Analysis of global surface ocean alkalinity to determine controlling processes
The export of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) from the surface ocean is poorly constrained. A better understanding of the magnitude and spatial distribution of this flux would improve our knowledge of the ocean carbon cycle and marine biogeochemistry. Here, we investigate controls over the spatial distrib...
Published in: | Marine Chemistry |
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ftoceanrep:oai:oceanrep.geomar.de:25633 2023-05-15T17:31:22+02:00 Analysis of global surface ocean alkalinity to determine controlling processes Fry, C. Tyrrell, T. Hain, M. P. Bates, N. R. Achterberg, Eric P. 2015-08-20 text https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/25633/ https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/25633/1/Fry%20et.al.pdf https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marchem.2015.05.003 en eng Elsevier https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/25633/1/Fry%20et.al.pdf Fry, C., Tyrrell, T., Hain, M. P., Bates, N. R. and Achterberg, E. P. (2015) Analysis of global surface ocean alkalinity to determine controlling processes. Marine Chemistry, 174 . pp. 46-57. DOI 10.1016/j.marchem.2015.05.003 <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marchem.2015.05.003>. doi:10.1016/j.marchem.2015.05.003 info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Article PeerReviewed 2015 ftoceanrep https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marchem.2015.05.003 2023-04-07T15:14:27Z The export of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) from the surface ocean is poorly constrained. A better understanding of the magnitude and spatial distribution of this flux would improve our knowledge of the ocean carbon cycle and marine biogeochemistry. Here, we investigate controls over the spatial distribution of total alkalinity in the surface global ocean and produce a tracer for CaCO3 cycling. We took surface ocean bottle data for total alkalinity from global databases (GLODAP, CARINA, PACIFICA) and subtracted the effects of several processes: evaporation and precipitation, river discharge, and nutrient uptake and remineralization. The remaining variation in alkalinity exhibits a robust and coherent pattern including features of large amplitude and spatial extent. Most notably, the residual variation in alkalinity is more or less constant across low latitudes of the global ocean but shows a strong poleward increase. There are differences of ~110μmolkg-1 and ~85μmolkg-1 between low latitudes and the Southern Ocean and the subarctic North Pacific, respectively, but, in contrast, little increase in the high-latitude North Atlantic. This global pattern is most likely due to production and export of CaCO3 and to physical resupply of alkalinity from deep waters. The use of river corrections highlights the large errors that are produced, particularly in the Bay of Bengal and the North Atlantic, if alkalinity normalization assumes all low salinities to be caused by rainfall. The residual alkalinity data can be used as a tracer to indicate where in the world's ocean most CaCO3 export from the surface layer takes place, and of future changes in calcification, for instance due to ocean acidification. Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic Ocean acidification Southern Ocean Subarctic OceanRep (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre für Ocean Research Kiel) Pacific Southern Ocean Marine Chemistry 174 46 57 |
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Open Polar |
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OceanRep (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre für Ocean Research Kiel) |
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ftoceanrep |
language |
English |
description |
The export of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) from the surface ocean is poorly constrained. A better understanding of the magnitude and spatial distribution of this flux would improve our knowledge of the ocean carbon cycle and marine biogeochemistry. Here, we investigate controls over the spatial distribution of total alkalinity in the surface global ocean and produce a tracer for CaCO3 cycling. We took surface ocean bottle data for total alkalinity from global databases (GLODAP, CARINA, PACIFICA) and subtracted the effects of several processes: evaporation and precipitation, river discharge, and nutrient uptake and remineralization. The remaining variation in alkalinity exhibits a robust and coherent pattern including features of large amplitude and spatial extent. Most notably, the residual variation in alkalinity is more or less constant across low latitudes of the global ocean but shows a strong poleward increase. There are differences of ~110μmolkg-1 and ~85μmolkg-1 between low latitudes and the Southern Ocean and the subarctic North Pacific, respectively, but, in contrast, little increase in the high-latitude North Atlantic. This global pattern is most likely due to production and export of CaCO3 and to physical resupply of alkalinity from deep waters. The use of river corrections highlights the large errors that are produced, particularly in the Bay of Bengal and the North Atlantic, if alkalinity normalization assumes all low salinities to be caused by rainfall. The residual alkalinity data can be used as a tracer to indicate where in the world's ocean most CaCO3 export from the surface layer takes place, and of future changes in calcification, for instance due to ocean acidification. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Fry, C. Tyrrell, T. Hain, M. P. Bates, N. R. Achterberg, Eric P. |
spellingShingle |
Fry, C. Tyrrell, T. Hain, M. P. Bates, N. R. Achterberg, Eric P. Analysis of global surface ocean alkalinity to determine controlling processes |
author_facet |
Fry, C. Tyrrell, T. Hain, M. P. Bates, N. R. Achterberg, Eric P. |
author_sort |
Fry, C. |
title |
Analysis of global surface ocean alkalinity to determine controlling processes |
title_short |
Analysis of global surface ocean alkalinity to determine controlling processes |
title_full |
Analysis of global surface ocean alkalinity to determine controlling processes |
title_fullStr |
Analysis of global surface ocean alkalinity to determine controlling processes |
title_full_unstemmed |
Analysis of global surface ocean alkalinity to determine controlling processes |
title_sort |
analysis of global surface ocean alkalinity to determine controlling processes |
publisher |
Elsevier |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/25633/ https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/25633/1/Fry%20et.al.pdf https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marchem.2015.05.003 |
geographic |
Pacific Southern Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Pacific Southern Ocean |
genre |
North Atlantic Ocean acidification Southern Ocean Subarctic |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic Ocean acidification Southern Ocean Subarctic |
op_relation |
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/25633/1/Fry%20et.al.pdf Fry, C., Tyrrell, T., Hain, M. P., Bates, N. R. and Achterberg, E. P. (2015) Analysis of global surface ocean alkalinity to determine controlling processes. Marine Chemistry, 174 . pp. 46-57. DOI 10.1016/j.marchem.2015.05.003 <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marchem.2015.05.003>. doi:10.1016/j.marchem.2015.05.003 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marchem.2015.05.003 |
container_title |
Marine Chemistry |
container_volume |
174 |
container_start_page |
46 |
op_container_end_page |
57 |
_version_ |
1766128886731505664 |