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El Niño‐Southern Oscillation related fluctuations of the marine carbon cycle
Author(s) -
Winguth A. M. E.,
Heinmann M.,
Kurz K. D.,
MaierReimer E.,
Mikolajewicz U.,
Segschneider J.
Publication year - 1994
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 - 10.1029/93gb03134
Subject(s) - upwelling , climatology , carbon cycle , environmental science , el niño southern oscillation , biosphere , atmosphere (unit) , oceanography , flux (metallurgy) , pacific ocean , atmospheric sciences , ocean current , geology , geography , ecosystem , chemistry , meteorology , biology , ecology , organic chemistry
We investigate the response of a three‐dimensional ocean circulation model (Hamburg LSG) coupled on‐line with an oceanic carbon cycle model (HAMOCC‐3) to El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) induced fluctuations of the wind field. During El Niño 1982/1983, when upwelling and biological productivity in the equatorial Pacific were strongly reduced and sea surface temperatures were increased, the oceanic CO 2 partial pressure in this region decreased significantly. Consequently, in 1982/1983 the CO 2 flux from the tropical ocean into the atmosphere was reduced. However, in 1983 the interannual deviations from the long‐term trend in atmospheric CO 2 showed in January low and in December high values with a total shift by more then 1.4 GtC. The model simulation supports the oceanic measurements and predicts a temporary uptake of 0.6 GtC during the ENSO year 1983. We conclude that the concurrent release of CO 2 from the land biosphere must have been about 2 GtC.