Global ocean particulate organic carbon flux merged with satellite parameters

Colleen B Mouw,Audrey Barnett,Galen A Mckinley,Darren Pilcher,Lucas Gloege

doi:10.5194/essd-8-531-2016

Abstract

Abstract. Particulate organic carbon (POC) flux estimated from POC concentration observations from sediment traps and 234Th are compiled across the global ocean. The compilation includes six time series locations: CARIACO, K2, OSP, BATS, OFP, and HOT. Efficiency of the biological pump of carbon to the deep ocean depends largely on biologically mediated export of carbon from the surface ocean and its remineralization with depth; thus biologically related parameters able to be estimated from satellite observations were merged at the POC observation sites. Satellite parameters include net primary production, percent microplankton, sea surface temperature, photosynthetically active radiation, diffuse attenuation coefficient at 490 nm, euphotic zone depth, and climatological mixed layer depth. Of the observations across the globe, 85 % are concentrated in the Northern Hemisphere with 44 % of the data record overlapping the satellite record. Time series sites accounted for 36 % of the data, while 71 % of the data are measured at ≥ 500 m with the most common deployment depths between 1000 and 1500 m. This data set is valuable for investigations of CO2 drawdown, carbon export, remineralization, and sequestration. The compiled data can be freely accessed at doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.855600.

Highlights

Field estimates of particulate organic carbon (POC) flux have been made over many decades in the interest of understanding the biological pump of carbon to the deep ocean
We match the POC flux observations with biological and physical parameters determined from satellite imagery along with mixed layer depth (MLD) climatology
In the interest of matching the timescale of POC flux to satellite-derived products to the greatest degree possible, we focused on collecting short-term sediment trap deployments with individual cup intervals of 30 days or less

Summary

Introduction

Field estimates of particulate organic carbon (POC) flux have been made over many decades in the interest of understanding the biological pump of carbon to the deep ocean. Understanding the impact of surface processes on the export of organic carbon at depth has been an ongoing challenge in the oceanographic community since the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS). Continued efforts with the upcoming Export Processes in the Ocean from RemoTe Sensing (EXPORTS) program along with the Pre-Aerosol, Clouds and ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite mission seek to connect remotely sensed estimates of net primary production, particle size distribution, phytoplankton carbon, biomass, and community composition to water column carbon processes. Total water column depth ocean along with matched environmental parameters derived from remote sensing sources. The community can use this resource to move further towards a mechanistic understanding of the biological pump

Satellite products and mixed layer depth

POC flux data

Time series sites

Results

Conclusions