Anthropogenic CO2 Increase Research Articles

Elevated heterotrophic capacity as a strategy for Mediterranean corals to cope with low pH at CO2 vents.

The global increase in anthropogenic CO2 is leading to ocean warming and acidification, which is threatening corals. In Ischia, Italy, two species of Mediterranean scleractinian corals-the symbiotic Cladocora caespitosa and the asymbiotic Astroides calycularis-were collected from ambient pH sites (average pHT = 8.05) and adjacent CO2 vent sites (average pHT = 7.8) to evaluate their response to ocean acidification. Coral colonies from both sites were reared in a laboratory setting for six months at present day pH (pHT ~ 8.08) or low pH (pHT ~7.72). Previous work showed that these corals were tolerant of low pH and maintained positive calcification rates throughout the experiment. We hypothesized that these corals cope with low pH by increasing their heterotrophic capacity (i.e., feeding and/or proportion of heterotrophically derived compounds incorporated in their tissues), irrespective of site of origin, which was quantified indirectly by measuring δ13C, δ15N, and sterols. To further characterize coral health, we quantified energy reserves by measuring biomass, total lipids, and lipid classes. Additional analysis for C. caespitosa included carbohydrates (an energy reserve) and chlorophyll a (an indicator of photosynthetic capacity). Isotopic evidence shows that ambient-sourced Mediterranean corals, of both species, decreased heterotrophy in response to six months of low pH. Despite maintaining energy reserves, lower net photosynthesis (C. caespitosa) and a trend of declining calcification (A. calycularis) suggest a long-term cost to low heterotrophy under ocean acidification conditions. Conversely, vent-sourced corals maintained moderate (C. caespitosa) or high (A. calycularis) heterotrophic capacity and increased photosynthesis rates (C. caespitosa) in response to six months at low pH, allowing them to sustain themselves physiologically. Provided there is sufficient zooplankton and/or organic matter to meet their heterotrophic needs, vent-sourced corals are more likely to persist this century and potentially be a source for new corals in the Mediterranean.

Analysis Of Carbonate Chemistry Parameters And Impact Of Anthropogenic CO2 On Ocean Acidification In Selected Coastline Sites Of Ghana

Anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) dissolved into seawater at coastline has shown some effect on oceanic acidification after the preindustrial period. The coastline surrounded with human activities results to oceans acidity that has proven to affect the oceans’ calcifying organisms. This study was conducted in three selected landing beach sites of Ghana coastline to determine the concentrations of CO2, carbonate ions (CO32- ), partial pressures of carbon dioxide (pCO2) and pH for 12 months, and the impact of anthropogenic CO2 on oceanic the oceanic acidification from the sampled sites within the year. The result from sampled sites showed that dissolved CO2 concentration and other evaluated parameters were clearly different in each month and at every sampled site. High CO2 concentration was determined in the months of January and February, and June from different sites. Total mean amount per a year for the sites showed a dissolved CO2 concentration of 16.19 ± 1.73, CO32- concentration of 143.21 ± 21.12 µmol/kg, pCO2 of 600.36 ± 131.92 and pH of 8.01 ± 0.20. Correlation relationship showed an increase of anthropogenic CO2 dissolved into seawater decreased pH at all the study sites, indicating that ocean acidification of seawater at the sites had increased from earlier projections. It was therefore concluded that the anthropogenic CO2 at sites induces rise of ocean acidification, which could pose danger to marine organisms in the studied areas. Continue decrease of pH low harvest of fishes and the calcification rates of other sea organisms

Assessing impacts of coastal warming, acidification, and deoxygenation on Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) farming: a case study in the Hinase area, Okayama Prefecture, and Shizugawa Bay, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan

