scholarly journals Long-term response of oceanic carbon uptake to global warming via physical and biological pumps

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akitomo Yamamoto ◽  
Ayako Abe-Ouchi ◽  
Yasuhiro Yamanaka
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Deep Ocean ◽  
Biogeochemical Model ◽  
Carbon Uptake ◽  
Co2 Uptake ◽  
Biological Pump ◽  
Circulation Change ◽  
Oceanic Carbon

Abstract. Global warming is expected to significantly decrease oceanic carbon uptake and therefore accelerate an increase in atmospheric CO2 and global warming. The primary reasons in previous studies for the change in the oceanic carbon uptake are the solubility reduction due to seawater warming and changes in the ocean circulation and biological pump. However, quantifications of the contributions from different processes to the overall reduction in ocean uptake are still unclear. Herein, we investigate multimillennium response of oceanic carbon uptake to global warming and quantify the contributions of the physical and biological pump to the response using an atmosphere–ocean general circulation model and a biogeochemical model. We found that global warming reduced oceanic CO2 uptake by 13 % (30 %) in the first 140 years (at year 2000), which is consistent with previous studies. Sensitivity studies show that changes in the biological pump via ocean circulation change and solubility change due to seawater warming are dominant processes in the uptake reduction. These results are contrary to most previous studies wherein circulation changes and solubility change from seawater warming are the dominant processes. The weakening of biological production and carbon export induced by lower nutrient supply diminishes the vertical gradient of DIC substantially reducing the CO2 uptake. The weaker deep-ocean circulation decreases the downward transport of CO2 from the surface to the deep ocean, leading to a drop in the CO2 uptake in high-latitude regions. Conversely, weaker equatorial upwelling reduces the upward transport of natural CO2 and therefore enhances the CO2 uptake in low-latitude regions. Because these effects cancel each other, the circulation change becomes a second-order process. Our results suggest that the biological pump plays a significant role in the future oceanic carbon uptake through natural carbon cycle.

scholarly journals Long-term response of oceanic carbon uptake to global warming via physical and biological pumps

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (13) ◽  
pp. 4163-4180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akitomo Yamamoto ◽  
Ayako Abe-Ouchi ◽  
Yasuhiro Yamanaka
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Deep Ocean ◽  
Biogeochemical Model ◽  
Carbon Uptake ◽  
Co2 Uptake ◽  
Biological Pumps ◽  
Circulation Change ◽  
Oceanic Carbon

Abstract. Global warming is expected to significantly decrease oceanic carbon uptake and therefore increase atmospheric CO2 and global warming. The primary reasons given in previous studies for such changes in the oceanic carbon uptake are the solubility reduction due to seawater warming and changes in the ocean circulation and biological pump. However, the quantitative contributions of different processes to the overall reduction in ocean uptake are still unclear. In this study, we investigated multi-millennium responses of oceanic carbon uptake to global warming and quantified the contributions of the physical and biological pumps to these responses using an atmosphere–ocean general circulation model and a biogeochemical model. We found that global warming reduced oceanic CO2 uptake by 13 % (30 %) in the first 140 years (after 2000 model years), consistent with previous studies. Our sensitivity experiments showed that this reduction is primarily driven by changes in the organic matter cycle via ocean circulation change and solubility change due to seawater warming. These results differ from most previous studies, in which circulation changes and solubility change from seawater warming are the dominant processes. The weakening of biological production and carbon export induced by circulation change and lower nutrient supply, diminishes the vertical DIC gradient and substantially reduces the CO2 uptake. The weaker deep-ocean circulation decreases the downward transport of CO2 from the surface to the deep ocean, leading to a drop in CO2 uptake in high-latitude regions. Conversely, weaker equatorial upwelling reduces the upward transport of natural CO2 and therefore enhances the CO2 uptake in low-latitude regions. Because these effects cancel each other out, circulation change plays only a small direct role in the reduction of CO2 uptake due to global warming but a large indirect role through nutrient transport and biological processes.

scholarly journals Impact of atmospheric and terrestrial CO<sub>2</sub> feedbacks on fertilization-induced marine carbon uptake

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 4493-4525
Author(s):  
A. Oschlies
Keyword(s):  
C:N Ratio ◽  
Ocean Model ◽  
Carbon Uptake ◽  
Co2 Uptake ◽  
Biological Pump ◽  
Terrestrial Carbon ◽  
Terrestrial Biosphere ◽  
Oceanic Carbon ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Atmospheric Pco2

