorly understood. Here we use observationally based estimates of subduction and anthropogenic carbon concentrations in the Southern Ocean to determine the mechanisms responsible for carbon sequestration. We estimate that net subduction amounts to 0.42 ± 0.2 Pg C yr−1 between 35° S and the marginal sea-ice zone. We show that subduction occurs in specific locations as a result of the interplay of wind-driven Ekman transport, eddy fluxes and variations in mixed-layer depth. The zonal distribution of the estimated subduction is consistent with the distribution of anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the ocean interior. We conclude that oceanic carbon sequestration depends on physical properties, such as mixed-layer depth, ocean currents, wind and eddies, which are potentially sensitive to climate variability and change.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Sallee, Jean-baptiste
Matear, Richard J.
Rintoul, Stephen R.
Lenton, Andrew
spellingShingle Sallee, Jean-baptiste
Matear, Richard J.
Rintoul, Stephen R.
Lenton, Andrew
Localized subduction of anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the Southern Hemisphere oceans
author_facet Sallee, Jean-baptiste
Matear, Richard J.
Rintoul, Stephen R.
Lenton, Andrew
author_sort Sallee, Jean-baptiste
title Localized subduction of anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the Southern Hemisphere oceans
title_short Localized subduction of anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the Southern Hemisphere oceans
title_full Localized subduction of anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the Southern Hemisphere oceans
title_fullStr Localized subduction of anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the Southern Hemisphere oceans
title_full_unstemmed Localized subduction of anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the Southern Hemisphere oceans
title_sort localized subduction of anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the southern hemisphere oceans
publisher Nature Publishing Group
publishDate 2012
url https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00140/25129/82433.pdf
https://doi.org/10.1038/NGEO1523
https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00140/25129/
geographic Southern Ocean
geographic_facet Southern Ocean
genre Sea ice
Southern Ocean
genre_facet Sea ice
Southern Ocean
op_source Nature Geoscience (1752-0894) (Nature Publishing Group), 2012-08 , Vol. 5 , N. 8 , P. 579-584
op_relation https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00140/25129/82433.pdf
doi:10.1038/NGEO1523
https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00140/25129/
op_rights 2012 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
restricted use
op_doi https://doi.org/10.1038/NGEO1523
container_title Nature Geoscience
container_volume 5
container_issue 8
container_start_page 579
op_container_end_page 584
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