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Title: Air-sea carbon dioxide exchange in the North Pacific subtropical Gyre: Implications for the global carbon budget

Journal Article · · Global Biogeochemical Cycles; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/94GB00387· OSTI ID:7009997
; ; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. Univ. of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI (United States)
  2. Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)

After 20 years of investigation the scientific community has been unable to resolve the magnitudes and direction of carbon dioxide fluxes involving oceans and terrestrial biomass. Studies of the authors over the last four years measuring inorganic carbon parameters suggest that the North Pacific Subtropical Cyre (NPSG) is a sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide. This paper presents a mechanism by which the NPSG can be a net sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide and the magnitude of this sink is calculated as approximately 0.2 Gt C yr. The authors note that this sink is still approximately an order of magnitude smaller than that needed to balance the global carbon budget. 41 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.

OSTI ID:
7009997
Journal Information:
Global Biogeochemical Cycles; (United States), Vol. 8:2; ISSN 0886-6236
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English