scholarly journals Enhancement of the North Atlantic CO<sub>2</sub> sink by Arctic Waters

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon Olafsson ◽  
Solveig R. Olafsdottir ◽  
Taro Takahashi ◽  
Magnus Danielsen ◽  
Thorarinn S. Arnarson
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Thermohaline Circulation ◽  
Atlantic Water ◽  
Water Masses ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Arctic Water ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
Co2 Sink ◽  
The One

Abstract. The North Atlantic north of 50° N is one of the most intense ocean sink areas for atmospheric CO2 considering the flux per unit area, 0.27 Pg-C yr−1, equivalent to −2.5 mol C m−2 yr−1. The Northwest Atlantic Ocean is a region with high anthropogenic carbon inventories. This is on account of processes which sustain CO2 air-sea fluxes, in particular strong seasonal winds, ocean heat loss, deep convective mixing and CO2 drawdown by primary production. The region is in the northern limb of the Global Thermohaline Circulation, a path for the long term deep sea sequestration of carbon dioxide. The surface water masses in the North Atlantic are of contrasting origins and character, on the one hand the northward flowing North Atlantic Drift, a Gulf Stream offspring, on the other hand southward moving cold low salinity Polar and Arctic Waters with signatures from Arctic freshwater sources. We have studied by observations, the CO2 air-sea flux of the relevant water masses in the vicinity of Iceland in all seasons and in different years. Here we show that the highest ocean CO2 influx is to the Arctic and Polar waters, respectively, −3.8 mol C m−2 yr−1 and −4.4 mol C m−2 yr−1. These waters are CO2 undersaturated in all seasons. The Atlantic Water is a weak or neutral sink, near CO2 saturation, after poleward drift from subtropical latitudes. These characteristics of the three water masses are confirmed by data from observations covering 30 years. We relate the Polar and Arctic Water persistent undersaturation and CO2 influx to the excess alkalinity derived from Arctic sources, particularly the Arctic rivers. Carbonate chemistry equilibrium calculations indicate clearly that the excess alkalinity may support a significant portion of the North Atlantic CO2 sink. The Arctic contribution to the North Atlantic CO2 sink which we reveal is previously unrecognized. However, we point out that there are gaps and conflicts in the knowledge about the Arctic alkalinity budget and that future trends in the North Atlantic CO2 sink are connected to developments in the rapidly warming Arctic. The results we present need to be taken into consideration for the question: Will the North Atlantic continue to absorb CO2 in the future as it has in the past?

scholarly journals Enhancement of the North Atlantic CO<sub>2</sub> sink by Arctic Waters

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 1689-1701
Author(s):  
Jon Olafsson ◽  
Solveig R. Olafsdottir ◽  
Taro Takahashi ◽  
Magnus Danielsen ◽  
Thorarinn S. Arnarson
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Thermohaline Circulation ◽  
Atlantic Water ◽  
Water Masses ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Arctic Water ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
Co2 Sink ◽  
The One

Abstract. The North Atlantic north of 50∘ N is one of the most intense ocean sink areas for atmospheric CO2 considering the flux per unit area, 0.27 Pg-C yr−1, equivalent to −2.5 mol C m−2 yr−1. The northwest Atlantic Ocean is a region with high anthropogenic carbon inventories. This is on account of processes which sustain CO2 air–sea fluxes, in particular strong seasonal winds, ocean heat loss, deep convective mixing, and CO2 drawdown by primary production. The region is in the northern limb of the global thermohaline circulation, a path for the long-term deep-sea sequestration of carbon dioxide. The surface water masses in the North Atlantic are of contrasting origins and character, with the northward-flowing North Atlantic Drift, a Gulf Stream offspring, on the one hand and on the other hand the cold southward-moving low-salinity Polar and Arctic waters with signatures from Arctic freshwater sources. We have studied by observation the CO2 air–sea flux of the relevant water masses in the vicinity of Iceland in all seasons and in different years. Here we show that the highest ocean CO2 influx is to the Arctic and Polar waters, respectively, -3.8±0.4 and -4.4±0.3 mol C m−2 yr−1. These waters are CO2 undersaturated in all seasons. The Atlantic Water is a weak or neutral sink, near CO2 saturation, after poleward drift from subtropical latitudes. These characteristics of the three water masses are confirmed by data from observations covering 30 years. We relate the Polar Water and Arctic Water persistent undersaturation and CO2 influx to the excess alkalinity derived from Arctic sources. Carbonate chemistry equilibrium calculations clearly indicate that the excess alkalinity may support at least 0.058 Pg-C yr−1, a significant portion of the North Atlantic CO2 sink. The Arctic contribution to the North Atlantic CO2 sink which we reveal was previously unrecognized. However, we point out that there are gaps and conflicts in the knowledge about the Arctic alkalinity and carbonate budgets and that future trends in the North Atlantic CO2 sink are connected to developments in the rapidly warming and changing Arctic. The results we present need to be taken into consideration for the following question: will the North Atlantic continue to absorb CO2 in the future as it has in the past?

