The increasing importance of satellite observations to assess the ocean carbon sink and ocean acidification
Type | Article | ||||||||
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Date | 2024-03 | ||||||||
Language | English | ||||||||
Author(s) | Shutler Jamie D.1, Gruber Nicolas2, Findlay Helen S.3, Land Peter E.3, Gregor Luke2, Holding Thomas4, Sims Richard1, Green Hannah1, 3, Piolle Jean-Francois5, Chapron Bertrand5, Sathyendranath Shubha3, Rousseaux Cecile S.6, Donlon Craig7, Cooley Sarah8, Turner Jessie9, Valauri-Orton Alexis10, Lowder Kaitlyn10, Widdicombe Steve3, 11, Newton Jan11, 12, Sabia Roberto13, Rio Marie-Helene14, Gaultier Lucile15 | ||||||||
Affiliation(s) | 1 : University of Exeter, Penryn, UK 2 : Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland 3 : Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK 4 : Max Planck Institute, Germany 5 : Ifremer, Brest, France 6 : NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, United States 7 : European Space Agency, ESTEC, the Netherlands 8 : Ocean Conservancy, Washington, United States 9 : Cascadia Policy Solutions, Secretariat to the International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification 10 : The Ocean Foundation, Washington, D.C., United States 11 : Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON) 12 : University of Washington, Washington, United States 13 : Telespazio-UK for European Space Agency, ESRIN, Italy 14 : European Space Agency, ESRIN, Italy 15 : Ocean Data Lab, Brest, France |
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Source | Earth-science Reviews (0012-8252) (Elsevier BV), 2024-03 , Vol. 250 , P. 104682 (15p.) | ||||||||
DOI | 10.1016/j.earscirev.2024.104682 | ||||||||
Keyword(s) | Atmosphere-ocean exchange, Ocean sink, Ocean acidification, Remote sensing, Earth observation, Marine carbonate system, Ocean carbon | ||||||||
Abstract | The strong control that the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) have over Earth's climate identifies the need for accurate quantification of the emitted CO2 and its redistribution within the Earth system. The ocean annually absorbs more than a quarter of all CO2 emissions and this absorption is fundamentally altering the ocean chemistry. The ocean thus provides a fundamental component and powerful constraint within global carbon assessments used to guide policy action for reducing emissions. These carbon assessments rely heavily on satellite observations, but their inclusion is often invisible or opaque to policy. One reason is that satellite observations are rarely used exclusively, but often in conjunction with other types of observations, thereby complementing and expanding their usability yet losing their visibility. This exploitation of satellite observations led by the satellite and ocean carbon scientific communities is based on exciting developments in satellite science that have broadened the suite of environmental data that can now reliably be observed from space. However, the full potential of satellite observations to expand the scientific knowledge on critical processes such as the atmosphere-ocean exchange of CO2 and ocean acidification, including its impact on ocean health, remains largely unexplored. There is clear potential to begin using these observation-based approaches for directly guiding ocean management and conservation decisions, in particular in regions where in situ data collection is more difficult, and interest in them is growing within the environmental policy communities. We review these developments, identify new opportunities and scientific priorities, and identify that the formation of an international advisory group could accelerate policy relevant advancements within both the ocean carbon and satellite communities. Some barriers to understanding exist but these should not stop the exploitation and the full visibility of satellite observations to policy makers and users, so these observations can fulfil their full potential and recognition for supporting society. |
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