Enhanced open ocean storage of CO2 from shelf sea pumping.
Seasonal field observations show that the North Sea, a Northern European shelf sea, is highly efficient in pumping carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to the North Atlantic Ocean. The bottom topography-controlled stratification separates production and respiration processes in the North Sea, causing a carbon dioxide increase in the subsurface layer that is ultimately exported to the North Atlantic Ocean. Globally extrapolated, the net uptake of carbon dioxide by coastal and marginal seas is about 20% of the world ocean's uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide, thus enhancing substantially the open ocean carbon dioxide storage.
Thomas
Helmuth
H
Department for Marine Chemistry and Geology, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Post Office Box 59, NL-1790 AB Den Burg, Texel, Netherlands. hthomas@nioz.nl
Bozec
Yann
Y
Elkalay
Khalid
K
de Baar
Hein J W
HJ
D001272:Atmosphere; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D020387:Food Chain; D009659:North Sea; D012621:Seasons; D012623:Seawater
D002245:Carbon Dioxide