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Stratospheric ozone depletion reduces ocean carbon uptake and enhances ocean acidification
Author(s) -
Lenton Andrew,
Codron Francis,
Bopp Laurent,
Metzl Nicolas,
Cadule Patricia,
Tagliabue Alessandro,
Le Sommer Julien
Publication year - 2009
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 - 10.1029/2009gl038227
Subject(s) - ozone depletion , environmental science , ocean acidification , greenhouse gas , ozone , atmospheric sciences , carbon sink , carbon dioxide , sink (geography) , climatology , ozone layer , carbon cycle , climate change , oceanography , stratosphere , geology , chemistry , ecology , ecosystem , organic chemistry , cartography , geography , biology
Observational and atmospheric inversion studies find that the strength of the Southern Ocean carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) sink is not increasing, despite rising atmospheric CO 2 . However, this is yet to be captured by contemporary coupled‐climate‐carbon‐models used to predict future climate. We show that by accounting for stratospheric ozone depletion in a coupled‐climate‐carbon‐model, the ventilation of carbon rich deep water is enhanced through stronger winds, increasing surface water CO 2 at a rate in good agreement with observed trends. We find that Southern Ocean uptake is reduced by 2.47 PgC (1987–2004) and is consistent with atmospheric inversion studies. The enhanced ventilation also accelerates ocean acidification, despite lesser Southern Ocean CO 2 uptake. Our results link two important anthropogenic changes: stratospheric ozone depletion and greenhouse gas increases; and suggest that studies of future climate that neglect stratospheric ozone depletion likely overestimate regional and global oceanic CO 2 uptake and underestimate the impact of ocean acidification.