Asymmetric transfer of CO2 across a broken sea surface
Asymmetric transfer of CO2 across a broken sea surface
Most estimates of the climatically-important transfer of atmospheric gases into, and out of, the ocean assume that the ocean surface is unbroken by breaking waves. However the trapping of bubbles of atmospheric gases in the ocean by breaking waves introduces an asymmetry in this flux. This asymmetry occurs as a bias towards injecting gas into the ocean where it dissolves, and against the evasion/exsolution of previously-dissolved gas coming out of solution from the oceans and eventually reaching the atmosphere. Here we use at-sea measurements and modelling of the bubble clouds beneath the ocean surface to show that the numbers of large bubbles found metres below the sea surface in high winds are sufficient to drive a large and asymmetric flux of carbon dioxide. Our results imply a much larger asymmetry for carbon dioxide than previously proposed. This asymmetry contradicts an assumption inherent in most existing estimates of ocean-atmosphere gas transfer. The geochemical and climate implications include an enhanced invasion of carbon dioxide into the stormy temperate and polar seas.
Leighton, Timothy G.
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Coles, David G.H.
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Srokozs, Meric
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White, Paul
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Woolf, D.K.
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December 2018
Leighton, Timothy G.
3e5262ce-1d7d-42eb-b013-fcc5c286bbae
Coles, David G.H.
6879ceae-991f-4eaf-8b57-0422725f40f5
Srokozs, Meric
623b7e1d-522c-42de-a1f2-931fe6c22d40
White, Paul
2dd2477b-5aa9-42e2-9d19-0806d994eaba
Woolf, D.K.
aeb210e8-5fd5-4dd4-903e-6d4ef2df9abe
Leighton, Timothy G., Coles, David G.H., Srokozs, Meric, White, Paul and Woolf, D.K.
(2018)
Asymmetric transfer of CO2 across a broken sea surface.
Scientific Reports, 8, [8301].
(doi:10.1038/s41598-018-25818-6).
Abstract
Most estimates of the climatically-important transfer of atmospheric gases into, and out of, the ocean assume that the ocean surface is unbroken by breaking waves. However the trapping of bubbles of atmospheric gases in the ocean by breaking waves introduces an asymmetry in this flux. This asymmetry occurs as a bias towards injecting gas into the ocean where it dissolves, and against the evasion/exsolution of previously-dissolved gas coming out of solution from the oceans and eventually reaching the atmosphere. Here we use at-sea measurements and modelling of the bubble clouds beneath the ocean surface to show that the numbers of large bubbles found metres below the sea surface in high winds are sufficient to drive a large and asymmetric flux of carbon dioxide. Our results imply a much larger asymmetry for carbon dioxide than previously proposed. This asymmetry contradicts an assumption inherent in most existing estimates of ocean-atmosphere gas transfer. The geochemical and climate implications include an enhanced invasion of carbon dioxide into the stormy temperate and polar seas.
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Main manuscript SREP-17-40855-T (final 4 April 2018) v2
- Accepted Manuscript
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s41598-018-25818-6
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Supplementary material [Asymmetric transfer of CO2 across a broken sea surface] by Leighton et al)
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Accepted/In Press date: 17 April 2018
e-pub ahead of print date: 29 May 2018
Published date: December 2018
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 421259
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/421259
ISSN: 2045-2322
PURE UUID: ecb98d42-127a-45d9-bb72-92012448f8dc
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Date deposited: 29 May 2018 16:30
Last modified: 12 Jul 2024 04:03
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Author:
David G.H. Coles
Author:
Meric Srokozs
Author:
D.K. Woolf
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