Mesoscale modulation of air-sea CO2 flux in Drake Passage
We investigate the role of mesoscale eddies in modulating air-sea CO2 flux and associated biogeochemical fields in Drake Passage using in situ observations and an eddy-resolving numerical model. Both observations and model show a negative correlation between temperature and partial pressure of CO2 (...
| Published in: | Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans |
|---|---|
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Amer Geophysical Union
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JC011714 https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00383/49407/49894.pdf https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00383/49407/ |
| Summary: | We investigate the role of mesoscale eddies in modulating air-sea CO2 flux and associated biogeochemical fields in Drake Passage using in situ observations and an eddy-resolving numerical model. Both observations and model show a negative correlation between temperature and partial pressure of CO2 (pCO(2)) anomalies at the sea surface in austral summer, indicating that warm/cold anticyclonic/cyclonic eddies take up more/less CO2. In austral winter, in contrast, relationships are reversed: warm/cold anticyclonic/cyclonic eddies are characterized by a positive/negative pCO(2) anomaly and more/less CO2 outgassing. It is argued that DIC-driven effects on pCO(2) are greater than temperature effects in austral summer, leading to a negative correlation. In austral winter, however, the reverse is true. An eddy-centric analysis of the model solution reveals that nitrate and iron respond differently to the same vertical mixing: vertical mixing has a greater impact on iron because its normalized vertical gradient at the base of the surface mixed layer is an order of magnitude greater than that of nitrate. |
|---|