Abstract. Coastal warming, acidification, and deoxygenation are progressing primarily due to the increase in anthropogenic CO2. Coastal acidification has been reported to have effects that are anticipated to become more severe as acidification progresses, including inhibiting the formation of shells of calcifying organisms such as shellfish, which include Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas), one of the most important aquaculture resources in Japan. Moreover, there is concern regarding the combined impacts of coastal warming, acidification, and deoxygenation on Pacific oysters. However, spatiotemporal variations in acidification and deoxygenation indicators such as pH, the aragonite saturation state (Ωarag), and dissolved oxygen have not been observed and projected in oceanic Pacific oyster farms in Japan. To assess the present impacts and project future impacts of coastal warming, acidification, and deoxygenation on Pacific oysters, we performed continuous in situ monitoring, numerical modeling, and microscopic examination of Pacific oyster larvae in the Hinase area of Okayama Prefecture and Shizugawa Bay in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, both of which are famous for their Pacific oyster farms. Our monitoring results first found Ωarag values lower than the critical level of acidification for Pacific oyster larvae in Hinase, although no impact of acidification on larvae was identified by microscopic examination. Our modeling results suggest that Pacific oyster larvae are anticipated to be affected more seriously by the combined impacts of coastal warming and acidification, with lower pH and Ωarag values and a prolonged spawning period, which may shorten the oyster shipping period and lower the quality of oysters.

Long-term trends of pH and inorganic carbon in the Eastern North Atlantic: the ESTOC site

Using 25 years of data from the North-East Atlantic Ocean at the ESTOC site, we confirm the surface ocean is actively absorbing carbon emissions caused by human activities and undergoing ocean acidification. The carbon dioxide is also increasing in the subsurface and deepest waters. Seawater salinity normalized inorganic carbon (NCT), fugacity of CO2 (fCO2) and anthropogenic CO2 increase at a rate of 1.17 ± 0.07 µmol kg−1, 2.1 ± 0.1 µatm yr−1 and 1.06 ± 0.11 μmol kg−1 yr−1, respectively, while the ocean pHT fixed to the average temperature of 21°C, declines at a rate of 0.002 ± 0.0001 pH yr−1 in the first 100 m. These rates are 20% higher than values determined for the period 1995–2010. Over the 25 years, the average surface fCO2 increased by 52.5 µatm while the pHT declined by 0.051 pH units (~13% increase in acidity), like the observed seasonal signal. After 2020, seawater conditions are outside the range of surface fCO2 and pHT seasonal amplitude observed in the 1990s. It was also predicted by the year 2040, fCO2 seawater data will be smaller than atmospheric one and the area will be acting as a sink the full year around. Parameterizations of AT, CT, pHT and fCO2 using observations of water temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen were determined for the ESTOC site with standard error of estimation of 6.5 µmol kg−1, 6.8 µmol kg−1, 0.010 pH and 9.6 µatm, respectively, and were applied to the North-East Atlantic Ocean. The observations and the parameterizations showed that the trends of the carbonate variables along the water column in the eastern subtropical ESTOC region are dominated by anthropogenically induced changes, observed in the whole water profile.

Learning ensembles of process-based models for high accurately evaluating the one-hundred-year carbon sink potential of China’s forest ecosystem

China’s forests play a vital role in the global carbon cycle through the absorption of atmospheric CO2 to mitigate climate change caused by the increase of anthropogenic CO2. It is essential to evaluate the carbon sink potential (CSP) of China’s forest ecosystem. Combining NDVI, field-investigated, and vegetation and soil carbon density data modeled by process-based models, we developed the state-of-the-art learning ensembles model of process-based models (the multi-model random forest ensemble (MMRFE) model) to evaluate the carbon stocks of China’s forest ecosystem in historical (1982–2021) and future (2022–2081, without NDVI-driven data) periods. Meanwhile, we proposed a new carbon sink index (CSindex) to scientifically and accurately evaluate carbon sink status and identify carbon sink intensity zones, reducing the probability of random misjudgments as a carbon sink. The new MMRFE models showed good simulation results in simulating forest vegetation and soil carbon density in China (significant positive correlation with the observed values, r = 0.94, P < 0.001). The modeled results show that a cumulative increase of 1.33 Pg C in historical carbon stocks of forest ecosystem is equivalent to 48.62 Bt CO2, which is approximately 52.03% of the cumulative increased CO2 emissions in China from 1959 to 2018. In the next 60 years, China’s forest ecosystem will absorb annually 1.69 (RCP45 scenario) to 1.85 (RCP85 scenario) Bt CO2. Compared with the carbon stock in the historical period, the cumulative absorption of CO2 by China’s forest ecosystem in 2032–2036, 2062–2066, and 2077–2081 are approximately 11.25–39.68, 110.66–121.49 and 101.31–111.11 Bt CO2, respectively. In historical and future periods, the medium and strong carbon sink intensity regions identified by the historical CSindex covered 65% of the total forest area, cumulative absorbing approximately 31.60 and 65.83–72.22 Bt CO2, respectively. In the future, China’s forest ecosystem has a large CSP with a non-continuous increasing trend. However, the CSP should not be underestimated. Notably, the medium carbon sink intensity region should be the priority for natural carbon sequestration action. This study not only provides an important methodological basis for accurately estimating the future CSP of forest ecosystem but also provides important decision support for future forest ecosystem carbon sequestration action.

