The carbon dioxide system on the Mississippi River-dominated continental shelf in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1. Distribution and air-sea CO₂ flux.

ABSTRACT: River-dominated continental shelf environments are active sites of air-sea CO₂ exchange. We conducted 13 cruises in the northern Gulf of Mexico, a region strongly influenced by fresh water and nutrients delivered from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya River system. The sea surface partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO₂) was measured, and the air-sea CO₂ flux was calculated. Results show that CO₂ exchange exhibited a distinct seasonality: the study area was a net sink of atmospheric CO₂ during spring and early summer, and it was neutral or a weak source of CO₂ to the atmosphere during midsummer, fall, and winter. Along the salinity gradient, across the shelf, the sea surface shifted from a source of CO₂ in l

SUBMITTER: Huang WJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5012129 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature