Variability and trends of carbon parameters at a time series in the eastern tropical Atlantic

• Published in: Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology
• Main Authors: Lefèvre, Nathalie, Veleda, Dóris, Araujo, Moacyr, Caniaux, Guy
• Other Authors: Austral, Boréal et Carbone (ABC), Laboratoire d'Océanographie et du Climat : Expérimentations et Approches Numériques (LOCEAN), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Institut Pierre-Simon-Laplace (IPSL (FR_636)), École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS Paris), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-École polytechnique (X)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS Paris), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-École polytechnique (X)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Institut Pierre-Simon-Laplace (IPSL (FR_636)), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-École polytechnique (X)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Universidade Federal de Pernambuco Recife (UFPE), Groupe d'étude de l'atmosphère météorologique (CNRM-GAME), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Météo France-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2016
• Subjects: fugacity of CO 2; ocean acidification; time series; eastern tropical Atlantic; [SDU.STU.ME]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Meteorology; [SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean; Atmosphere; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: https://hal.sorbonne-universite.fr/hal-01327759; https://hal.sorbonne-universite.fr/hal-01327759/document; https://hal.sorbonne-universite.fr/hal-01327759/file/30305-197782-1-PB.pdf; https://doi.org/10.3402/tellusb.v68.30305

International audience Hourly f CO 2 is recorded at a time series at the PIRATA buoy located at 6°S 10°W in the eastern tropical Atlantic since June 2006. This site is located south and west of the seasonal Atlantic cold tongue and is affected by its propagation from June to September. Using an alkalinityÁsalinity relationship determined for the eastern tropical Atlantic and the observed f CO 2 , pH and the inorganic carbon concentration are calculated. The time series is investigated to explore the intraseasonal, seasonal and interannual timescales for these parameters, and to detect any long-term trends. At intraseasonal timescales, f CO 2 and pH are strongly correlated. On seasonal timescales, the correlation still holds between f CO 2 and pH and their variations are in agreement with those of sea surface salinity. At interannual timescales, some important differences appear in 2011-2012: lower f CO 2 and fluxes are observed from September to December 2011 and are explained by higher advection of salty waters at the mooring, in agreement with the wind. In early 2012, the anomaly is still present and associated with lower sea surface temperatures. No significant long-term trend is detected over the period 2006-2013 on CO 2 and any other physical parameter. However, as atmospheric f CO 2 is increasing over time, the outgassing of CO 2 is reduced over the period 2006Á2013 as the flux is mainly controlled by the difference of f CO 2 between the ocean and the atmosphere. A longer time series is required to determine if any significant trend exists in this region.