Abstract. The sensitivity of oceanic CO2 uptake to alterations in the marine biological carbon pump, such as brought about by natural or purposeful ocean fertilization, has repeatedly been investigated by studies employing numerical biogeochemical ocean models. It is shown here that the results of such ocean-centered studies are very sensitive to the assumption made about the response of the carbon reservoirs on the atmospheric side of the sea surface. Assumptions made include prescribed atmospheric pCO2, an interactive atmospheric CO2 pool exchanging carbon with the ocean but not with the terrestrial biosphere, and an interactive atmosphere that exchanges carbon with both oceanic and terrestrial carbon pools. The impact of these assumptions on simulated annual to millennial oceanic carbon uptake is investigated for a hypothetical increase in the C:N ratio of the biological pump and for an idealized enhancement of phytoplankton growth. Compared to simulations with interactive atmosphere, using prescribed atmospheric pCO2 overestimates the sensitivity of the oceanic CO2 uptake to changes in the biological pump, by about 2%, 25%, 100%, and >500% on annual, decadal, centennial, and millennial timescales, respectively. Adding an interactive terrestrial carbon pool to the atmosphere-ocean model system has a small effect on annual timescales, but increases the simulated fertilization-induced oceanic carbon uptake by about 4%, 50%, and 100% on decadal, centennial, and millennial timescales, respectively. On longer than decadal timescales, a substantial fraction of oceanic carbon uptake induced by natural or purposeful ocean fertilization may not come from the atmosphere but from the terrestrial biosphere.

scholarly journals Impact of atmospheric and terrestrial CO<sub>2</sub> feedbacks on fertilization-induced marine carbon uptake

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
pp. 1603-1613 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Oschlies
Keyword(s):  
C:N Ratio ◽  
Atmospheric Co2 ◽  
Carbon Uptake ◽  
Co2 Uptake ◽  
Biological Pump ◽  
Terrestrial Carbon ◽  
Terrestrial Biosphere ◽  
Oceanic Carbon ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Atmospheric Pco2

Abstract. The sensitivity of oceanic CO2 uptake to alterations in the marine biological carbon pump, such as brought about by natural or purposeful ocean fertilization, has repeatedly been investigated by studies employing numerical biogeochemical ocean models. It is shown here that the results of such ocean-centered studies are very sensitive to the assumption made about the response of the carbon reservoirs on the atmospheric side of the sea surface. Assumptions made include prescribed atmospheric pCO2, an interactive atmospheric CO2 pool exchanging carbon with the ocean but not with the terrestrial biosphere, and an interactive atmosphere that exchanges carbon with both oceanic and terrestrial carbon pools. The impact of these assumptions on simulated annual to millennial oceanic carbon uptake is investigated for a hypothetical increase in the C:N ratio of the biological pump and for an idealized enhancement of phytoplankton growth. Compared to simulations with interactive atmosphere, using prescribed atmospheric pCO2 overestimates the sensitivity of the oceanic CO2 uptake to changes in the biological pump, by about 2%, 25%, 100%, and >500% on annual, decadal, centennial, and millennial timescales, respectively. The smaller efficiency of the oceanic carbon uptake under an interactive atmosphere is due to the back flux of CO2 that occurs when atmospheric CO2 is reduced. Adding an interactive terrestrial carbon pool to the atmosphere-ocean model system has a small effect on annual timescales, but increases the simulated fertilization-induced oceanic carbon uptake by about 4%, 50%, and 100% on decadal, centennial, and millennial timescales, respectively, for pCO2 sensitivities of the terrestrial carbon storage in the middle range of the C4MIP models (Friedlingstein et al., 2006). For such sensitivities, a substantial fraction of oceanic carbon uptake induced by natural or purposeful ocean fertilization originates, on timescales longer than decades, not from the atmosphere but from the terrestrial biosphere.

On the impact of sea ice in a global ocean circulation model

1997 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 111-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Achim Stössel
Keyword(s):  
Southern Ocean ◽  
Sea Ice ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Thermohaline Circulation ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Deep Ocean ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Convective Activity ◽  
The Impact

