IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v7y2016i1d10.1038_ncomms13244.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Irminger Sea deep convection injects oxygen and anthropogenic carbon to the ocean interior

Author

Listed:
  • F. Fröb

    (Geophysical Institute, University of Bergen
    Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research)

  • A. Olsen

    (Geophysical Institute, University of Bergen
    Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research)

  • K. Våge

    (Geophysical Institute, University of Bergen
    Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research)

  • G. W. K. Moore

    (University of Toronto)

  • I. Yashayaev

    (Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Fisheries and Oceans Canada)

  • E. Jeansson

    (Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research
    Uni Climate, Uni Research)

  • B. Rajasakaren

    (Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research
    Uni Climate, Uni Research)

Abstract

Deep convection in the subpolar North Atlantic ventilates the ocean for atmospheric gases through the formation of deep water masses. Variability in the intensity of deep convection is believed to have caused large variations in North Atlantic anthropogenic carbon storage over the past decades, but observations of the properties during active convection are missing. Here we document the origin, extent and chemical properties of the deepest winter mixed layers directly observed in the Irminger Sea. As a result of the deep convection in winter 2014–2015, driven by large oceanic heat loss, mid-depth oxygen concentrations were replenished and anthropogenic carbon storage rates almost tripled compared with Irminger Sea hydrographic section data in 1997 and 2003. Our observations provide unequivocal evidence that ocean ventilation and anthropogenic carbon uptake take place in the Irminger Sea and that their efficiency can be directly linked to atmospheric forcing.

Suggested Citation

  • F. Fröb & A. Olsen & K. Våge & G. W. K. Moore & I. Yashayaev & E. Jeansson & B. Rajasakaren, 2016. "Irminger Sea deep convection injects oxygen and anthropogenic carbon to the ocean interior," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms13244
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13244
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms13244
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/ncomms13244?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms13244. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.