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Global oceanic chlorofluorocarbon inventory
Author(s) -
Willey Debra A.,
Fine Rana A.,
Sonnerup Rolf E.,
Bullister John L.,
Smethie William M.,
Warner Mark J.
Publication year - 2004
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 - 10.1029/2003gl018816
Subject(s) - chlorofluorocarbon , environmental science , astrobiology , geology , meteorology , physics
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) dissolve in the oceans, but the total quantity and spatial distribution in the oceans was not previously known. The first estimate of the global oceanic CFC‐11 uptake using field measurements is calculated from WOCE (World Ocean Circulation Experiment) CFC‐11 concentrations. Here we find the total oceanic uptake of 5.5 (±1.2) × 10 8 moles was about 1% of total emissions through 1994. Eighty‐two percent of the CFC‐11 inventory is in the upper 1000 meters. The CFC inventory distribution implies that the dominant physical air‐sea exchange of gases on decadal time scales occurs due to a combination of high gas solubility in cold high latitude waters and effectiveness of the wind‐driven circulation. The global inventory provides a benchmark for models simulating climate change.