Rapid acidification of mode and intermediate waters in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean

• Published in: Biogeosciences
• Main Authors: L. A. Salt, S. M. A. C. van Heuven, M. E. Claus, E. M. Jones, H. J. W. de Baar
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Publications 2015
• Subjects: Ecology; QH540-549.5; Life; QH501-531; Geology; QE1-996.5; Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-1387-2015; https://doaj.org/article/8aa3898f834d4552ba2876ec6ecb2430

Observations along the southwestern Atlantic WOCE A17 line made during the Dutch GEOTRACES-NL programme (2010–2011) were compared with historical data from 1994 to quantify the changes in the anthropogenic component of the total pool of dissolved inorganic carbon (ΔC ant ). Application of the extended multi-linear regression (eMLR) method shows that the ΔC ant from 1994 to 2011 has largely remained confined to the upper 1000 dbar. The greatest changes occur in the upper 200 dbar in the Subantarctic Zone (SAZ), where a maximum increase of 37 μmol kg −1 is found. South Atlantic Central Water (SACW) experienced the highest rate of increase in C ant , at 0.99 ± 0.14 μmol kg −1 yr −1 , resulting in a maximum rate of decrease in pH of 0.0016 yr −1 . The highest rates of acidification relative to ΔC ant , however, were found in Subantarctic Mode Water (SAMW) and Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW). The low buffering capacity of SAMW and AAIW combined with their relatively high rates of C ant , increase of 0.53 ± 0.11 and 0.36 ± 0.06 μmol kg −1 yr −1 , respectively, has lead to rapid acidification in the SAZ, and will continue to do so whilst simultaneously reducing the chemical buffering capacity of this significant CO 2 sink.