Recent Trends and Variability in the Oceanic Storage of Dissolved Inorganic Carbon

AbstractSeveral methods have been developed to quantify the oceanic accumulation of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) in response to rising atmospheric CO2. Yet, we still lack a corresponding estimate of the changes in the total oceanic dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). In addition to the increase in anthropogenic CO2, changes in DIC also include alterations of natural CO2. Once integrated globally, changes in DIC reflect the net oceanic sink for atmospheric CO2, complementary to estimates of the air‐sea CO2 exchange based on surface measurements. Here, we extend the MOBO‐DIC machine learning approach by Keppler et al. (2020a, https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/metadata/landing-page/bin/iso?id=gov.noaa.nodc%3A0221526) to estimate global monthly fields of DIC at 1° resolution over the top 1,500 m from 2004 through 2019. We find that over these 16 years and extrapolated to cover the whole global ocean down to 4,000 m, the oceanic DIC pool increased close to linearly at an average rate of 3.2 ± 0.7 Pg C yr−1. This trend is statistically indistinguishable from current estimates of the oceanic uptake of anthropogenic CO2 over the same period. Thus, our study implies no detectable net loss or gain of natural CO2 by the ocean, albeit the large uncertainties could be masking it. Our reconstructions suggest substantial internal redistributions of natural oceanic CO2, with a shift from the midlatitudes to the tropics and from the surface to below ∼200 m. Such redistributions correspond with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation. The interannual variability of DIC is strongest in the tropical Western Pacific, consistent with the El Nio Southern Oscillation.

Coupled Carbonate Chemistry - Harmful Algae Bloom Models for Studying Effects of Ocean Acidification on Prorocentrum minimum Blooms in a Eutrophic Estuary

Eutrophic estuaries have suffered from a proliferation of harmful algal blooms (HABs) and acceleration of ocean acidification (OA) over the past few decades. Despite laboratory experiments indicating pH effects on algal growth, little is understood about how acidification affects HABs in estuaries that typically feature strong horizontal and vertical gradients in pH and other carbonate chemistry parameters. Here, coupled hydrodynamic–carbonate chemistry–HAB models were developed to gain a better understanding of OA effects on a high biomass HAB in a eutrophic estuary and to project how the global anthropogenic CO2 increase might affect these HABs in the future climate. Prorocentrum minimum in Chesapeake bay, USA, one of the most common HAB species in estuarine waters, was used as an example for studying the OA effects on HABs. Laboratory data on P. minimum grown under different pH conditions were applied in the development of an empirical formula relating growth rate to pH. Hindcast simulation using the coupled hydrodynamic-carbonate chemistry–HAB models showed that the P. minimum blooms were enhanced in the upper bay where pH was low. On the other hand, pH effects on P. minimum growth in the mid and lower bay with higher pH were minimal, but model simulations show surface seaward estuarine flow exported the higher biomass in the upper bay downstream. Future model projections with higher atmospheric pCO2 show that the bay-wide averaged P. minimum concentration during the bloom periods increases by 2.9% in 2050 and 6.2% in 2100 as pH decreases and 0.2 or 0.4, respectively. Overall the model results suggest OA will cause a moderate amplification of P. minimum blooms in Chesapeake bay. The coupled modeling framework developed here can be applied to study the effects of OA on other HAB species in estuarine and coastal environments.

