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A window for carbon uptake in the southern subtropical Indian Ocean
Author(s) -
Valsala Vinu,
Maksyutov Shamil,
Murtugudde Raghu
Publication year - 2012
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 - 10.1029/2012gl052857
Subject(s) - window (computing) , subtropics , geology , oceanography , indian ocean , climatology , carbon fibers , environmental science , biology , materials science , ecology , composite number , computer science , composite material , operating system
Atmospheric CO 2 sinks in the southern Indian Ocean was examined for their seasonal, interannual and interdecadal variability. Two distinct zones of CO 2 uptake are identified; located in the 15°S–35°S band is the northern box where CO 2 uptake is dominated by the solubility pump, and in the latitudinal range of 35°S–50°S is the southern box where both the solubility and biological pump are equal players. The anthropogenic CO 2 inventories appear to be a result of deepening subduction of CO 2 and subsequent invasion into the northern domain. The seasonal and interannual variability of CO 2 sinks to the north are rather surface trapped, while the deep CO 2 variability is found to be coherent with the atmospheric forcing, consistent with decadal wind stress curl anomalies. This is a step towards separating the secular trends of deep ocean CO 2 from its natural variability in the analysis region.