This paper investigates the long-term impact of sea ice on global climate using a global sea-ice–ocean general circulation model (OGCM). The sea-ice component involves state-of-the-art dynamics; the ocean component consists of a 3.5° × 3.5° × 11 layer primitive-equation model. Depending on the physical description of sea ice, significant changes are detected in the convective activity, in the hydrographic properties and in the thermohaline circulation of the ocean model. Most of these changes originate in the Southern Ocean, emphasizing the crucial role of sea ice in this marginally stably stratified region of the world's oceans. Specifically, if the effect of brine release is neglected, the deep layers of the Southern Ocean warm up considerably; this is associated with a weakening of the Southern Hemisphere overturning cell. The removal of the commonly used “salinity enhancement” leads to a similar effect. The deep-ocean salinity is almost unaffected in both experiments. Introducing explicit new-ice thickness growth in partially ice-covered gridcells leads to a substantial increase in convective activity, especially in the Southern Ocean, with a concomitant significant cooling and salinification of the deep ocean. Possible mechanisms for the resulting interactions between sea-ice processes and deep-ocean characteristics are suggested.

scholarly journals Simulating natural carbon sequestration in the Southern Ocean: on uncertainties associated with eddy parameterizations and iron deposition

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 1561-1576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heiner Dietze ◽  
Julia Getzlaff ◽  
Ulrike Löptien
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Southern Ocean ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Carbon Uptake ◽  
Comprehensive Understanding ◽  
Biogeochemical Models ◽  
Anthropogenic Carbon ◽  
Natural Carbon ◽  
Oceanic Carbon

Abstract. The Southern Ocean is a major sink for anthropogenic carbon. Yet, there is no quantitative consensus about how this sink will change when surface winds increase (as they are anticipated to do). Among the tools employed to quantify carbon uptake are global coupled ocean-circulation–biogeochemical models. Because of computational limitations these models still fail to resolve potentially important spatial scales. Instead, processes on these scales are parameterized. There is concern that deficiencies in these so-called eddy parameterizations might imprint incorrect sensitivities of projected oceanic carbon uptake. Here, we compare natural carbon uptake in the Southern Ocean simulated with contemporary eddy parameterizations. We find that very differing parameterizations yield surprisingly similar oceanic carbon in response to strengthening winds. In contrast, we find (in an additional simulation) that the carbon uptake does differ substantially when the supply of bioavailable iron is altered within its envelope of uncertainty. We conclude that a more comprehensive understanding of bioavailable iron dynamics will substantially reduce the uncertainty of model-based projections of oceanic carbon uptake.

scholarly journals Simulated Variation Characteristics of Oceanic CO2 Uptake, Surface Temperature, and Acidification in Zhejiang Province, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuo Wang ◽  
Han Zhang ◽  
Gao-Feng Fan ◽  
Zheng-Quan Li ◽  
Zhen-Yan Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Carbon Cycle ◽  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Ocean Acidification ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Co2 Uptake ◽  
Hydrogen Ion Concentration ◽  
Variation Characteristics ◽  
Oceanic Carbon

Since preindustrial times, atmospheric CO2 content increased continuously, leading to global warming through the greenhouse effect. Oceanic carbon sequestration mitigates global warming; on the other hand, oceanic CO2 uptake would reduce seawater pH, which is termed ocean acidification. We perform Earth system model simulations to assess oceanic CO2 uptake, surface temperature, and acidification for Zhejiang offshore, one of the most vulnerable areas to marine disasters. In the last 40 years, atmospheric CO2 concentration increased by 71 ppm, and sea surface temperature (SST) in Zhejiang offshore increased at a rate of 0.16°C/10a. Cumulative oceanic CO2 uptake in Zhejiang offshore is 0.3 Pg C, resulting in an increase of 20% in sea surface hydrogen ion concentration, and the acidification rate becomes faster in the last decade. During 2020–2040, under four RCP scenarios, SST in Zhejiang offshore increases by 0.3–0.5°C, whereas cumulative ocean carbon sequestration is 0.150–0.165 Pg C. Relative to RCP2.6, the decrease of surface pH in Zhejiang offshore is doubled under RCP8.5. Furthermore, simulated results show that the relationship between CO2 scenario and oceanic carbon cycle is nonlinear, which hints that deeper reduction of anthropogenic CO2 emission may be needed if we aim to mitigate ocean acidification in Zhejiang offshore under a higher CO2 concentration scenario. Our study quantifies the variation characteristics of oceanic climate and carbon cycle fields in Zhejiang offshore, and provides new insight into the responses of oceanic carbon cycle and the climate system to oceanic carbon sequestration.

