Larger CO2 source at the equatorial Pacific during the last deglaciation

While biogeochemical and physical processes in the Southern Ocean are thought to be central to atmospheric CO2 rise during the last deglaciation, the role of the equatorial Pacific, where the largest CO2 source exists at present, remains largely unconstrained. Here we present seawater pH and pCO2 va...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific Reports
Main Authors: Kubota, Kaoru, Yokoyama, Yusuke, Ishikawa, Tsuyoshi, Obrochta, Stephen, Suzuki, Atsushi
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: Nature Publishing Group 2014
Subjects:
Article
Pacific
Southern Ocean
Online Access:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4052749
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24918354
https://doi.org/10.1038/srep05261
Description
Summary:While biogeochemical and physical processes in the Southern Ocean are thought to be central to atmospheric CO2 rise during the last deglaciation, the role of the equatorial Pacific, where the largest CO2 source exists at present, remains largely unconstrained. Here we present seawater pH and pCO2 variations from fossil Porites corals in the mid equatorial Pacific offshore Tahiti based on a newly calibrated boron isotope paleo-pH proxy. Our new data, together with recalibrated existing data, indicate that a significant pCO2 increase (pH decrease), accompanied by anomalously large marine 14C reservoir ages, occurred following not only the Younger Dryas, but also Heinrich Stadial 1. These findings indicate an expanded zone of equatorial upwelling and resultant CO2 emission, which may be derived from higher subsurface dissolved inorganic carbon concentration.

Similar Items