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Prevalence of strong vertical CO2 and O-2 variability in the top meters of the ocean

Calleja, Maria Ll. ; Duarte, Carlos M. ; Alvarez, Marta ; Vaquer-Sunyer, Raquel LU ; Agusti, Susana and Herndl, Gerhard J. (2013) In Global Biogeochemical Cycles 27(3). p.941-949
Abstract
The gradient in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO(2)) across the air-sea boundary layer is the main driving force for the air-sea CO2 flux. Global data bases for surface seawater pCO(2) are actually based on pCO(2) measurements from several meters below the sea surface, assuming a homogeneous distribution between the diffusive boundary layer and the upper top meters of the ocean. Compiling vertical profiles of pCO(2), temperature, and dissolved oxygen in the upper 5-8 m of the ocean from different biogeographical areas, we detected a mean difference between the boundary layer and 5 m pCO(2) of 131 mu atm. Temperature gradients accounted for only 11% of this pCO(2) gradient in the top meters of the ocean; thus, pointing to a... (More)
The gradient in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO(2)) across the air-sea boundary layer is the main driving force for the air-sea CO2 flux. Global data bases for surface seawater pCO(2) are actually based on pCO(2) measurements from several meters below the sea surface, assuming a homogeneous distribution between the diffusive boundary layer and the upper top meters of the ocean. Compiling vertical profiles of pCO(2), temperature, and dissolved oxygen in the upper 5-8 m of the ocean from different biogeographical areas, we detected a mean difference between the boundary layer and 5 m pCO(2) of 131 mu atm. Temperature gradients accounted for only 11% of this pCO(2) gradient in the top meters of the ocean; thus, pointing to a heterogeneous biological activity underneath the air-sea boundary layer as the main factor controlling the top meters pCO(2) variability. Observations of pCO(2) just beneath the air-sea boundary layer should be further investigated in order to estimate possible biases in calculating global air-sea CO2 fluxes. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
pCO2 variability, top meters, temperature, oxygen concentration, oceans
in
Global Biogeochemical Cycles
volume
27
issue
3
pages
941 - 949
publisher
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
external identifiers
  • wos:000325488600029
  • scopus:84883709743
ISSN
0886-6236
DOI
10.1002/gbc.20081
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
43fc82aa-505d-40d7-aaa8-17ebf184537d (old id 4170449)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:41:58
date last changed
2022-03-29 08:54:19
@article{43fc82aa-505d-40d7-aaa8-17ebf184537d,
  abstract     = {{The gradient in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO(2)) across the air-sea boundary layer is the main driving force for the air-sea CO2 flux. Global data bases for surface seawater pCO(2) are actually based on pCO(2) measurements from several meters below the sea surface, assuming a homogeneous distribution between the diffusive boundary layer and the upper top meters of the ocean. Compiling vertical profiles of pCO(2), temperature, and dissolved oxygen in the upper 5-8 m of the ocean from different biogeographical areas, we detected a mean difference between the boundary layer and 5 m pCO(2) of 131 mu atm. Temperature gradients accounted for only 11% of this pCO(2) gradient in the top meters of the ocean; thus, pointing to a heterogeneous biological activity underneath the air-sea boundary layer as the main factor controlling the top meters pCO(2) variability. Observations of pCO(2) just beneath the air-sea boundary layer should be further investigated in order to estimate possible biases in calculating global air-sea CO2 fluxes.}},
  author       = {{Calleja, Maria Ll. and Duarte, Carlos M. and Alvarez, Marta and Vaquer-Sunyer, Raquel and Agusti, Susana and Herndl, Gerhard J.}},
  issn         = {{0886-6236}},
  keywords     = {{pCO2 variability; top meters; temperature; oxygen concentration; oceans}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{941--949}},
  publisher    = {{American Geophysical Union (AGU)}},
  series       = {{Global Biogeochemical Cycles}},
  title        = {{Prevalence of strong vertical CO2 and O-2 variability in the top meters of the ocean}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/gbc.20081}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/gbc.20081}},
  volume       = {{27}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}