eCite Digital Repository
Seasonal cycle of surface ocean pCO2 on the Oregon shelf
Citation
Evans, W and Hales, B and Strutton, PG, Seasonal cycle of surface ocean pCO2 on the Oregon shelf, Journal of Geophysical Research, 116, (C5) Article C05012. ISSN 0148-0227 (2011) [Refereed Article]
![]() | PDF Restricted - Request a copy 1Mb |
Copyright Statement
Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union
Abstract
[1] Previous work has shown that the Oregon shelf is a sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide
(CO2) during the upwelling season; however, until now, summertime variability in CO2
exchange and sign of the flux for the rest of the year were unknown. Observations of the
partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) in surface waters from August 2007 to May 2010 from ships
and a buoy were used with historical data to produce a composite seasonal cycle for the
central Oregon midshelf. These data indicate that the region is highly variable, at times being
either a sink or strong source for atmospheric CO2. Interannual wind variability was an
important determining factor in shaping the sink/source nature of this system. Late summer
and early autumn was most variable relative to the rest of the year. Winter pCO2 was near
or slightly below atmospheric levels. Strong shelf‐wide undersaturated conditions were first
observed in early spring and lasted until the upwelling season became developed. Peak
upwelling season pCO2 ranged from <200 matm to >1000 matm. In July 2008, ship and
buoy data revealed previously unobserved high‐pCO2 waters (∼1000 matm) at the surface.
These conditions persisted for nearly 2 months and drove this system to be only a weak
net annual atmospheric CO2 sink of −0.3 ± 6.8 mol m−2 yr−1. These data showed, for the first
time, the seasonal cycle of surface ocean pCO2 on the central Oregon midshelf and the
impact of heretofore undocumented pCO2 levels on an estimate of sea‐air CO2 flux for this
region.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
---|---|
Keywords: | biological oceanography |
Research Division: | Earth Sciences |
Research Group: | Oceanography |
Research Field: | Biological oceanography |
Objective Division: | Expanding Knowledge |
Objective Group: | Expanding knowledge |
Objective Field: | Expanding knowledge in the earth sciences |
UTAS Author: | Strutton, PG (Professor Peter Strutton) |
ID Code: | 76099 |
Year Published: | 2011 |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 42 |
Deposited By: | IMAS Research and Education Centre |
Deposited On: | 2012-02-28 |
Last Modified: | 2017-10-06 |
Downloads: | 0 |
Repository Staff Only: item control page