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Interannual variability in the global uptake of CO 2
Author(s) -
Bates Nicholas R.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2001gl013571
Subject(s) - climatology , environmental science , flux (metallurgy) , el niño southern oscillation , tropical cyclone , madden–julian oscillation , storm , atmospheric sciences , oceanography , geology , meteorology , geography , chemistry , convection , organic chemistry
A major uncertainty are the causes for interannual variability of the global ocean uptake of CO 2 . Existing estimates, based on atmospheric CO 2 data, indicate that peak‐to‐peak interannual variability in ocean uptake of CO 2 is up to 2–4 Pg C year −1 (Pg = 10 15 g), while those estimates based on ocean observations and models suggest that year‐to‐year variability is much smaller (∼0.4–0.8 Pg C year −1 ). Here, it is shown that these differences can be partly reconciled if global air‐sea CO 2 flux estimates include the CO 2 flux associated with tropical cyclones (TC), extra‐tropical cyclones (ETC), and new air‐sea CO 2 gas exchange relationships. The impact of storm events on air‐sea CO 2 flux is influenced by climate variability such as the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), contributing to an interannual peak‐to‐peak variability in global ocean uptake of CO 2 of up to ∼1.8 Pg C year −1 .