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Reconciling Atmospheric and Oceanic Views of the Transient Climate Response to Emissions
Author(s) -
Katavouta Anna,
Williams Richard G.,
Goodwin Philip,
Roussenov Vassil
Publication year - 2018
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 - 10.1029/2018gl077849
Subject(s) - atmosphere (unit) , environmental science , carbon fibers , atmospheric carbon cycle , carbon cycle , carbonate , atmospheric sciences , effects of global warming on oceans , earth science , climatology , climate change , carbon dioxide , global warming , meteorology , geology , carbon sequestration , oceanography , chemistry , materials science , ecosystem , geography , ecology , organic chemistry , composite number , composite material , biology
The Transient Climate Response to Emissions (TCRE), the ratio of surface warming and cumulative carbon emissions, is controlled by a product of thermal and carbon contributions. The carbon contribution involves the airborne fraction and the ratio of ocean saturated and atmospheric carbon inventories, with this ratio controlled by ocean carbonate chemistry. The evolution of the carbon contribution to the TCRE is illustrated in a hierarchy of models: a box model of the atmosphere‐ocean and an Earth system model, both integrated for 1,000 years, and a suite of Earth system models integrated for 140 years. For all models, there is the same generic carbonate chemistry response: An acidifying ocean during emissions leads to a decrease in the ratio of the ocean saturated and atmospheric carbon inventories and the carbon contribution to the TCRE. Hence, ocean carbonate chemistry is important in controlling the magnitude of the TCRE and its evolution in time.