Uptake of Bomb-Produced Carbon-14 by the Weddell Sea

Physics

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Isotopic Studies

Scientific paper

Radiocarbon measurements were made on dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) collected from surface waters of the Scotia Sea in January, 1981. The water samples were collected along five north-south transects between circumpolar waters and Weddell Sea waters. A carbon-14 gradient was observed along these transects, with highest carbon-14 values found in circumpolar waters. Samples collected from Weddell Sea surface waters had an average Δ14C of -106 ± 6°/∞. This data set, combined with previous data sets and tritium data, can be used to estimate the turnover rate of Wedde 11 Sea surface waters and the uptake of carbon-14 by the Weddell Sea. Based on tritium studies by Weiss et al. (1979) and Michel (1979, 1984), a turnover time of 2-3 years is used for the surface layer, and the uptake of carbon-14 from the atmosphere is calculated to be O.O8-0.O3°/∞ per year per each 1°/∞ difference between atmospheric and surface water carbon-14 concentrations. Using these values, the pre-bomb concentration of carbon-14 in the Weddell Sea surface is estimated to have been ca. -144°/∞. This yields pre-bomb concentrations in Weddell Sea Bottom Water (WSBW) and Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) of -150°/∞ and -153°/∞, respectively. Carbon-14 concentrations in Weddell Sea surface waters would have risen to -78 ± 8°/∞ in the late 1960's. This would have increased the content of carbon-14 in WSBW and AABW formed at that time to -111 ± 3°/∞ and -128 ± 3°/∞, respectively.

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