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Insignificant buffering capacity of Antarctic shelf carbonates
Author(s) -
Hauck J.,
Arrigo K. R.,
Hoppema M.,
Dijken G. L.,
Völker C.,
WolfGladrow D. A.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
global biogeochemical cycles
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.512
H-Index - 187
eISSN - 1944-9224
pISSN - 0886-6236
DOI - 10.1029/2011gb004211
Subject(s) - antarctic bottom water , pelagic zone , oceanography , water column , geology , dissolution , pelagic sediment , carbonate , sedimentary rock , calcium carbonate , ocean acidification , continental shelf , seawater , environmental science , bottom water , chemistry , geochemistry , organic chemistry
We combined data sets of measured sedimentary calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) and satellite‐derived pelagic primary production to parameterize the relation between CaCO 3 content on the Antarctic shelves and primary production in the overlying water column. CaCO 3 content predicted in this way was in good agreement with the measured data. The parameterization was then used to chart CaCO 3 content on the Antarctic shelves all around the Antarctic, using the satellite‐derived primary production. The total inventory of CaCO 3 in the bioturbated layer of Antarctic shelf sediments was estimated to be 0.5 Pg C. This quantity is comparable to the total CO 2 uptake by the Southern Ocean in only one to a few years (dependent on the uptake estimate and area considered), indicating that the dissolution of these carbonates will neither delay ocean acidification in this area nor augment the Southern Ocean CO 2 uptake capacity.