Open AccessHigh anthropogenic carbon content in the eastern Mediterranean
Author(s) -
Schneider A.,
Tanhua T.,
Körtzinger A.,
Wallace D. W. R.
Publication year - 2010
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 - 10.1029/2010jc006171
Subject(s) - mediterranean sea , alkalinity , oceanography , mediterranean climate , water column , environmental science , mediterranean basin , carbon fibers , total organic carbon , flux (metallurgy) , salinity , structural basin , geology , environmental chemistry , chemistry , geography , geomorphology , materials science , archaeology , organic chemistry , composite number , composite material
This work presents data of dichlorodifluoromethane (CFC‐12), dissolved inorganic carbon and total alkalinity from a cruise to the Mediterranean Sea during October–November 2001, with the main focus on the CFC‐12 data and on the eastern basin. Using the transit time distribution method, the anthropogenic carbon concentrations in the basin were estimated. Results were cross‐checked with a back‐calculation technique. The entire water column of the Mediterranean Sea contains anthropogenic CO 2 , with minimum concentrations of 20.5 μ mol kg −1 (error range: 16.9–27.1 μ mol kg −1 ) in the most eastern part of the basin at intermediate depths, where the waters' mean age is >130 yr. Column inventories of up to 154 mol m −2 (132–179 mol m −2 ) are found and a total inventory of 1.7 Pg (1.3–2.1 Pg) of anthropogenic carbon in the Mediterranean Sea was estimated. There is a net flux of 38 Tg yr −1 (30–47 Tg yr −1 ) of dissolved inorganic carbon through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Atlantic Ocean and an opposite net flux of 3.5 Tg yr −1 (−1.8–9.2 Tg yr −1 ) of anthropogenic carbon into the Mediterranean Sea.