Distribution of carbon dioxide partial pressure in surface waters of the Southwest Indian Ocean

Abstract

Using data from different seasons (July 1984 and February – March 1985), we describe the geographical, annual, and seasonal variability of the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO 2 ) in sea surface waters of the Southwest Indian Ocean. In Subtropical regions, we observed pCO 2 values almost 45 µatm higher in summer than in winter. This variation is produced principally by the seasonal change of sea surface water temperature. In contrast, in the Subantarctic region, pCO 2 values 25 µ atm lower in summer than in winter in response to the predominant seasonal biological activity were observed. This characteristic phase change of the seasonal oceanic surface pCO 2 signal with latitude appears to be a global phenomenon and is mirrored in the northern hemisphere. A comparison with GEOSECS data shows good agreement between our total CO 2 profiles and the earlier observations. In the southern region of the Antarctic convergence, both the measured and calculated pCO 2 values agree with those of the GEOSECS program, and confirm that this region of the ocean is probably a source of CO 2 to the atmosphere throughout the year. DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0889.1991.00001.x