Anthropogenic CO2 inventory of the Indian Ocean

Abstract

This study presents basin‐wide anthropogenic CO2 inventory estimates for the Indian Ocean based on measurements from the World Ocean Circulation Experiment/Joint Global Ocean Flux Study global survey. These estimates employed slightly modified ΔC* and time series techniques originally proposed by Gruber et al. [1996] and Wallace [1995], respectively. Together, the two methods yield the total oceanic anthropogenic CO2 and the carbon increase over the past 2 decades. The highest concentrations and the deepest penetrations of anthropogenic carbon are associated with the Subtropical Convergence at around 30° to 40°S. With both techniques, the lowest anthropogenic CO2 column inventories are observed south of 50°S. The total anthropogenic CO2 inventory north of 35°S was 13.6±2 Pg C in 1995. The inventory increase since GEOSECS (Geochemical Ocean Sections Program) was 4.1±1 Pg C for the same area. Approximately 6.7±1 Pg C are stored in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean, giving a total Indian Ocean inventory of 20.3 ±3 Pg C for 1995. These estimates are compared to anthropogenic CO2 inventories estimated by the Princeton ocean biogeochemistry model. The model predicts an Indian Ocean sink north of 35°S that is only 0.61–0.68 times the results presented here; while the Southern Ocean sink is nearly 2.6 times higher than the measurement‐based estimate. These results clearly identify areas in the models that need further examination and provide a good baseline for future studies of the anthropogenic inventory.