An update of anthropogenic CO2 storage rates in the western South Atlantic basin and the role of Antarctic Bottom Water

• Main Authors: Ríos, Aida F., Velo, A., Pardo, Paula C., Hoppema, Mario, Pérez, Fiz F.
• Format: Still Image
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10261/44937

Póster presentado en el congreso: THE OCEAN CARBON CYCLE AT A TIME OF CHANGE: SYNTHESIS AND VULNERABILITIES September 14 – 16, 2011, UNESCO, Paris.-- Proyecto Carbochange The western South Atlantic (WSA) basin is a region with large uncertainties as to the storage of anthropogenic CO2 (Cant). Our analysis of data of the last three decades provides a Cant storage rate of 0.92 ±0.13 mol m-2 y-1, i.e., 13/%-35/% higher than previous estimates in this area. The low but significant Cant concentrations in the large volume of relatively well ventilated Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) may well be the underlying cause of this higher storage rate. In fact, the significant contribution in terms of Cant of this ventilated AABW that enters the WSA was calculated to be 0.055 ± 0.02 Pg C y-1 or 0.20 mol m-2 y-1. Instead of being based on the annual trend, the Cant specific inventory evolution is more consistently computed as a function of the atmospheric xCO2 perturbation (0.64 mol m-2 ppm-1). This methodology allows improved projections of Cant storage rates over long periods.