Supplementary material to "Upwelling-induced trace gas dynamics in the Baltic Sea inferred from 8 years of autonomous measurements on a ship of opportunity"

Abstract. Autonomous measurements aboard ships of opportunity (SOOP) provide in situ data sets with high spatial and temporal coverage. In this study, we use 8 years of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) observations from SOOP Finnmaid to study the influence of upwelling on trace gas dynamics in the Baltic Sea. Between spring and autumn, coastal upwelling transports water masses enriched with CO2 and CH4 to the surface of the Baltic Sea. We study the seasonality, regional distribution, relaxation, and interannual variability in this process. We use reanalysed wind and modelled sea surface temperature (SST) data in a newly established statistical upwelling detection method to identify major upwelling areas and time periods. Large upwelling-induced SST decrease and trace gas concentration increase are most frequently detected around August after a long period of thermal stratification, i.e. limited exchange between surface and underlying waters. We found that these upwelling events with large SST excursions shape local trace gas dynamics and often lead to near-linear relationships between increasing trace gas levels and decreasing temperature. Upwelling relaxation is mainly driven by mixing, modulated by air–sea gas exchange, and possibly primary production. Subsequent warming through air–sea heat exchange has the potential to enhance trace gas saturation. In 2015, quasi-continuous upwelling over several months led to weak summer stratification, which directly impacted the observed trace gas and SST dynamics in several upwelling-prone areas. Trend analysis is still prevented by the observed high variability, uncertainties from data coverage, and long water residence times of 10–30 years. We introduce an extrapolation method based on trace gas–SST relationships that allows us to estimate upwelling-induced trace gas fluxes in upwelling-affected regions. In general, the surface water reverses from CO2 sink to source, and CH4 outgassing is intensified as a consequence of upwelling. We conclude that SOOP data, especially when combined with other data sets, enable flux quantification and process studies addressing the process of upwelling on large spatial and temporal scales.

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Upwelling-induced trace gas dynamics in the Baltic Sea inferred from 8 years of autonomous measurements on a ship of opportunity

10.5194/bg-2020-365 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Erik Jacobs ◽

Henry C. Bittig ◽

Ulf Gräwe ◽

Carolyn A. Graves ◽

Michael Glockzin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Baltic Sea ◽

Gas Dynamics ◽

Coastal Upwelling ◽

Regional Distribution ◽

Trace Gas ◽

Data Sets ◽

The Baltic Sea ◽

Spatial And Temporal Scales ◽

In Situ Data ◽

The Baltic

Abstract. Autonomous measurements aboard ships of opportunity (SOOP) provide in situ data sets with high spatial and temporal coverage. In this study, we use 8 years of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) observations from SOOP Finnmaid to study the influence of upwelling on trace gas dynamics in the Baltic Sea. Between spring and autumn, coastal upwelling transports water masses enriched with CO2 and CH4 to the surface of the Baltic Sea. We study the seasonality, regional distribution, relaxation, and interannual variability of this process. We use reanalysed wind and modelled sea surface temperature (SST) data in a newly established statistical upwelling detection method to identify major upwelling areas and time periods. Strong upwelling events are most frequently detected around August after a long period of thermal stratification, i.e. limited exchange between surface and underlying waters. We found that these strong upwelling events with large SST excursions shape local trace gas dynamics and often lead to near-linear relationships between increasing trace gas levels and decreasing temperature. Upwelling relaxation is mainly driven by mixing and modulated by air–sea gas exchange and possibly primary production. Subsequent warming through air–sea heat exchange has the potential to enhance trace gas saturation. In 2015, quasi-continuous upwelling over several months led to weak summer stratification, which directly impacted the observed trace gas and SST dynamics in several upwelling-prone areas. We introduce an extrapolation method based on trace gas – SST relationships that allows us to estimate upwelling-induced trace gas fluxes in upwelling-affected regions. In general, the surface water reverses from CO2 sink to source and CH4 outgassing is intensified as a consequence of upwelling. We conclude that upwelling is an important and relevant process controlling trace gas dynamics in near-coastal environments in the Baltic Sea, and that SOOP data, especially when combined with other data sets, enable flux quantification and process studies on larger spatial and temporal scales.

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Effect of ocean acidification and elevated fCO2 on trace gas production by a Baltic Sea summer phytoplankton community

Biogeosciences ◽

10.5194/bg-13-4595-2016 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 13 (15) ◽

pp. 4595-4613 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Alison L. Webb ◽

Emma Leedham-Elvidge ◽

Claire Hughes ◽

Frances E. Hopkins ◽

Gill Malin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Baltic Sea ◽

Large Scale ◽

Gas Production ◽

Trace Gas ◽

Research Station ◽

The Baltic Sea ◽

Chl A ◽

The Baltic ◽

Upwelling Event ◽

Ambient Co2

Abstract. The Baltic Sea is a unique environment as the largest body of brackish water in the world. Acidification of the surface oceans due to absorption of anthropogenic CO2 emissions is an additional stressor facing the pelagic community of the already challenging Baltic Sea. To investigate its impact on trace gas biogeochemistry, a large-scale mesocosm experiment was performed off Tvärminne Research Station, Finland, in summer 2012. During the second half of the experiment, dimethylsulfide (DMS) concentrations in the highest-fCO2 mesocosms (1075–1333 µatm) were 34 % lower than at ambient CO2 (350 µatm). However, the net production (as measured by concentration change) of seven halocarbons analysed was not significantly affected by even the highest CO2 levels after 5 weeks' exposure. Methyl iodide (CH3I) and diiodomethane (CH2I2) showed 15 and 57 % increases in mean mesocosm concentration (3.8 ± 0.6 increasing to 4.3 ± 0.4 pmol L−1 and 87.4 ± 14.9 increasing to 134.4 ± 24.1 pmol L−1 respectively) during Phase II of the experiment, which were unrelated to CO2 and corresponded to 30 % lower Chl a concentrations compared to Phase I. No other iodocarbons increased or showed a peak, with mean chloroiodomethane (CH2ClI) concentrations measured at 5.3 (±0.9) pmol L−1 and iodoethane (C2H5I) at 0.5 (±0.1) pmol L−1. Of the concentrations of bromoform (CHBr3; mean 88.1 ± 13.2 pmol L−1), dibromomethane (CH2Br2; mean 5.3 ± 0.8 pmol L−1), and dibromochloromethane (CHBr2Cl, mean 3.0 ± 0.5 pmol L−1), only CH2Br2 showed a decrease of 17 % between Phases I and II, with CHBr3 and CHBr2Cl showing similar mean concentrations in both phases. Outside the mesocosms, an upwelling event was responsible for bringing colder, high-CO2, low-pH water to the surface starting on day t16 of the experiment; this variable CO2 system with frequent upwelling events implies that the community of the Baltic Sea is acclimated to regular significant declines in pH caused by up to 800 µatm fCO2. After this upwelling, DMS concentrations declined, but halocarbon concentrations remained similar or increased compared to measurements prior to the change in conditions. Based on our findings, with future acidification of Baltic Sea waters, biogenic halocarbon emissions are likely to remain at similar values to today; however, emissions of biogenic sulfur could significantly decrease in this region.

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