In situ calcium carbonate dissolution in the Pacific Ocean
- NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory
- NOAA, Seattle, WA
- Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Republic of Korea
- University of Miami
- Princeton University
- Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory, NOAA
- ORNL
- Frontier Research System for Global Change/Institute for Global Change Research, Japan
- Institute of Ocean Sciences, Climate Chemistry Laboratory, Sidney, BC Canada
Over the past several years researchers have been working to synthesize the WOCE/ JGOFS global CO2 survey data to better understand carbon cycling processes in the oceans. The Pacific Ocean data set has over 35,000 sample locations with at least two carbon parameters, oxygen, nutrients, CFC tracers, and hydrographic parameters. In this paper we estimate the in situ CaCO3 dissolution rates in the Pacific Ocean water column. Calcium carbonate dissolution rates ranging from 0.01 1.1 mmol kg1 yr1 are observed in intermediate and deepwater beginning near the aragonite saturation horizon. In the North Pacific Intermediate Water between 400 and 800 m, CaCO3 dissolution rates are more than 7 times faster than observed in middle and deep water depths (average = 0.051 mmol kg1 yr1). The total amount of CaCO3 that is dissolved within the Pacific is determined by integrating excess alkalinity throughout the water column. The total inventory of CaCO3 added by particle dissolution in the Pacific Ocean, north of 40S, is 157 Pg C. This amounts to an average dissolution rate of approximately 0.31 Pg C yr1. This estimate is approximately 74% of the export production of CaCO3 estimated for the Pacific Ocean. These estimates should be considered to be upper limits for in situ carbonate dissolution in the Pacific Ocean, since a portion of the alkalinity increase results from inputs from sediments.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC05-00OR22725
- OSTI ID:
- 986433
- Journal Information:
- Global Biogeochemical Cycles, Vol. 16, Issue 4; ISSN 0886-6236
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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