scholarly journals Change in the North Atlantic circulation associated with the mid-Pleistocene transition

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 1639-1651 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gloria M. Martin-Garcia ◽  
Francisco J. Sierro ◽  
José A. Flores ◽  
Fátima Abrantes
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Major Change ◽  
Water Masses ◽  
Meridional Overturning Circulation ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
North Atlantic Current ◽  
The North ◽  
Oceanic Fronts ◽  
Surface Circulation ◽  
The North Atlantic

Abstract. The southwestern Iberian margin is highly sensitive to changes in the distribution of North Atlantic currents and to the position of oceanic fronts. In this work, the evolution of oceanographic parameters from 812 to 530 ka (MIS20–MIS14) is studied based on the analysis of planktonic foraminifer assemblages from site IODP-U1385 (37∘34.285′ N, 10∘7.562′ W; 2585 m b.s.l.). By comparing the obtained results with published records from other North Atlantic sites between 41 and 55∘ N, basin-wide paleoceanographic conditions are reconstructed. Variations of assemblages dwelling in different water masses indicate a major change in the general North Atlantic circulation during MIS16, coinciding with the definite establishment of the 100 ky cyclicity associated with the mid-Pleistocene transition. At the surface, this change consisted in the redistribution of water masses, with the subsequent thermal variation, and occurred linked to the northwestward migration of the Arctic Front (AF), and the increase in the North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) formation with respect to previous glacials. During glacials prior to MIS16, the NADW formation was very weak, which drastically slowed down the surface circulation; the AF was at a southerly position and the North Atlantic Current (NAC) diverted southeastwards, developing steep south–north, and east–west, thermal gradients and blocking the arrival of warm water, with associated moisture, to high latitudes. During MIS16, the increase in the meridional overturning circulation, in combination with the northwestward AF shift, allowed the arrival of the NAC to subpolar latitudes, multiplying the moisture availability for ice-sheet growth, which could have worked as a positive feedback to prolong the glacials towards 100 ky cycles.

scholarly journals Effect of the North Atlantic Thermohaline Circulation on Changes in Climatic Conditions and River Flow in Poland

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dariusz Wrzesiński ◽  
Andrzej A. Marsz ◽  
Anna Styszyńska ◽  
Leszek Sobkowiak
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Cloud Cover ◽  
River Flow ◽  
Thermohaline Circulation ◽  
Sunshine Duration ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Strong Increase ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
Atlantic Thermohaline Circulation

The purpose of this study is to find connections between the North Atlantic Thermohaline Circulation (NA THC), climate elements, such as cloud cover, precipitation, air temperature, sunshine duration, and relative humidity, and flow of rivers in Poland. The intensity of NA THC was characterized by the DG3L index, which was established to assess changes in the amount of heat transported by NA THC along with the transport of water to the Arctic. The paper explains and discusses the mechanism of impact of the NA THC changeability on the elements of the catchment water balance variability. The positive and negative phases of the DG3L index are strongly correlated with the heat anomalies in the upper layer of the North Atlantic waters. The obtained results show that changes of NA THC have significant impact on weather conditions and selected climate elements in Poland. Statistically significant positive correlations were found between the DG3L index and average annual air temperatures, particularly in April, July, and August, while negative between the DG3L index and the total cloud cover. Consequently, in the years with the positive values of the DG3L index, there are favorable conditions for the strong increase in evaporation and evapotranspiration from the ground surface. This has impact on flow of rivers in Poland, which shows considerable regional differences.

scholarly journals The Arctic Ocean as a dead end for floating plastics in the North Atlantic branch of the Thermohaline Circulation

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. e1600582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrés Cózar ◽  
Elisa Martí ◽  
Carlos M. Duarte ◽  
Juan García-de-Lomas ◽  
Erik van Sebille ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Arctic Ocean ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Thermohaline Circulation ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
The North ◽  
Dead End ◽  
The Arctic Ocean ◽  
The North Atlantic

scholarly journals Response of Thermohaline Circulation to Freshwater Forcing under Present-Day and LGM Conditions

2008 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. 2239-2258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aixue Hu ◽  
Bette L. Otto-Bliesner ◽  
Gerald A. Meehl ◽  
Weiqing Han ◽  
Carrie Morrill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Thermohaline Circulation ◽  
North Atlantic Ocean ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Bering Strait ◽  
Climate System Model ◽  
The North ◽  
Freshwater Forcing ◽  
Bering Strait Throughflow ◽  
The North Atlantic