Contributions of economic growth, terrestrial sinks, and atmospheric transport to the increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations over the Korean Peninsula

BackgroundUnderstanding a carbon budget from a national perspective is essential for establishing effective plans to reduce atmospheric CO2 growth. The national characteristics of carbon budgets are reflected in atmospheric CO2 variations; however, separating regional influences on atmospheric signals is challenging owing to atmospheric CO2 transport. Therefore, in this study, we examined the characteristics of atmospheric CO2 variations over South and North Korea during 2000–2016 and unveiled the causes of their regional differences in the increasing rate of atmospheric CO2 concentrations by utilizing atmospheric transport modeling.ResultsThe atmospheric CO2 concentration in South Korea is rising by 2.32 ppm year− 1, which is more than the globally-averaged increase rate of 2.05 ppm year− 1. Atmospheric transport modeling indicates that the increase in domestic fossil energy supply to support manufacturing export-led economic growth leads to an increase of 0.12 ppm year− 1 in atmospheric CO2 in South Korea. Although enhancements of terrestrial carbon uptake estimated from both inverse modeling and process-based models have decreased atmospheric CO2 by up to 0.02 ppm year− 1, this decrease is insufficient to offset anthropogenic CO2 increases. Meanwhile, atmospheric CO2 in North Korea is also increasing by 2.23 ppm year− 1, despite a decrease in national CO2 emissions close to carbon neutrality. The great increases estimated in both South Korea and North Korea are associated with changes in atmospheric transport, including increasing emitted and transported CO2 from China, which have increased the national atmospheric CO2 concentrations by 2.23 ppm year− 1 and 2.27 ppm year− 1, respectively.ConclusionsThis study discovered that economic activity is the determinant of regional differences in increasing atmospheric CO2 in the Korea Peninsula. However, from a global perspective, changes in transported CO2 are a major driver of rising atmospheric CO2 over this region, yielding an increase rate higher than the global mean value. Our findings suggest that accurately separating the contributions of atmospheric transport and regional sources to the increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations is important for developing effective strategies to achieve carbon neutrality at the national level.

Benthic Respiration in Hypoxic Waters Enhances Bottom Water Acidification in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

AbstractIt is known that surface water eutrophication enhances bottom water ocean acidification via respiration in coastal oceans. However, the role of benthic processes in influencing bottom water acidification has not been sufficiently explored. We examined this issue by analyzing a 10‐year summer carbonate chemistry dataset in bottom water together with recent benthic flux measurements and literature benthic flux data in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The difference between the observed and estimated pH (Ω) values calculated from anthropogenic CO2 increase and water column aerobic respiration were defined as ΔpH (ΔΩ). We found that ΔpH and ΔΩ values in hypoxic condition were −0.03 ± 0.04 (mean ± standard deviation) and −0.15 ± 0.39, respectively. Both ΔpH and ΔΩ values in hypoxic conditions were significantly lower than zero (p &lt; 0.05). The net results of anaerobic respiration, oxidation of reduced chemcials, burial of iron sulfide minerals, and possible CaCO3 dissolution may have led to an alkalinity to DIC production ratio of less than 1 in porewater. This caused the ratio of alkalinity to dissolved inorganic carbon fluxes from sediment to bottom water to be less than 1, which led to additional bottom water acidification. Our analysis and model simulations demonstrate that severe hypoxic and anoxic conditions, which correspond to less water movement, favor the accumulation of benthic respiration products, leading to additional pH and Ω reductions. The findings on sediment processes contributing to acidification in bottom waters provide new insights into the sensitivity of coastal ocean acidification to low‐oxygen conditions under current and future climates and anthropogenic nutrient loading scenarios.

