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The role of ocean transport in the uptake of anthropogenic CO2

The role of ocean transport in the uptake of anthropogenic CO2
The role of ocean transport in the uptake of anthropogenic CO2
We compare modeled oceanic carbon uptake in response to pulse CO2 emissions using a suite of global ocean models and Earth system models. In response to a CO2 pulse emission of 590 Pg C (corresponding to an instantaneous doubling of atmospheric CO2 from 278 to 556 ppm), the fraction of CO2 emitted that is absorbed by the ocean is: 37±8%, 56±10%, and 81±4% (model mean ±2? ) in year 30, 100, and 1000 after the emission pulse, respectively. Modeled oceanic uptake of pulse CO2 on timescales from decades to about a century is strongly correlated with simulated present-day uptake of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and CO2 across all models, while the amount of pulse CO2 absorbed by the ocean from a century to a millennium is strongly correlated with modeled radiocarbon in the deep Southern and Pacific Ocean. However, restricting the analysis to models that are capable of reproducing observations within uncertainty, the correlation is generally much weaker. The rates of surface-to-deep ocean transport are determined for individual models from the instantaneous doubling CO2 simulations, and they are used to calculate oceanic CO2 uptake in response to pulse CO2 emissions of different sizes pulses of 1000 and 5000 Pg C. These results are compared with simulated oceanic uptake of CO2 by a number of models simulations with the coupling of climate-ocean carbon cycle and without it. This comparison demonstrates that the impact of different ocean transport rates across models on oceanic uptake of anthropogenic CO2 is of similar magnitude as that of climate-carbon cycle feedbacks in a single model, emphasizing the important role of ocean transport in the uptake of anthropogenic CO2.
1726-4170
375-390
Cao, L.
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Eby, M.
a1c169fd-8ccd-428f-a405-aa1650738543
Ridgwell, A.
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Caldeira, K.
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Archer, D.
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Ishida, A.
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Joos, F.
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Matsumoto, K.
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Mikolajewicz, U.
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Mouchet, A.
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Orr, J.C.
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Plattner, G.-K.
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Schlitzer, R.
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Tokos, K.
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Totterdell, I.
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Tschumi, T.
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Yamanaka, Y.
dcb711e3-ddcb-4ee8-b0a1-6d9031b846ce
Yool, A.
882aeb0d-dda0-405e-844c-65b68cce5017
Cao, L.
83564448-ec0d-4854-8b46-caf823535540
Eby, M.
a1c169fd-8ccd-428f-a405-aa1650738543
Ridgwell, A.
fe462786-0ad9-440d-9c11-b1b2f72fb8be
Caldeira, K.
eadaaac1-4409-4a81-ae55-8a3fc078256a
Archer, D.
dd291fbd-d834-4956-94d2-f1398e2f6b9e
Ishida, A.
10936baa-36ac-4df7-b009-77dfa069d80b
Joos, F.
f5c1c002-c305-416b-927b-aa843a6efc87
Matsumoto, K.
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Mikolajewicz, U.
4f8e5906-1caa-4f80-8fdc-ae095b0116b4
Mouchet, A.
ba5a0969-7038-4dc6-8950-847b6c2303e6
Orr, J.C.
59198c8e-f89d-40ec-90b5-1d94de00ac5a
Plattner, G.-K.
2eb77f77-eb5d-4217-855f-c178c4a27eb0
Schlitzer, R.
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Tokos, K.
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Totterdell, I.
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Tschumi, T.
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Yamanaka, Y.
dcb711e3-ddcb-4ee8-b0a1-6d9031b846ce
Yool, A.
882aeb0d-dda0-405e-844c-65b68cce5017

Cao, L., Eby, M., Ridgwell, A., Caldeira, K., Archer, D., Ishida, A., Joos, F., Matsumoto, K., Mikolajewicz, U., Mouchet, A., Orr, J.C., Plattner, G.-K., Schlitzer, R., Tokos, K., Totterdell, I., Tschumi, T., Yamanaka, Y. and Yool, A. (2009) The role of ocean transport in the uptake of anthropogenic CO2. Biogeosciences, 6 (3), 375-390. (doi:10.5194/bg-6-375-2009).

Record type: Article

Abstract

We compare modeled oceanic carbon uptake in response to pulse CO2 emissions using a suite of global ocean models and Earth system models. In response to a CO2 pulse emission of 590 Pg C (corresponding to an instantaneous doubling of atmospheric CO2 from 278 to 556 ppm), the fraction of CO2 emitted that is absorbed by the ocean is: 37±8%, 56±10%, and 81±4% (model mean ±2? ) in year 30, 100, and 1000 after the emission pulse, respectively. Modeled oceanic uptake of pulse CO2 on timescales from decades to about a century is strongly correlated with simulated present-day uptake of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and CO2 across all models, while the amount of pulse CO2 absorbed by the ocean from a century to a millennium is strongly correlated with modeled radiocarbon in the deep Southern and Pacific Ocean. However, restricting the analysis to models that are capable of reproducing observations within uncertainty, the correlation is generally much weaker. The rates of surface-to-deep ocean transport are determined for individual models from the instantaneous doubling CO2 simulations, and they are used to calculate oceanic CO2 uptake in response to pulse CO2 emissions of different sizes pulses of 1000 and 5000 Pg C. These results are compared with simulated oceanic uptake of CO2 by a number of models simulations with the coupling of climate-ocean carbon cycle and without it. This comparison demonstrates that the impact of different ocean transport rates across models on oceanic uptake of anthropogenic CO2 is of similar magnitude as that of climate-carbon cycle feedbacks in a single model, emphasizing the important role of ocean transport in the uptake of anthropogenic CO2.

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Published date: 2009

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 69143
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/69143
ISSN: 1726-4170
PURE UUID: e1166003-db78-492d-b395-7b112ed05cc1

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Date deposited: 20 Oct 2009
Last modified: 13 Mar 2024 19:26

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Contributors

Author: L. Cao
Author: M. Eby
Author: A. Ridgwell
Author: K. Caldeira
Author: D. Archer
Author: A. Ishida
Author: F. Joos
Author: K. Matsumoto
Author: U. Mikolajewicz
Author: A. Mouchet
Author: J.C. Orr
Author: G.-K. Plattner
Author: R. Schlitzer
Author: K. Tokos
Author: I. Totterdell
Author: T. Tschumi
Author: Y. Yamanaka
Author: A. Yool

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