Open AccessDistribution of surface carbon dioxide and air‐sea exchange in the English Channel and adjacent areas
Author(s) -
Borges Alberto Vieira,
Frankignoulle Michel
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: oceans
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2000jc000571
Subject(s) - transect , sink (geography) , carbon dioxide , environmental science , benthic zone , oceanography , carbon sink , spatial distribution , channel (broadcasting) , atmospheric sciences , carbon dioxide in earth's atmosphere , organic matter , geology , chemistry , geography , climate change , remote sensing , cartography , organic chemistry , engineering , electrical engineering
In the present paper we report the distribution of the partial pressure of CO 2 ( p CO 2 ) in surface waters along 13 transects in the English Channel, covering the four seasons. The spatial and temporal variability of p CO 2 is controlled by a complex combination of primary production (from May to June), degradation of organic matter, temperature change, and freshwater inputs. Preliminary air‐sea CO 2 exchange computations suggest that the Channel is not a major sink of atmospheric CO 2 and is probably neutral from the point of view of atmospheric coupling. This is mainly related to a relatively low export and/or burial of organic carbon and intense benthic calcification.