Assessing the sensitivity of modeled air-sea CO2 exchange to the remineralization depth of particulate organic and inorganic carbon.

Schneider, Birgit, Bopp, L. and Gehlen, M. (2008) Assessing the sensitivity of modeled air-sea CO2 exchange to the remineralization depth of particulate organic and inorganic carbon. Open Access Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 22 (3). GB3021. DOI 10.1029/2007GB003100.

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Abstract

To assess the sensitivity of surface ocean pCO(2) and air-sea CO2 fluxes to changes in the remineralization depth of particulate organic and inorganic carbon (POC, PIC), a biogeochemical ocean circulation model (PISCES) was run with different parameterizations for vertical particle fluxes. On the basis of fluxes of POC and PIC, productivity, export, and the distributions of nitrogen (NO3), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and alkalinity, a number of indices defined to estimate the efficiency of carbon transport away from the atmosphere are applied. With differing success for the respective indices the results show that the more efficient the vertical transport of organic carbon toward depth, the lower the surface ocean pCO(2), the higher the air-sea CO2 flux, and the stronger the increase in the oceanic inventory of DIC. Along with POC flux it is important to consider variations in PIC flux, as the net effect of particle flux reorganizations on surface ocean pCO(2) is a combination of changes in DIC and alkalinity. The results demonstrate that changes in the mechanistic formulation of vertical particle fluxes have direct and indirect effects on surface ocean pCO(2) and may thus interact with the atmospheric CO2 reservoir.

Document Type: Article
Research affiliation: Kiel University
OceanRep > The Future Ocean - Cluster of Excellence
Refereed: Yes
Open Access Journal?: No
Publisher: AGU (American Geophysical Union)
Projects: Future Ocean
Date Deposited: 12 Oct 2010 11:54
Last Modified: 23 Sep 2019 20:52
URI: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/9128

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