Natural variability in air–sea gas transfer efficiency of CO2
Abstract The flux of CO2 between the atmosphere and the ocean is often estimated as the air–sea gas concentration difference multiplied by the gas transfer velocity (K 660). The first order driver for K 660 over the ocean is wind through its influence on near surface hydrodynamics. However, field ob...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:8876030efbf54167bae0d984071ff7bf 2023-05-15T18:25:34+02:00 Natural variability in air–sea gas transfer efficiency of CO2 Mingxi Yang Timothy J. Smyth Vassilis Kitidis Ian J. Brown Charel Wohl Margaret J. Yelland Thomas G. Bell 2021-06-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92947-w https://doaj.org/article/8876030efbf54167bae0d984071ff7bf EN eng Nature Portfolio https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92947-w https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322 doi:10.1038/s41598-021-92947-w 2045-2322 https://doaj.org/article/8876030efbf54167bae0d984071ff7bf Scientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-9 (2021) Medicine R Science Q article 2021 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92947-w 2022-12-31T05:22:41Z Abstract The flux of CO2 between the atmosphere and the ocean is often estimated as the air–sea gas concentration difference multiplied by the gas transfer velocity (K 660). The first order driver for K 660 over the ocean is wind through its influence on near surface hydrodynamics. However, field observations have shown substantial variability in the wind speed dependencies of K 660. In this study we measured K 660 with the eddy covariance technique during a ~ 11,000 km long Southern Ocean transect. In parallel, we made a novel measurement of the gas transfer efficiency (GTE) based on partial equilibration of CO2 using a Segmented Flow Coil Equilibrator system. GTE varied by 20% during the transect, was distinct in different water masses, and related to K 660. At a moderate wind speed of 7 m s−1, K 660 associated with high GTE exceeded K 660 with low GTE by 30% in the mean. The sensitivity of K 660 towards GTE was stronger at lower wind speeds and weaker at higher wind speeds. Naturally-occurring organics in seawater, some of which are surface active, may be the cause of the variability in GTE and in K 660. Neglecting these variations could result in biases in the computed air–sea CO2 fluxes. Article in Journal/Newspaper Southern Ocean Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Southern Ocean Scientific Reports 11 1 |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Medicine R Science Q |
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Medicine R Science Q Mingxi Yang Timothy J. Smyth Vassilis Kitidis Ian J. Brown Charel Wohl Margaret J. Yelland Thomas G. Bell Natural variability in air–sea gas transfer efficiency of CO2 |
topic_facet |
Medicine R Science Q |
description |
Abstract The flux of CO2 between the atmosphere and the ocean is often estimated as the air–sea gas concentration difference multiplied by the gas transfer velocity (K 660). The first order driver for K 660 over the ocean is wind through its influence on near surface hydrodynamics. However, field observations have shown substantial variability in the wind speed dependencies of K 660. In this study we measured K 660 with the eddy covariance technique during a ~ 11,000 km long Southern Ocean transect. In parallel, we made a novel measurement of the gas transfer efficiency (GTE) based on partial equilibration of CO2 using a Segmented Flow Coil Equilibrator system. GTE varied by 20% during the transect, was distinct in different water masses, and related to K 660. At a moderate wind speed of 7 m s−1, K 660 associated with high GTE exceeded K 660 with low GTE by 30% in the mean. The sensitivity of K 660 towards GTE was stronger at lower wind speeds and weaker at higher wind speeds. Naturally-occurring organics in seawater, some of which are surface active, may be the cause of the variability in GTE and in K 660. Neglecting these variations could result in biases in the computed air–sea CO2 fluxes. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Mingxi Yang Timothy J. Smyth Vassilis Kitidis Ian J. Brown Charel Wohl Margaret J. Yelland Thomas G. Bell |
author_facet |
Mingxi Yang Timothy J. Smyth Vassilis Kitidis Ian J. Brown Charel Wohl Margaret J. Yelland Thomas G. Bell |
author_sort |
Mingxi Yang |
title |
Natural variability in air–sea gas transfer efficiency of CO2 |
title_short |
Natural variability in air–sea gas transfer efficiency of CO2 |
title_full |
Natural variability in air–sea gas transfer efficiency of CO2 |
title_fullStr |
Natural variability in air–sea gas transfer efficiency of CO2 |
title_full_unstemmed |
Natural variability in air–sea gas transfer efficiency of CO2 |
title_sort |
natural variability in air–sea gas transfer efficiency of co2 |
publisher |
Nature Portfolio |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92947-w https://doaj.org/article/8876030efbf54167bae0d984071ff7bf |
geographic |
Southern Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Southern Ocean |
genre |
Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Southern Ocean |
op_source |
Scientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-9 (2021) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92947-w https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322 doi:10.1038/s41598-021-92947-w 2045-2322 https://doaj.org/article/8876030efbf54167bae0d984071ff7bf |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92947-w |
container_title |
Scientific Reports |
container_volume |
11 |
container_issue |
1 |
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1766207121894932480 |