Abstract Responses of the thermohaline circulation (THC) to freshwater forcing (hosing) in the subpolar North Atlantic Ocean under present-day and the last glacial maximum (LGM) conditions are investigated using the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate System Model versions 2 and 3. Three sets of simulations are analyzed, with each set including a control run and a freshwater hosing run. The first two sets are under present-day conditions with an open and closed Bering Strait. The third one is under LGM conditions, which has a closed Bering Strait. Results show that the THC nearly collapses in all three hosing runs when the freshwater forcing is turned on. The full recovery of the THC, however, is at least a century earlier in the open Bering Strait run than the closed Bering Strait and LGM runs. This is because the excessive freshwater is diverged almost equally toward north and south from the subpolar North Atlantic when the Bering Strait is open. A significant portion of the freshwater flowing northward into the Arctic exits into the North Pacific via a reversed Bering Strait Throughflow, which accelerates the THC recovery. When the Bering Strait is closed, this Arctic to Pacific transport is absent and freshwater can only be removed through the southern end of the North Atlantic. Together with the surface freshwater excess due to precipitation, evaporation, river runoff, and melting ice in the closed Bering Strait experiments after the hosing, the removal of the excessive freshwater takes longer, and this slows the recovery of the THC. Although the background conditions are quite different between the present-day closed Bering Strait run and the LGM run, the THC responds to the freshwater forcing added in the North Atlantic in a very similar manner.

scholarly journals Observed trends of anthropogenic acidification in North Atlantic water masses

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 3003-3030
Author(s):  
M. Vázquez-Rodríguez ◽  
F. F. Pérez ◽  
A. Velo ◽  
A. F. Ríos ◽  
H. Mercier
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Water Mass ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Atlantic Water ◽  
Water Masses ◽  
The North ◽  
Iceland Basin ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
Atmospheric Co2 Concentrations

Abstract. The lack of observational pH data has made difficult assessing recent rates of ocean acidification, particularly in the high latitudes. Here we present a time series of high-quality carbon system measurements in the North Atlantic, comprising fourteen cruises spanning over 27 yr (1981–2008) and covering important water mass formation areas like the Irminger and Iceland basins. We provide direct quantification of anthropogenic acidification rates in upper and intermediate North Atlantic waters by removing the natural variability of pH from the observations. Bottle data were normalised to basin-average conditions using climatological data and further condensed into averages per water mass and year to examine the temporal trends. The highest acidification rates of all inspected water masses were associated with surface waters in the Irminger Sea (−0.0018 ± 0.0001 yr−1) and the Iceland Basin (−0.0012 ± 0.0002 yr−1) and, unexpectedly, with Labrador Seawater (LSW) which experienced an unprecedented pH drop of −0.0015 ± 0.001 yr−1. The latter stems from the formation by deep convection and the rapid propagation in the North Atlantic subpolar gyre of this well-ventilated water mass. The high concentrations of anthropogenic CO2 are effectively transported from the surface into intermediate waters faster than via downward diffusion, thus accelerating the acidification rates of LSW. An extrapolation of the observed lineal trends of acidification suggests that the pH of LSW could drop 0.45 units with respect to pre-industrial levels by the time atmospheric CO2 concentrations double the present ones.

scholarly journals Trends of anthropogenic CO<sub>2</sub> storage in North Atlantic water masses

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 1789-1807 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. F. Pérez ◽  
M. Vázquez-Rodríguez ◽  
H. Mercier ◽  
A. Velo ◽  
P. Lherminier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Deep Water ◽  
Atlantic Water ◽  
Average Concentration ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Water Masses ◽  
Meridional Overturning Circulation ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Atlantic

Abstract. A high-quality inorganic carbon system database, spanning over three decades (1981–2006) and comprising of 13 cruises, has allowed the applying of the φC°T method and coming up with estimates of the anthropogenic CO2 (Cant) stored in the main water masses of the North Atlantic. In the studied region, strong convective processes convey surface properties, like Cant, into deeper ocean layers and grants this region an added oceanographic interest from the point of view of air-sea CO2 exchanges. Generally, a tendency for decreasing Cant storage rates towards the deep layers has been observed. In the Iberian Basin, the North Atlantic Deep Water has low Cant concentrations and negligible storage rates, while the North Atlantic Central Water in the upper layers shows the largest Cant values and the largest annual increase of its average concentration (1.13 ± 0.14 μmol kg−1 yr−1). This unmatched rate of change in the Cant concentration of the warm upper limb of the Meridional Overturning Circulation decreases towards the Irminger basin (0.68 ± 0.06 μmol kg−1 yr−1) due to the lowering of the buffering capacity. The mid and deep waters in the Irminger Sea show rather similar Cant concentration rates of increase (between 0.33 and 0.45 μmol kg−1 yr−1), whereas in the Iceland basin these layers seem to have been less affected by Cant. Overall, the Cant storage rates in the North Atlantic subpolar gyre during the first half of the 1990s, when a high North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) phase was dominant, are ~48% higher than during the 1997–2006 low NAO phase that followed. This result suggests that a net decrease in the strength of the North Atlantic sink of atmospheric CO2 has taken place during the present decade. The changes in deep-water ventilation are the main driving processes causing this weakening of the North Atlantic CO2 sink.