Temporal and Spatial Variability of the CO2 System in a Riverine Influenced Area of the Mediterranean Sea, the Northern Adriatic

Coastal ecosystems are subject to multiple processes that drive pH change over time. Therefore, efforts to understand the variability in the coastal carbonate system are crucial to assess the marine system vulnerability to acidification. The variations of the carbon dioxide (CO2) system were studied, from December 2014 to January 2017, on 6 stations along a transect latitudinally crossing the northern Adriatic, from the Po River delta to the Istra Peninsula. The study aims to evaluate the influence of riverine inputs and other environmental drivers, such as temperature, air-sea CO2 exchanges and biological processes, on the carbonate system. Riverine discharges significantly affected the carbonate system, as they are an input of total alkalinity and nutrients. High alkalinity concentrations were measured in low salinity waters and a significant negative correlation between salinity and alkalinity was found. The influence of biological processes was underscored by the significant inverse correlation between pHT at a constant temperature (pHT25°C) and apparent oxygen utilization, and by the positive correlation between chlorophyll a and pHT25°C in samplings close to flood events. Moreover, thermic and non-thermic partial pressure (p) of CO2 in surface waters was evaluated. pCO2 was more strongly influenced by the thermal effect during summer, while the biological effect prevailed in the other seasons. The analysis of air-sea CO2 fluxes highlighted that the area acts as a sink of CO2 during winter, spring and autumn and as a source during summer. A biogeochemical simulation was used for bottom and surface waters to estimate future changes in northern Adriatic carbonate chemistry with the increase of anthropogenic CO2 and temperature, and to understand how biological processes could affect the expected trends. By 2100, under the IPCC scenario of business as usual and without the effect of biological processes, pHT is expected to decrease by ~0.3 and the aragonite saturation is expected to decline by ~1.3, yet not reach undersaturation values. Even though the northern Adriatic is characterized by high alkalinity buffering, pH seasonal variability will likely be more pronounced, due to the strong decoupling of production and respiration processes driven by stratification of the water column.

Groundwater mixing in a heterogeneous multilayer aquifer driven by geogenic CO2 fluxes: Evidence from chemical and isotopic composition of Ferrarelle waters (Riardo Plain, southern Italy)

The successful management of carbon in the Earth's crust is critical for mitigating the increase of anthropogenic CO2 in the atmosphere. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) requires an understanding of the behavior of carbon in the crust and the development of robust monitoring techniques to constrain the movement, mechanisms, and pathways for any potential CO2 leakage. Here, we examine an aquifer from the Riardo Plain (Campania Region, southern Italy), which serves as a suitable natural analogue for CO2 migration to the critical zone (i.e., shallow crust and aquifers) and as a case study to evaluate the geochemical processes that occur when CO2-saturated fluids mix with freshwater in shallow aquifers. We investigate the behavior of various geochemical constituents (major and trace elements, δ18O–H2O, δ13C-DIC, and Rn content). Water from this area has a high degree of mineralization (EC 2500–3000 μS/cm), high HCO3- (~2.5 g/L), is saturated with respect to CaCO3, and is enriched in alkali ions (e.g., Na+ + K+). The high degree of mineralization occurs in groundwater that discharges from the basal aquifer of the Roccamonfina volcanic edifice (~6 km NW), with vast CO2 inputs that promote host rock leaching. Superficial volcanic aquifers are recharged by fresh meteoric precipitation when groundwater flows from carbonates at the edge of the plain to aquifers hosted in the southeastern slope of the Roccamonfina volcano. The presence of normal faults in this area permits natural upwelling of CO2-rich groundwater, which locally mixes with shallow freshwater present within the upper volcanic succession. Significant (R > 0.8) linear correlations between conservative elements suggest that groundwater geochemistry is dominated by a mixture of two main endmembers: (i) deep/mineralized waters and (ii) shallow/diluted waters. The intrusion of freshwater to volcanic aquifers induces oxidation, leading to adsorption of select elements (e.g., As and Ba) onto Fe-oxyhydroxide precipitates within these aquifers. Geochemical modeling suggests that CO2 saturation approaches 3 g/L, which agrees with direct measurements of CO2 flux. We conclude that our conceptual geochemical model helps to constrain mixing of CO2 with freshwater and to diagnose the secondary geochemical processes that influence aqueous geochemistry within CO2-influenced groundwater.

