The Role of Ocean Mesoscale Variability in Air‐Sea CO2 Exchange: A Global Perspective
| Title: | The Role of Ocean Mesoscale Variability in Air‐Sea CO2 Exchange: A Global Perspective |
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| Authors: | Yiming Guo, Mary‐Louise Timmermans |
| Source: | Geophysical Research Letters, Vol 51, Iss 10, Pp n/a-n/a (2024) |
| Publisher Information: | Wiley, 2024. |
| Publication Year: | 2024 |
| Collection: | LCC:Geophysics. Cosmic physics |
| Subject Terms: | Geophysics. Cosmic physics, QC801-809 |
| More Details: | Abstract Ocean mesoscale flows significantly influence nutrient distribution and biological productivity, yet the scarcity of eddy‐permitting observational data sets and climate modeling hinders understanding their role in carbon sequestration. Using an eddy‐resolving global simulation, this study investigates the significance of ocean mesoscales in air‐sea carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange. Results show over 30% of CO2 flux variance in energetic regions attributed to flows with horizontal scales smaller than 2°. Mesoscale flows can drive a cumulative CO2 flux that is either a net carbon sink or source depending on region, with magnitudes on the order of 105 tonnes of carbon per year. Variations in this mesoscale‐related CO2 flux are correlated with local relative vorticity and the background gradient of ocean partial pressure of CO2. This analysis underscores the importance of considering ocean mesoscales in monitoring carbon flux, highlighting the need to explore the influence of increasing eddy activity on carbon uptake in a changing climate. |
| Document Type: | article |
| File Description: | electronic resource |
| Language: | English |
| ISSN: | 1944-8007 0094-8276 |
| Relation: | https://doaj.org/toc/0094-8276; https://doaj.org/toc/1944-8007 |
| DOI: | 10.1029/2024GL108373 |
| Access URL: | https://doaj.org/article/786569ca577b44159c2e595e57c42fe6 |
| Accession Number: | edsdoj.786569ca577b44159c2e595e57c42fe6 |
| Database: | Directory of Open Access Journals |
| ISSN: | 19448007 00948276 |
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| DOI: | 10.1029/2024GL108373 |
| Published in: | Geophysical Research Letters |
| Language: | English |