Long-term (1977}1997) measurements of carbon dioxide in the Eastern North Atlantic: evaluation of anthropogenic input

• Main Authors: Aida F. Rmhos, Fiz F. Peh Rez, F. Fraga
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Labrador Sea; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.506.4361; http://cdiac.esd.ornl.gov/ftp/oceans/CARINA/LeNoroit/35LU19890509/Publications/Long-term (1977%7D1997) measurements of carbon dioxide in the.pdf

parameters were measured in the Eastern North Atlantic Ocean. A data set of 12 cruises carried out between 373N and 473N, 203W and the Iberian Peninsula coast, were used to estimate the anthropogenic carbon (C) based on a back-calculation technique, with the aim of evaluating its temporal evolution in that 20-year period. The rate of change of the integrated C down to 2000m was 0.95molm yr. Half of this input corresponds to a direct uptake of atmospheric CO (0.48molm yr), while the other half enters by advection. The C advected by the Mediterranean Water (MW) is the most important contributor to the total C advected into the area, representing 59% (0.27$0.09molm yr), whereas the Labrador Sea Water contributes only 15 % (0.07$0.04 molm yr). The particular formation mechanism of MW explains its high content of advected C When MW is formed in the Gulf of CaH diz, 85 % of Central Water is entrained by sinking of the Mediterra-