Collapse of the tropical and subtropical North Atlantic CO₂ sink in boreal spring of 2010.

ABSTRACT: Following the 2009 Pacific El Niño, a warm event developed in the tropical and subtropical North Atlantic during boreal spring of 2010 promoted a significant increase in the CO₂ fugacity of surface waters. This, together with the relaxation of the prevailing wind fields, resulted in the reversal of the atmospheric CO₂ absorption capacity of the tropical and subtropical North Atlantic. In the region 0-30°N, 62-10°W, this climatic event led to the reversal of the climatological CO₂ sink of -29.3 Tg C to a source of CO₂ to the atmosphere of 1.6 Tg C from February to May. The highest impact of this event is verified in the region of the North Equatorial Current, where the climatological CO₂ uptake of -22.4 Tg for that period ceased during

SUBMITTER: Ibanhez JS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5278357 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature