Riding over the Kuroshio from the South to the East China Sea: Mixing and transport of DIC

Export of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) to adjoining oceans enhances the potential of CO 2 sequestration in marginal seas. By using a series of measured DIC depth profiles and reported flow transports, we estimated that the intermediate outflow (100–600 m) from the South China Sea is capable of transporting 6.5 ± 4.1 Tg (1 Tg = 10 12 g) of biologically mediated carbon (DIC bio ) annually to the East China Sea (ECS) via the northwardly flowing Kuroshio current. The mixing and transport of these DIC‐rich waters would raise 3% and 16% of DIC/TA ratio and the Revelle factor of the adjoining seawaters, respectively. Upon upwelling onto the ECS shelf, these DIC‐rich waters would counteract the potential of CO 2 uptake of shelf waters that might have been enhanced by the accompanying increase in nutrient inputs, thus complicating assessment of the ECS as a net CO 2 source or sink.