Deep marine anoxia of the southern Panthalassa during the Permian-Triassic – global impacts of the Siberian Traps

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Grasby ◽  
David Bond ◽  
Paul Wignall ◽  
Runsheng Yin ◽  
Lorna Strachan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Mass Extinction ◽  
Bottom Water ◽  
Deep Ocean ◽  
Marine Life ◽  
Siberian Traps ◽  
Southern Latitude ◽  
Global Impacts

&lt;p&gt;The deep-water record of marine anoxia across the Permo-Triassic mass extinction (PTME) is highly controversial; both the length of time and severity of anoxic conditions are uncertain. Panthalassa Ocean circulation models show varying results, ranging from a well-ventilated deep ocean to rapidly developing northern, but not southern, latitude anoxia in response to Siberian Traps driven global warming. To address this uncertainty we examined a southern paleo-latitude pelagic record. Trace metal and pyrite framboid data show bottom water euxinc conditions developed in the southern Panthalassa Ocean at the PTME, coincident with enhanced volcanic activity indicated by Hg geochemistry. While a global deep-ocean euxinic event at the PTME placed extraordinary stress on marine life, southern surface waters appear to have recovered more quickly as radiolarian populations return several million years before they do in northern Panthalassa.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Mechanisms for Tropical Tropospheric Circulation Change in Response to Global Warming*

2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 2979-2994 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Ma ◽  
Shang-Ping Xie ◽  
Yu Kosaka
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Vertical Motion ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Hadley Circulation ◽  
Walker Circulation ◽  
Hadley Cell ◽  
Circulation Change ◽  
Tropospheric Circulation ◽  
Sst Warming

Abstract The annual-mean tropospheric circulation change in global warming is studied by comparing the response of an atmospheric general circulation model (GCM) to a spatial-uniform sea surface temperature (SST) increase (SUSI) with the response of a coupled ocean–atmosphere GCM to increased greenhouse gas concentrations following the A1B scenario. In both simulations, tropospheric warming follows the moist adiabat in the tropics, and static stability increases globally in response to SST warming. A diagnostic framework is developed based on a linear baroclinic model (LBM) of the atmosphere. The mean advection of stratification change (MASC) by climatological vertical motion, often neglected in interannual variability, is an important thermodynamic term for global warming. Once MASC effect is included, LBM shows skills in reproducing GCM results by prescribing latent heating diagnosed from the GCMs. MASC acts to slow down the tropical circulation. This is most clear in the SUSI run where the Walker circulation slows down over the Pacific without any change in SST gradient. MASC is used to decelerate the Hadley circulation, but spatial patterns of SST warming play an important role. Specifically, the SST warming is greater in the Northern than Southern Hemisphere, an interhemispheric asymmetry that decelerates the Hadley cell north, but accelerates it south of the equator. The MASC and SST-pattern effects are on the same order of magnitude in our LBM simulations. The former is presumably comparable across GCMs, while SST warming patterns show variations among models in both shape and magnitude. Uncertainties in SST patterns account for intermodel variability in Hadley circulation response to global warming (especially on and south of the equator).

scholarly journals Glacial – interglacial atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> change: a possible "standing volume" effect on deep-ocean carbon sequestration

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 1259-1296 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. C. Skinner
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Deep Water ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Deep Ocean ◽  
Volume Effect ◽  
Biological Pump ◽  
Mixing Rates ◽  
Water Filling ◽  
Ocean Carbon ◽  
Oceanic Carbon

Abstract. So far, the exploration of possible mechanisms for glacial atmospheric CO2 draw-down and marine carbon sequestration has focussed almost exclusively on dynamic or kinetic processes (i.e. variable mixing-, equilibration- or export rates). Here an attempt is made to underline instead the possible importance of changes in the standing volumes of intra-oceanic carbon reservoirs (i.e. different water-masses) in setting the total marine carbon inventory. By way of illustration, a simple mechanism is proposed for enhancing the carbon storage capacity of the deep sea, which operates via an increase in the volume of relatively carbon-enriched AABW-like deep-water filling the ocean basins. Given the hypsometry of the ocean floor and an active biological pump, the water-mass that fills more than the bottom 3 km of the ocean will essentially determine the carbon content of the marine reservoir. A set of simple box-model experiments confirm the expectation that a deep sea dominated by AABW-like deep-water holds more CO2, prior to any additional changes in ocean overturning rate, biological export or ocean-atmosphere exchange. The magnitude of this "standing volume effect" might be as large as the contributions that have been attributed to carbonate compensation, the thermodynamic solubility pump or the biological pump for example. If incorporated into the list of factors that have contributed to marine carbon sequestration during past glaciations, this standing volume mechanism may help to reduce the amount of glacial – interglacial CO2 change that remains to be explained by other mechanisms that are difficult to assess in the geological archive, such as reduced mass transport or mixing rates in particular. This in turn could help narrow the search for forcing conditions capable of pushing the global carbon cycle between glacial and interglacial modes.

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