Seasonal variation of CO2 air-sea flux and effects of warming in the Kuroshio current of the East China Sea

Abstract

The partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) and associated CO2 air-sea flux exhibit highly heterogeneous temporal and spatial patterns in ocean margins. In this study, we analyzed a three-year time-series data sampled during 2011–2014 along the Kuroshio Current within the East China Sea (ECS) to investigate the seasonal pattern of carbonate chemistry and CO2 air-sea fluxes. Annually, the Kuroshio within the ECS operates as a net CO2 sink at approximately 1.3 mol C m−2 yr−1, less than estimates over the ECS shelf (~1.8 mol C m−2 yr−1). The thermal control of pCO2 makes the Kuroshio a strong CO2 sink in winter, with a transition to net-neutral, or a weak CO2 source in summer. On an interannual basis, however, the seasonal CO2 air-sea fluxes in the Kuroshio may undergo potential shifts if warming conditions continue.