Changes in the North Atlantic Oscillation influence CO2 uptake in the North Atlantic over the past 2 decades
Observational studies report a rapid decline of ocean CO2 uptake in the temperate North Atlantic during the last decade. We analyze these findings using ocean physical‐biological numerical simulations forced with interannually varying atmospheric conditions for the period 1979–2004. In the simulatio...
Published in: | Global Biogeochemical Cycles |
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ftoceanrep:oai:oceanrep.geomar.de:566 2023-12-10T09:51:02+01:00 Changes in the North Atlantic Oscillation influence CO2 uptake in the North Atlantic over the past 2 decades Thomas, H. Prowe, Friederike Lima, I. D. Doney, S. C. Wanninkhof, R. Greatbatch, Richard Schuster, U. Corbière, A. 2008 text https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/566/ https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/566/1/Thomas_et_al-2008-Global_Biogeochemical_Cycles.pdf https://doi.org/10.1029/2007GB003167 en eng AGU (American Geophysical Union) https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/566/1/Thomas_et_al-2008-Global_Biogeochemical_Cycles.pdf Thomas, H., Prowe, F. , Lima, I. D., Doney, S. C., Wanninkhof, R., Greatbatch, R. , Schuster, U. and Corbière, A. (2008) Changes in the North Atlantic Oscillation influence CO2 uptake in the North Atlantic over the past 2 decades. Open Access Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 22 (GB4027). DOI 10.1029/2007GB003167 <https://doi.org/10.1029/2007GB003167>. doi:10.1029/2007GB003167 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Article PeerReviewed 2008 ftoceanrep https://doi.org/10.1029/2007GB003167 2023-11-13T00:22:42Z Observational studies report a rapid decline of ocean CO2 uptake in the temperate North Atlantic during the last decade. We analyze these findings using ocean physical‐biological numerical simulations forced with interannually varying atmospheric conditions for the period 1979–2004. In the simulations, surface ocean water mass properties and CO2 system variables exhibit substantial multiannual variability on sub‐basin scales in response to wind‐driven reorganization in ocean circulation and surface warming/cooling. The simulated temporal evolution of the ocean CO2 system is broadly consistent with reported observational trends and is influenced substantially by the phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Many of the observational estimates cover a period after 1995 of mostly negative or weakly positive NAO conditions, which are characterized in the simulations by reduced North Atlantic Current transport of subtropical waters into the eastern basin and by a decline in CO2 uptake. We suggest therefore that air‐sea CO2 uptake may rebound in the eastern temperate North Atlantic during future periods of more positive NAO, similar to the patterns found in our model for the sustained positive NAO period in the early 1990s. Thus, our analysis indicates that the recent rapid shifts in CO2 flux reflect decadal perturbations superimposed on more gradual secular trends. The simulations highlight the need for long‐term ocean carbon observations and modeling to fully resolve multiannual variability, which can obscure detection of the long‐term changes associated with anthropogenic CO2 uptake and climate change. Article in Journal/Newspaper north atlantic current North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation OceanRep (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre für Ocean Research Kiel) Global Biogeochemical Cycles 22 4 n/a n/a |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
OceanRep (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre für Ocean Research Kiel) |
op_collection_id |
ftoceanrep |
language |
English |
description |
Observational studies report a rapid decline of ocean CO2 uptake in the temperate North Atlantic during the last decade. We analyze these findings using ocean physical‐biological numerical simulations forced with interannually varying atmospheric conditions for the period 1979–2004. In the simulations, surface ocean water mass properties and CO2 system variables exhibit substantial multiannual variability on sub‐basin scales in response to wind‐driven reorganization in ocean circulation and surface warming/cooling. The simulated temporal evolution of the ocean CO2 system is broadly consistent with reported observational trends and is influenced substantially by the phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Many of the observational estimates cover a period after 1995 of mostly negative or weakly positive NAO conditions, which are characterized in the simulations by reduced North Atlantic Current transport of subtropical waters into the eastern basin and by a decline in CO2 uptake. We suggest therefore that air‐sea CO2 uptake may rebound in the eastern temperate North Atlantic during future periods of more positive NAO, similar to the patterns found in our model for the sustained positive NAO period in the early 1990s. Thus, our analysis indicates that the recent rapid shifts in CO2 flux reflect decadal perturbations superimposed on more gradual secular trends. The simulations highlight the need for long‐term ocean carbon observations and modeling to fully resolve multiannual variability, which can obscure detection of the long‐term changes associated with anthropogenic CO2 uptake and climate change. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Thomas, H. Prowe, Friederike Lima, I. D. Doney, S. C. Wanninkhof, R. Greatbatch, Richard Schuster, U. Corbière, A. |
spellingShingle |
Thomas, H. Prowe, Friederike Lima, I. D. Doney, S. C. Wanninkhof, R. Greatbatch, Richard Schuster, U. Corbière, A. Changes in the North Atlantic Oscillation influence CO2 uptake in the North Atlantic over the past 2 decades |
author_facet |
Thomas, H. Prowe, Friederike Lima, I. D. Doney, S. C. Wanninkhof, R. Greatbatch, Richard Schuster, U. Corbière, A. |
author_sort |
Thomas, H. |
title |
Changes in the North Atlantic Oscillation influence CO2 uptake in the North Atlantic over the past 2 decades |
title_short |
Changes in the North Atlantic Oscillation influence CO2 uptake in the North Atlantic over the past 2 decades |
title_full |
Changes in the North Atlantic Oscillation influence CO2 uptake in the North Atlantic over the past 2 decades |
title_fullStr |
Changes in the North Atlantic Oscillation influence CO2 uptake in the North Atlantic over the past 2 decades |
title_full_unstemmed |
Changes in the North Atlantic Oscillation influence CO2 uptake in the North Atlantic over the past 2 decades |
title_sort |
changes in the north atlantic oscillation influence co2 uptake in the north atlantic over the past 2 decades |
publisher |
AGU (American Geophysical Union) |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/566/ https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/566/1/Thomas_et_al-2008-Global_Biogeochemical_Cycles.pdf https://doi.org/10.1029/2007GB003167 |
genre |
north atlantic current North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation |
genre_facet |
north atlantic current North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation |
op_relation |
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/566/1/Thomas_et_al-2008-Global_Biogeochemical_Cycles.pdf Thomas, H., Prowe, F. , Lima, I. D., Doney, S. C., Wanninkhof, R., Greatbatch, R. , Schuster, U. and Corbière, A. (2008) Changes in the North Atlantic Oscillation influence CO2 uptake in the North Atlantic over the past 2 decades. Open Access Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 22 (GB4027). DOI 10.1029/2007GB003167 <https://doi.org/10.1029/2007GB003167>. doi:10.1029/2007GB003167 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2007GB003167 |
container_title |
Global Biogeochemical Cycles |
container_volume |
22 |
container_issue |
4 |
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n/a |
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1784896398317060096 |