Surface ocean pCO2 seasonality and sea‐air CO2 flux estimates for the North American east coast. Issue 10 (16th October 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Signorini, Sergio R.; Mannino, Antonio; Najjar, Raymond G.; Friedrichs, Marjorie A. M.; Cai, Wei‐Jun; Salisbury, Joe; Wang, Zhaohui Aleck; Thomas, Helmuth; Shadwick, Elizabeth
• Is Part Of: Journal of geophysical research. Volume 118:Issue 10(2013:Oct.)
• Page Start: 5439
• Page End: 5460
• Publication Date: 2013-10-16
• Subjects: Oceanography -- Periodicals; 551.4605
• DOI: 10.1002/jgrc.20369
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2169-9275

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>[1] Underway and in situ observations of surface ocean <italic>p</italic>CO<sub>2</sub>, combined with satellite data, were used to develop <italic>p</italic>CO<sub>2</sub> regional algorithms to analyze the seasonal and interannual variability of surface ocean <italic>p</italic>CO<sub>2</sub> and sea‐air CO<sub>2</sub> flux for five physically and biologically distinct regions of the eastern North American continental shelf: the South Atlantic Bight (SAB), the Mid‐Atlantic Bight (MAB), the Gulf of Maine (GoM), Nantucket Shoals and Georges Bank (NS+GB), and the Scotian Shelf (SS). Temperature and dissolved inorganic carbon variability are the most influential factors driving the seasonality of <italic>p</italic>CO<sub>2</sub>. Estimates of the sea‐air CO<sub>2</sub> flux were derived from the available <italic>p</italic>CO<sub>2</sub> data, as well as from the <italic>p</italic>CO<sub>2</sub> reconstructed by the algorithm. Two different gas exchange parameterizations were used. The SS, GB+NS, MAB, and SAB regions are net sinks of atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> while the GoM is a weak source. The estimates vary depending on the use of surface ocean <italic>p</italic>CO<sub>2</sub> from the data or algorithm, as well as with the use of the two different gas exchange parameterizations. Most of the regional estimates are in general agreement with previous studies when the range of uncertainty and interannual variability are taken into account. According to the algorithm, the average annual uptake of atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> by eastern North American continental shelf waters is found to be between −3.4 and −5.4 Tg C yr<sup>−1</sup> (areal average of −0.7 to −1.0 mol CO<sub>2</sub> m<sup>−2</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup>) over the period 2003–2010.</p> </abstract>