Buffered versus non-buffered ocean carbon reservoir variations: Application to the sensitivity of atmospheric pCO2 to ocean circulation changes

Details Buffered versus non-buffered ocean carbon reservoir variations: Application to the sensitivity of atmospheric pCO2 to ocean circulation changes Buffered versus non-buffered ocean carbon reservoir variations: Application to the sensitivity of atmospheric pCO2 to ocean circulation changes

Dec 2011

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011georl..3824603d&link_type=abstract

Geophysical Research Letters, Volume 38, Issue 24, CiteID L24603

Mathematics

Logic

Biogeosciences: Carbon Cycling (4806), Oceanography: Physical: General Circulation (1218, 1222), Oceanography: Biological And Chemical: Carbon Cycling (0428), Paleoceanography: Abrupt/Rapid Climate Change (1605), Paleoceanography: Global Climate Models (1626, 3337)

Scientific paper

Changes in the ocean circulation on millenial timescales can impact the atmospheric CO2 concentration by two distinct mechanisms: either by modifying the non-buffered ocean carbon storage (through changes in the physical and biological oceanic pumps) or by directly varying the surface mean oceanic partial pressure of pCO2 (through changes in mean surface alkalinity, temperature or salinity). The equal importance of the two mechanisms is illustrated here by introducing a diagnostic buffered carbon budget on the results of simulations performed with an Earth System Climate Model. For all the circulation changes considered in this study (due to a freshening of the North Atlantic, or a change in the Southern Hemisphere Westerly winds), the sign of the atmospheric CO2 response is opposite to the sign of the non-buffered ocean carbon storage change, indicating a transfer of carbon between ocean and atmosphere reservoirs. However the concomitant changes in the buffered ocean carbon reservoir can either greatly enhance or almost inhibit the atmospheric response depending on its sign. This study also demonstrates the utility of the buffered carbon budget approach in diagnosing the transient response of the global carbon cycle to climatic variations.

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