Characteristics of the Carbonate System in a Semiarid Estuary that Experiences Summertime Hypoxia

In oceanic environments, two sources of CO2 have been found to contribute to acidification of stratified water bodies, i.e., CO2 invasion due to anthropogenic atmospheric CO2 increase and respiration-produced CO2 from organic matter remineralization. Acidification caused by these CO2 sources has been observed frequently in numerous environments spanning from open continental shelves to enclosed estuaries. Here, we report observations on carbonate system dynamics in a relatively well-buffered lagoonal estuary, Corpus Christi Bay (CCB), in a semiarid subtropical region that is influenced by summertime hypoxia as well as strong evaporation and seagrass vegetation in the vicinity. While the relationship between dissolved oxygen (DO) and pH in the bottom waters of CCB was positive as in other coastal and estuarine environments prone to hypoxia, the slope was significantly less than in other systems. We attribute the high buffering capacity in CCB to the presence of abundant seagrass meadows adjacent to CCB and strong evaporation-produced density flow that delivers low CO2 waters to the bottom of CCB. Thus, despite the occurrence of hypoxia, neither bottom water carbonate saturation state with respect to aragonite (Ωarg) nor CO2 partial pressure (pCO2) reached critical levels, i.e., undersaturation (i.e., Ωarag 1000 µatm), respectively.

Decadal‐Scale Increases of Anthropogenic CO2 in Antarctic Bottom Water in the Indian and Western Pacific Sectors of the Southern Ocean

AbstractWe determined decadal‐scale increases of anthropogenic CO2 in the water column using data sets collected 17 years apart (1994–1996 and 2012–2013) along a transect at nominal 62°S in the Indian and western Pacific sectors of the Southern Ocean. Large increases of anthropogenic CO2 (up to 9.1 ± 1.5 μmol/kg), closely following atmospheric CO2 increases, were found in Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW), previously considered a small sink of anthropogenic CO2. Vertical distributions of anthropogenic CO2 increases showed significant positive correlations with those of changes in CFC‐12 and SF6, implying that the distributions were mainly controlled by physical processes such as ventilation and circulation. Calculated uptake rates of anthropogenic CO2 by AABW were between 0.29 and 0.39 mol·m−2·yr−1 in five longitudinal segments of the transect. In accounting for the large increase of anthropogenic CO2 in AABW, sea surface conditions in the formation region of AABW are important.

Modeling the transformation of atmospheric CO2 into microalgal biomass.

Marine phytoplankton acts as a considerable sink of atmospheric CO2 as it sequesters large quantities of this greenhouse gas for biomass production. To assess microalgae's counterbalancing of global warming, the quantities of CO2 they fix need to be determined. For this task, it is mandatory to understand which environmental and physiological parameters govern this transformation from atmospheric CO2 to microalgal biomass. However, experimental analyses are challenging as it has been found that the chemical environment has a major impact on the physiological properties of the microalgae cells (diameter typ. 5-20 μm). Moreover, the cells can only chemically interact with their immediate vicinity and thus compound sequestration needs to be studied on a microscopic spatial scale. Due to these reasons, computer simulations are a more promising approach than the experimental studies. Modeling software has been developed that describes the dissolution of atmospheric CO2 into oceans followed by the formation of HCO3- which is then transported to individual microalgae cells. The second portion of this model describes the competition of different cell species for this HCO3-, a nutrient, as well as its uptake and utilization for cell production. Two microalgae species, i.e. Dunaliella salina and Nannochloropsis oculata, were cultured individually and in a competition situation under different atmospheric CO2 conditions. It is shown that this novel model's predictions of biomass production are in very good agreement with the experimental flow cytometry results. After model validation, it has been applied to long-term prediction of phytoplankton generation. These investigations were motivated by the question whether or not cell production slows down as cultures grow. This is of relevance as a reduced cell production rate means that the increase in a culture's CO2-sinking capacity slows down as well. One implication resulting from this is that an increase in anthropogenic CO2 may not be counterbalanced by an increase in phytoplankton production. Modeling studies have found that for several different atmospheric CO2 levels provided to single-species cultures as well as to species in competing scenarios the cell production rate does slow down over time.

