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Mesoscale modulation of air‐sea CO 2 flux in D rake P assage
Author(s) -
Song Hajoon,
Marshall John,
Munro David R.,
Dutkiewicz Stephanie,
Sweeney Colm,
McGillicuddy D. J.,
Hausmann Ute
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: oceans
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9291
pISSN - 2169-9275
DOI - 10.1002/2016jc011714
Subject(s) - eddy , anticyclone , mesoscale meteorology , sea surface temperature , atmospheric sciences , flux (metallurgy) , outgassing , climatology , geology , anomaly (physics) , oceanography , chemistry , turbulence , physics , meteorology , organic chemistry , condensed matter physics
We investigate the role of mesoscale eddies in modulating air‐sea CO 2 flux and associated biogeochemical fields in Drake Passage using in situ observations and an eddy‐resolving numerical model. Both observations and model show a negative correlation between temperature and partial pressure of CO 2 ( p CO 2 ) anomalies at the sea surface in austral summer, indicating that warm/cold anticyclonic/cyclonic eddies take up more/less CO 2 . In austral winter, in contrast, relationships are reversed: warm/cold anticyclonic/cyclonic eddies are characterized by a positive/negative p CO 2 anomaly and more/less CO 2 outgassing. It is argued that DIC‐driven effects on p CO 2 are greater than temperature effects in austral summer, leading to a negative correlation. In austral winter, however, the reverse is true. An eddy‐centric analysis of the model solution reveals that nitrate and iron respond differently to the same vertical mixing: vertical mixing has a greater impact on iron because its normalized vertical gradient at the base of the surface mixed layer is an order of magnitude greater than that of nitrate.