The polar ocean and glacial cycles in atmospheric CO2 concentration

Global climate and the atmospheric partial pressure of carbon dioxide (p(CO2atm)) are correlated over recent glacial cycles, with lower p(CO2atm) during ice ages, but the causes of the p(CO2atm) changes are unknown. The modern Southern Ocean releases deeply sequestered CO2 to the atmosphere. Growing...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature
Main Authors: Sigman, Daniel M., Hain, Mathis P., Haug, Gerald H.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2010
Subjects:
Institut für Geowissenschaften
Southern Ocean
Online Access:https://publishup.uni-potsdam.de/opus4-ubp/frontdoor/index/index/docId/31475
https://doi.org/10.1038/Nature09149
Description
Summary:Global climate and the atmospheric partial pressure of carbon dioxide (p(CO2atm)) are correlated over recent glacial cycles, with lower p(CO2atm) during ice ages, but the causes of the p(CO2atm) changes are unknown. The modern Southern Ocean releases deeply sequestered CO2 to the atmosphere. Growing evidence suggests that the Southern Ocean CO2 'leak' was stemmed during ice ages, increasing ocean CO2 storage. Such a change would also have made the global ocean more alkaline, driving additional ocean CO2 uptake. This explanation for lower ice-age p(CO2atm), if correct, has much to teach us about the controls on current ocean processes.

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