Ocean acidification in the subpolar North Atlantic: rates and mechanisms controlling pH changes

Abstract. Repeated hydrographic sections provide critically needed data on and understanding of changes in basin-wide ocean CO2 chemistry over multi-decadal timescales. Here, high-quality measurements collected at twelve cruises carried out along the same track between 1991 and 2015 have been used to determine long-term changes in ocean CO2 chemistry and ocean acidification in the Irminger and Iceland basins of the North Atlantic Ocean. Trends were determined for each of the main water masses present and are discussed in the context of the basin-wide circulation. The pH has decreased in all water masses of the Irminger and Iceland basins over the past 25 years with the greatest changes in surface and intermediate waters (between −0.0010 ± 0.0001 and −0.0018 ± 0.0001 pH units yr−1). In order to disentangle the drivers of the pH changes, we decomposed the trends into their principal drivers: changes in temperature, salinity, total alkalinity (AT) and total dissolved inorganic carbon (both its natural and anthropogenic components). The increase in anthropogenic CO2 (Cant) was identified as the main agent of the pH decline, partially offset by AT increases. The acidification of intermediate waters caused by Cant uptake has been reinforced by the aging of the water masses over the period of our analysis. The pH decrease of the deep overflow waters in the Irminger basin was similar to that observed in the upper ocean and was mainly linked to the Cant increase, thus reflecting the recent contact of these deep waters with the atmosphere.

Irreversibly increased nitrogen fixation in Trichodesmium experimentally adapted to elevated carbon dioxide.

Nitrogen fixation rates of the globally distributed, biogeochemically important marine cyanobacterium Trichodesmium increase under high carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in short-term studies due to physiological plasticity. However, its long-term adaptive responses to ongoing anthropogenic CO2 increases are unknown. Here we show that experimental evolution under extended selection at projected future elevated CO2 levels results in irreversible, large increases in nitrogen fixation and growth rates, even after being moved back to lower present day CO2 levels for hundreds of generations. This represents an unprecedented microbial evolutionary response, as reproductive fitness increases acquired in the selection environment are maintained after returning to the ancestral environment. Constitutive rate increases are accompanied by irreversible shifts in diel nitrogen fixation patterns, and increased activity of a potentially regulatory DNA methyltransferase enzyme. High CO2-selected cell lines also exhibit increased phosphorus-limited growth rates, suggesting a potential advantage for this keystone organism in a more nutrient-limited, acidified future ocean.

Rapid invasion of anthropogenic CO2 into the deep circulation of the Weddell Gyre.

Data are presented for total carbon dioxide (TCO2), oxygen and nutrients from 14 cruises covering two repeat sections across the Weddell Gyre, from 1973 to 2010. Assessments of the rate of increase in anthropogenic CO2 (Cant) are made at three locations. Along the Prime Meridian, TCO2 is observed to steadily increase in the bottom water. Accompanying changes in silicate, nitrate and oxygen confirm the non-steady state of the Weddell circulation. The rate of increase in TCO2 of +0.12±0.05 μmol kg(-1) yr(-1) therefore poses an upper limit to the rate of increase in Cant. By contrast, the bottom water located in the central Weddell Sea exhibits no significant increase in TCO2, suggesting that this water is less well ventilated at the southern margins of the Weddell Sea. At the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula (i.e. the formation region of the bottom water found at the Prime Meridian), the high rate of increase in TCO2 over time observed at the lowest temperatures suggests that nearly full equilibration occurs with the anthropogenic CO2 of the atmosphere. This observation constitutes rare evidence for the possibility that ice cover is not a major impediment for uptake of Cant in this prominent deep water formation region.

Natural variability and anthropogenic change in equatorial Pacific surface ocean pCO2 and pH

AbstractThe equatorial Pacific is a dynamic region that plays an important role in the global carbon cycle. This region is the largest oceanic source of carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere, which varies interannually dependent on the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and other climatic and oceanic drivers. We present high‐resolution observations of surface ocean CO2 partial pressure (pCO2) at four fixed locations in the Niño 3.4 area with data sets encompassing 10 ENSO warm and cold events from 1997 to 2011. The mooring observations confirm that ENSO controls much of the interannual variability in surface seawater pCO2 with values ranging from 315 to 578 µatm. The mooring time series also capture the temporal variability necessary to make the first estimates of long‐term pH trends in the equatorial Pacific, which suggests that the combination of ocean acidification and decadal variability creates conditions for high rates of pH change since the beginning of the mooring record. Anthropogenic CO2 increases play a dominant role in significant observed seawater pCO2 trends of +2.3 to +3.3 µatm yr−1 and pH trends of −0.0018 to −0.0026 yr−1 across the full time series in this region. However, increased upwelling driven by increased trade winds, a shallower thermocline, and increased frequency of La Niña events also contribute an average of 40% of the observed trends since 1998. These trends are higher than previous estimates based on underway observations and suggest that the equatorial Pacific is contributing a greater amount of CO2 to the atmospheric CO2 inventory over the last decade.

