Changes in the marine carbonate system of the western Arctic: patterns in a rescued data set

• Published in: Polar Research
• Main Authors: Lisa A. Miller, Robie W. Macdonald, Fiona McLaughlin, Alfonso Mucci, Michiyo Yamamoto-Kawai, Karina E. Giesbrecht, William J. Williams
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Norwegian Polar Institute 2014
• Subjects: Carbonate system; Arctic Ocean; time series; Beaufort Sea; ocean acidification; geo; envir; Arctic; Canada; canada basin; Ocean acidification; Polar Research; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v33.20577; https://doaj.org/article/bc2d6d12242a4e2f96ca2795d8e9a765

A recently recovered and compiled set of inorganic carbon data collected in the Canadian Arctic since the 1970s has revealed substantial change, as well as variability, in the carbonate system of the Beaufort Sea and Canada Basin. Whereas the role of this area as a net atmospheric carbon sink has been confirmed, high pCO2 values in the upper halocline underscore the potential for CO2 outgassing as sea ice retreats and upwelling increases. In addition, increasing total inorganic carbon and decreasing alkalinity are increasing pCO2 and decreasing CaCO3 saturation states, such that undersaturation with respect to aragonite now occurs regularly in both deep waters and the upper halocline.