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Air-sea CO2 fluxes in the Atlantic as measured during the FICARAM cruises
1Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas, CSIC, Eduardo Cabello 6, 36208 Vigo, Spain
2Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO. Vigo), Cabo Estai – Canido, Apartado 1552, 36200 Vigo, Spain
3Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats, CSIC-UIB, Miquel Marqués 21, 07190 Esporles, Spain
Abstract. A total of fourteen hydrographic cruises spanning from 2000 to 2008 were conducted during the spring and autumn seasons between Spain and the Southern Ocean, under the framework of the Spanish research project FICARAM. The performed underway measurements are processed and analysed to describe the meridional air-sea CO2 fluxes (FCO2) along the Atlantic Ocean. The data was organised into different biogeochemical oceanographic provinces, according mainly to the thermohaline characteristics. The obtained spatial and temporal distributions of FCO2 follow the generally expected patterns and annual trends. The Subtropical regions in both hemispheres alternated the CO2 source and sink nature from autumn to spring, respectively. On the other hand, Tropical waters and the Patagonian Sea clearly behaved as sinks of atmospheric CO2 like the waters of the Drake Passage during autumn. The obtained results during the cruises also revealed significant long-term trends, such as the warming of equatorial waters (0.11±0.03°C yr−1) and the decrease of surface salinity (−0.16±0.01 yr−1) in tropical waters caused by the influence of the Amazon River plume. This reduction in surface salinity appears to have a direct influence over the CO2 storage rates, fostering the uptake capacity of atmospheric CO2 (−0.09±0.03 mol m−2 yr−1). An analysis of the biogeochemical forcing on the CO2 fugacity (fCO2) variability performed from an empirical algorithm highlighted the major role of the Amazon River input in the tropical North Atlantic fluxes. In addition, it has provided a quantitative measure of the importance of the thermodynamic control of FCO2 at temperate latitudes.
Discussion Paper (PDF, 2682 KB) Interactive Discussion (Closed, 6 Comments) Publication in BG not foreseen
Citation: Padin, X. A., Vázquez-Rodríguez, M., Castaño, M., Velo, A., Alonso-Pérez, F., Gago, J., Gilcoto, M., Álvarez, M., Pardo, P. C., de la Paz, M., Ríos, A. F., and Pérez, F. F.: Air-sea CO2 fluxes in the Atlantic as measured during the FICARAM cruises, Biogeosciences Discuss., 6, 5589-5622, 2009. Bibtex EndNote Reference Manager
