Distribution and inventory of anthropogenic CO(2) in the Southern Ocean: Comparison of three data-based methods

Type Article
Date 2005-09
Language English
Author(s) Lo Monaco C1, Goyet C2, Metzl N1, Poisson A1, Touratier F2
Affiliation(s) 1 : Univ Paris 06, Lab Oceanog & Climat Expt & Approches Numer, F-75252 Paris, France.
2 : Univ Perpignan, Lab Biophys & Dynam Syst Integres, F-66860 Perpignan, France.
Source Journal Of Geophysical Research-oceans (0148-0227) (Amer Geophysical Union), 2005-09 , Vol. 110 , N. C9/C09S02 , P. 1-12
DOI 10.1029/2004JC002571
WOS© Times Cited 42
Keyword(s) anthropogenic carbon, Southern Ocean, WOCE
Abstract The Southern Ocean is thought to play an important role in the context of global warming and anthropogenic emissions of CO(2) due to its high sensitivity to both climate change and changes in the carbon cycle. Assessing the penetration of anthropogenic CO(2) (C(ant)) into the Southern Ocean is therefore highly relevant to reduce the uncertainties attached to both the present knowledge of anthropogenic carbon inventories and predictions made by current ocean carbon models. This study compares different data-based approaches for estimating the distribution of C(ant) in the ocean: a recently developed method based on the composite Tracer Combining Oxygen, Inorganic Carbon, and Total Alkalinity (TrOCA) and the "historical'' back-calculation methods (the so-called Delta C* and preformed dissolved inorganic carbon methods). Note that the back-calculation technique requires special care when used in the Southern Ocean, where surface oxygen can significantly deviate from equilibrium with the atmosphere. All three methods were applied to data collected at the Indian-Atlantic boundary (WOCE line I6), where significant transient tracer concentrations were observed in deep and bottom waters. North of 50 degrees S, distribution and inventories of C(ant) are coherent with previous data-based and model estimates, but we found larger storage of C(ant) south of 50 degrees S as compared to the midlatitude region. In that, our results disagree with most previous estimates and suggest that the global inventory of anthropogenic CO(2) in the Southern Ocean could be much larger than what is currently believed.
Full Text
File Pages Size Access
Publisher's official version 12 567 KB Open access
Top of the page