Biologically Mediated Seasonality of Aragonite Saturation States in Jinhae Bay, Korea

Kim, D.; Choi, S.-H.; Yang, E.-J.; Kim, K.-H.; Jeong, J.-H., and Kim, Y.O., 2013. Biologically mediated seasonality of aragonite saturation states in Jinhae Bay, Korea. Aragonite saturation states (Ωarag) were estimated for the surface and bottom waters of Jinhae Bay over four seasons to assess the major controlling factors. The surface and bottom waters of Jinhae Bay were highly supersaturated with respect to aragonite in spring, autumn, and winter. In summer, however, most of the bottom waters were undersaturated, even though the surface waters were supersaturated. This can be explained by the phytoplankton–carbonate saturation state interaction; high primary production increases Ωarag in surface waters, whereas vertical export and the subsequent remineralization of organic matter decreases Ωarag in subsurface waters. A strong linear correlation between the Ωarag values and dissolved oxygen concentrations supported the idea that biological activity is a major factor controlling Ωarag in Jinhae Bay. The ocean acidification induced by the invasion of anthropogenic CO2 also considerably affected the aragonite saturation state in all seasons, particularly in winter, when the Ωarag values have been reduced by 32–35% in the surface waters and 33–37% in the bottom waters since the preindustrial era. In Jinhae Bay, the undersaturation with respect to aragonite in summer can have large impacts on the calcifying benthic organisms; mussel calcification may no longer occur, and the oyster calcification rate is probably reduced by 50%. In addition, the pH and Ωarag decreases associated with the anthropogenic CO2 increase may reduce the calcification rates of oyster and mussel in all seasons, particularly in winter.

The effects of timing and rate of marine cloud brightening aerosol injection on albedo changes during the diurnal cycle of marine stratocumulus clouds

Abstract. The marine-cloud brightening geoengineering technique has been suggested as a possible means of counteracting the positive radiative forcing associated with anthropogenic atmospheric CO2 increases. The focus of this study is to quantify the albedo response to aerosols injected into marine stratocumulus cloud from a point source at different times of day. We use a cloud-resolving model to investigate both weakly precipitating and non-precipitating regimes. Injection into both regimes induces a first indirect aerosol effect. Additionally, the weakly precipitating regime shows evidence of liquid water path gain associated with a second indirect aerosol effect that contributes to a more negative radiative forcing, and cloud changes indicative of a regime change to more persistent cloud. This results in a cloud albedo increase up to six times larger than in the non-precipitating case. These indirect effects show considerable variation with injection at different times in the diurnal cycle. For the weakly precipitating case, aerosol injection results in domain average increases in cloud albedo of 0.28 and 0.17 in the early and mid morning (03:00:00 local time (LT) and 08:00:00 LT respectively) and 0.01 in the evening (18:00:00 LT). No cloud develops when injecting into the cloud-free early afternoon (13:00:00 LT). However, the all-sky albedo increases (which include both the indirect and direct aerosol effects) are highest for early morning injection (0.11). Mid-morning and daytime injections produce increases of 0.06, with the direct aerosol effect compensating for the lack of cloud albedo perturbation during the cloud-free early afternoon. Evening injection results in an increase of 0.04. For the weakly precipitating case considered, the optimal injection time for planetary albedo response is the early morning. Here, the cloud has more opportunity develop into a more persistent non-precipitating regime prior to the dissipative effects of solar heating. The effectiveness of the sea-spray injection method is highly sensitive to diurnal injection time and the direct aerosol effect of an intense aerosol point source. Studies which ignore these factors could overstate the effectiveness of the marine cloud brightening technique.