scholarly journals Northward advection of Atlantic water in the eastern Nordic Seas over the last 3000 yr

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 1505-1518 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. V. Dylmer ◽  
J. Giraudeau ◽  
F. Eynaud ◽  
K. Husum ◽  
A. De Vernal
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Water Masses ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Fram Strait ◽  
Nordic Seas ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Atlantic

Abstract. Three marine sediment cores distributed along the Norwegian (MD95-2011), Barents Sea (JM09-KA11-GC), and Svalbard (HH11-134-BC) continental margins have been investigated in order to reconstruct changes in the poleward flow of Atlantic waters (AW) and in the nature of upper surface water masses within the eastern Nordic Seas over the last 3000 yr. These reconstructions are based on a limited set of coccolith proxies: the abundance ratio between Emiliania huxleyi and Coccolithus pelagicus, an index of Atlantic vs. Polar/Arctic surface water masses; and Gephyrocapsa muellerae, a drifted coccolith species from the temperate North Atlantic, whose abundance changes are related to variations in the strength of the North Atlantic Current. The entire investigated area, from 66 to 77° N, was affected by an overall increase in AW flow from 3000 cal yr BP (before present) to the present. The long-term modulation of westerlies' strength and location, which are essentially driven by the dominant mode of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), is thought to explain the observed dynamics of poleward AW flow. The same mechanism also reconciles the recorded opposite zonal shifts in the location of the Arctic front between the area off western Norway and the western Barents Sea–eastern Fram Strait region. The Little Ice Age (LIA) was governed by deteriorating conditions, with Arctic/Polar waters dominating in the surface off western Svalbard and western Barents Sea, possibly associated with both severe sea ice conditions and a strongly reduced AW strength. A sudden short pulse of resumed high WSC (West Spitsbergen Current) flow interrupted this cold spell in eastern Fram Strait from 330 to 410 cal yr BP. Our dataset not only confirms the high amplitude warming of surface waters at the turn of the 19th century off western Svalbard, it also shows that such a warming was primarily induced by an excess flow of AW which stands as unprecedented over the last 3000 yr.

scholarly journals Role of the North Atlantic circulation in the mid-Pleistocene transition

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gloria M. Martin-Garcia ◽  
Francisco J. Sierro ◽  
José A. Flores ◽  
Fátima Abrantes
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Major Change ◽  
Water Masses ◽  
Meridional Overturning Circulation ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
North Atlantic Current ◽  
The North ◽  
Oceanic Fronts ◽  
Surface Circulation ◽  
The North Atlantic

Abstract. The southwestern Iberian margin is highly sensitive to changes in the distribution of North Atlantic currents, and to the position of oceanic fronts. In this work, the evolution of oceanographic parameters from 812 to 530 ka (MIS20-MIS14) is reconstructed, based on the analysis of planktonic foraminifer assemblages from site IODP-U1385 (37°34.285&amp;apos; N, 10°7.562&amp;apos; W; 2585 m bsl). By comparing the obtained results with published records from other North Atlantic sites between 41 and 55° N, basin-wide paleoceanographic conditions are reconstructed. Variations of assemblages dwelling in different water masses indicate a major change in the general North Atlantic circulation during MIS16, coinciding with the definite establishment of the 100-ky cyclicity associated to the Mid-Pleistocene Transition. In surface, this change consisted in the re-distribution of water masses, with the subsequent thermal variation, and occurred linked to the northwestward migration of the Arctic Front (AF) and the increase in the North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) formation. During glacials prior to MIS 16, the NADW formation was very weak, which drastically slowed down the surface circulation; the AF was at a southerly position and the North Atlantic Current (NAC) diverted southeastwards, developing steep south-north, and east-west, thermal gradients and blockading the arrival of warm water, with associated moisture, to high latitudes. During MIS16, the important increase in the meridional overturning circulation, in combination with the north-westward AF shift, allowed the arrival of the NAC to subpolar latitudes, multiplying the moisture availability for ice-sheets growth, which worked as a positive feedback to prolong the glacials towards 100-ky cycles.

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