The role of river runoff in the Kara Sea surface layer acidification and carbonate system changes
This study aims to perform the results of the investigation of the Kara Sea carbonate system (CS) changes and the factors that determine it. The important feature of the Kara Sea water structure is strong stratification caused mainly by the Ob’ and Yenisey rivers discharge which is estimated as 81%...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2019-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab421e |
| _version_ | 1797747985495359488 |
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| author | Alexander Polukhin |
| author_facet | Alexander Polukhin |
| author_sort | Alexander Polukhin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study aims to perform the results of the investigation of the Kara Sea carbonate system (CS) changes and the factors that determine it. The important feature of the Kara Sea water structure is strong stratification caused mainly by the Ob’ and Yenisey rivers discharge which is estimated as 81% of the total continental runoff to sea. Occurring climate changes, as an increase in the total volume of the Arctic Ocean water (due to melting of glaciers, sea ice decline and river runoff increase), air temperature and CO _2 concentration growth should affect greatly the Kara Sea CS. However, riverine water influence seems to be the main driver of future acidification of the Kara Sea water due to permafrost thawing as it stores a great amount of buried carbon. An increase of carbon (mainly inorganic) flow to the sea will lead to carbonate equilibrium shift, oxidation of organic matter and release of CO _2 that ultimately leads to a decrease in pH and therefore acidification. The area of the riverine plume depends on the amount of freshwater flowing into the sea and the conditions of the wind forcing. According to the data from Shirshov Institute cruises within the plume area aragonite saturation is below 1 that shows its state as acidified. Prevalence of pCO _2 values in the freshened surface layer over the atmospheric shows that atmospheric carbon dioxide, apparently, cannot serve as the main driver for the acidification of the surface waters of the Kara Sea. At the shallow shelf to the north of the Ob′ Inlet mouth we observe acidification of the whole water column from surface to the bottom layer due to elevated riverine discharge and increase of flowing terrestrial carbon. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:58:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-402082ddec6f4c3faf911268344a4724 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:58:27Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-402082ddec6f4c3faf911268344a47242023-08-09T14:43:39ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262019-01-01141010500710.1088/1748-9326/ab421eThe role of river runoff in the Kara Sea surface layer acidification and carbonate system changesAlexander Polukhin0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1708-1428P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology , Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, RussiaThis study aims to perform the results of the investigation of the Kara Sea carbonate system (CS) changes and the factors that determine it. The important feature of the Kara Sea water structure is strong stratification caused mainly by the Ob’ and Yenisey rivers discharge which is estimated as 81% of the total continental runoff to sea. Occurring climate changes, as an increase in the total volume of the Arctic Ocean water (due to melting of glaciers, sea ice decline and river runoff increase), air temperature and CO _2 concentration growth should affect greatly the Kara Sea CS. However, riverine water influence seems to be the main driver of future acidification of the Kara Sea water due to permafrost thawing as it stores a great amount of buried carbon. An increase of carbon (mainly inorganic) flow to the sea will lead to carbonate equilibrium shift, oxidation of organic matter and release of CO _2 that ultimately leads to a decrease in pH and therefore acidification. The area of the riverine plume depends on the amount of freshwater flowing into the sea and the conditions of the wind forcing. According to the data from Shirshov Institute cruises within the plume area aragonite saturation is below 1 that shows its state as acidified. Prevalence of pCO _2 values in the freshened surface layer over the atmospheric shows that atmospheric carbon dioxide, apparently, cannot serve as the main driver for the acidification of the surface waters of the Kara Sea. At the shallow shelf to the north of the Ob′ Inlet mouth we observe acidification of the whole water column from surface to the bottom layer due to elevated riverine discharge and increase of flowing terrestrial carbon.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab421eKara Seaacidificationcarbonate chemistrycontinental runoff increasecarbon dioxidearagonite |
| spellingShingle | Alexander Polukhin The role of river runoff in the Kara Sea surface layer acidification and carbonate system changes Environmental Research Letters Kara Sea acidification carbonate chemistry continental runoff increase carbon dioxide aragonite |
| title | The role of river runoff in the Kara Sea surface layer acidification and carbonate system changes |
| title_full | The role of river runoff in the Kara Sea surface layer acidification and carbonate system changes |
| title_fullStr | The role of river runoff in the Kara Sea surface layer acidification and carbonate system changes |
| title_full_unstemmed | The role of river runoff in the Kara Sea surface layer acidification and carbonate system changes |
| title_short | The role of river runoff in the Kara Sea surface layer acidification and carbonate system changes |
| title_sort | role of river runoff in the kara sea surface layer acidification and carbonate system changes |
| topic | Kara Sea acidification carbonate chemistry continental runoff increase carbon dioxide aragonite |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab421e |
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