Acidification of the Nordic Seas
Due to low calcium carbonate saturation states, and winter mixing that brings anthropogenic carbon to the deep ocean, the Nordic Seas and their cold-water corals are vulnerable to ocean acidification. Here, we present a detailed investigation of the changes in pH and aragonite saturation in the Nord...
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Copernicus Publications
2022
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-979-2022 https://doaj.org/article/c942421a6ce34ef9a466e27e1495b1ef |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:c942421a6ce34ef9a466e27e1495b1ef 2023-05-15T17:24:17+02:00 Acidification of the Nordic Seas F. Fransner F. Fröb J. Tjiputra N. Goris S. K. Lauvset I. Skjelvan E. Jeansson A. Omar M. Chierici E. Jones A. Fransson S. R. Ólafsdóttir T. Johannessen A. Olsen 2022-02-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-979-2022 https://doaj.org/article/c942421a6ce34ef9a466e27e1495b1ef EN eng Copernicus Publications https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/19/979/2022/bg-19-979-2022.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1726-4170 https://doaj.org/toc/1726-4189 doi:10.5194/bg-19-979-2022 1726-4170 1726-4189 https://doaj.org/article/c942421a6ce34ef9a466e27e1495b1ef Biogeosciences, Vol 19, Pp 979-1012 (2022) Ecology QH540-549.5 Life QH501-531 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2022 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-979-2022 2022-12-31T03:33:46Z Due to low calcium carbonate saturation states, and winter mixing that brings anthropogenic carbon to the deep ocean, the Nordic Seas and their cold-water corals are vulnerable to ocean acidification. Here, we present a detailed investigation of the changes in pH and aragonite saturation in the Nordic Seas from preindustrial times to 2100, by using in situ observations, gridded climatological data, and projections for three different future scenarios with the Norwegian Earth System Model (NorESM1-ME). During the period of regular ocean biogeochemistry observations from 1981–2019, the pH decreased with rates of 2–3 × 10 −3 yr −1 in the upper 200 m of the Nordic Seas. In some regions, the pH decrease can be detected down to 2000 m depth. This resulted in a decrease in the aragonite saturation state, which is now close to undersaturation in the depth layer of 1000–2000 m. The model simulations suggest that the pH of the Nordic Seas will decrease at an overall faster rate than the global ocean from the preindustrial era to 2100, bringing the Nordic Seas' pH closer to the global average. In the esmRCP8.5 scenario, the whole water column is projected to be undersaturated with respect to aragonite at the end of the 21st century, thereby endangering all cold-water corals of the Nordic Seas. In the esmRCP4.5 scenario, the deepest cold-water coral reefs are projected to be exposed to undersaturation. Exposure of all cold-water corals to corrosive waters can only be avoided with marginal under the esmRCP2.6 scenario. Over all timescales, the main driver of the pH drop is the increase in dissolved inorganic carbon ( C T ) caused by the raising anthropogenic CO 2 , followed by the temperature increase. Thermodynamic salinity effects are of secondary importance. We find substantial changes in total alkalinity ( A T ) and C T as a result of the salinification, or decreased freshwater content, of the Atlantic water during all time periods, and as a result of an increased freshwater export in polar waters in past and future ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Nordic Seas Ocean acidification Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Biogeosciences 19 3 979 1012 |
institution |
Open Polar |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Ecology QH540-549.5 Life QH501-531 Geology QE1-996.5 |
spellingShingle |
Ecology QH540-549.5 Life QH501-531 Geology QE1-996.5 F. Fransner F. Fröb J. Tjiputra N. Goris S. K. Lauvset I. Skjelvan E. Jeansson A. Omar M. Chierici E. Jones A. Fransson S. R. Ólafsdóttir T. Johannessen A. Olsen Acidification of the Nordic Seas |
topic_facet |
Ecology QH540-549.5 Life QH501-531 Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
Due to low calcium carbonate saturation states, and winter mixing that brings anthropogenic carbon to the deep ocean, the Nordic Seas and their cold-water corals are vulnerable to ocean acidification. Here, we present a detailed investigation of the changes in pH and aragonite saturation in the Nordic Seas from preindustrial times to 2100, by using in situ observations, gridded climatological data, and projections for three different future scenarios with the Norwegian Earth System Model (NorESM1-ME). During the period of regular ocean biogeochemistry observations from 1981–2019, the pH decreased with rates of 2–3 × 10 −3 yr −1 in the upper 200 m of the Nordic Seas. In some regions, the pH decrease can be detected down to 2000 m depth. This resulted in a decrease in the aragonite saturation state, which is now close to undersaturation in the depth layer of 1000–2000 m. The model simulations suggest that the pH of the Nordic Seas will decrease at an overall faster rate than the global ocean from the preindustrial era to 2100, bringing the Nordic Seas' pH closer to the global average. In the esmRCP8.5 scenario, the whole water column is projected to be undersaturated with respect to aragonite at the end of the 21st century, thereby endangering all cold-water corals of the Nordic Seas. In the esmRCP4.5 scenario, the deepest cold-water coral reefs are projected to be exposed to undersaturation. Exposure of all cold-water corals to corrosive waters can only be avoided with marginal under the esmRCP2.6 scenario. Over all timescales, the main driver of the pH drop is the increase in dissolved inorganic carbon ( C T ) caused by the raising anthropogenic CO 2 , followed by the temperature increase. Thermodynamic salinity effects are of secondary importance. We find substantial changes in total alkalinity ( A T ) and C T as a result of the salinification, or decreased freshwater content, of the Atlantic water during all time periods, and as a result of an increased freshwater export in polar waters in past and future ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
F. Fransner F. Fröb J. Tjiputra N. Goris S. K. Lauvset I. Skjelvan E. Jeansson A. Omar M. Chierici E. Jones A. Fransson S. R. Ólafsdóttir T. Johannessen A. Olsen |
author_facet |
F. Fransner F. Fröb J. Tjiputra N. Goris S. K. Lauvset I. Skjelvan E. Jeansson A. Omar M. Chierici E. Jones A. Fransson S. R. Ólafsdóttir T. Johannessen A. Olsen |
author_sort |
F. Fransner |
title |
Acidification of the Nordic Seas |
title_short |
Acidification of the Nordic Seas |
title_full |
Acidification of the Nordic Seas |
title_fullStr |
Acidification of the Nordic Seas |
title_full_unstemmed |
Acidification of the Nordic Seas |
title_sort |
acidification of the nordic seas |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-979-2022 https://doaj.org/article/c942421a6ce34ef9a466e27e1495b1ef |
genre |
Nordic Seas Ocean acidification |
genre_facet |
Nordic Seas Ocean acidification |
op_source |
Biogeosciences, Vol 19, Pp 979-1012 (2022) |
op_relation |
https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/19/979/2022/bg-19-979-2022.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1726-4170 https://doaj.org/toc/1726-4189 doi:10.5194/bg-19-979-2022 1726-4170 1726-4189 https://doaj.org/article/c942421a6ce34ef9a466e27e1495b1ef |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-979-2022 |
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Biogeosciences |
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19 |
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3 |
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979 |
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1012 |
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