On physical mechanisms enhancing air–sea CO<sub>2</sub> exchange
<p>Reducing uncertainties in the air–sea <span class="inline-formula">CO<sub>2</sub></span> flux calculations is one of the major challenges when addressing the oceanic contribution in the global carbon balance. In traditional models, the air–sea <span clas...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Biogeosciences |
| Online Access: | https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/19/5645/2022/bg-19-5645-2022.pdf |
| _version_ | 1828268781553582080 |
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| author | L. Gutiérrez-Loza E. Nilsson M. B. Wallin M. B. Wallin E. Sahlée A. Rutgersson |
| author_facet | L. Gutiérrez-Loza E. Nilsson M. B. Wallin M. B. Wallin E. Sahlée A. Rutgersson |
| author_sort | L. Gutiérrez-Loza |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Reducing uncertainties in the air–sea <span class="inline-formula">CO<sub>2</sub></span> flux calculations is one of the major challenges when addressing the oceanic contribution in the global carbon balance. In traditional models, the air–sea <span class="inline-formula">CO<sub>2</sub></span> flux is estimated using expressions of the gas transfer velocity as a function of wind speed. However, other mechanisms affecting the variability in the flux at local and regional scales are still poorly understood. The uncertainties associated with the flux estimates become particularly large in heterogeneous environments such as coastal and marginal seas. Here, we investigated the air–sea <span class="inline-formula">CO<sub>2</sub></span> exchange at a coastal site in the central Baltic Sea using 9 years of eddy covariance measurements. Based on these observations we were able to capture the temporal variability in the air–sea <span class="inline-formula">CO<sub>2</sub></span> flux and other parameters relevant for the gas exchange. Our results show that a wind-based model with a similar pattern to those developed for larger basins and open-sea conditions can, on average, be a good approximation for <span class="inline-formula"><i>k</i></span>, the gas transfer velocity. However, in order to reduce the uncertainty associated with these averages and produce reliable short-term <span class="inline-formula"><i>k</i></span> estimates, additional physical processes must be considered. Using a normalized gas transfer velocity, we identified conditions associated with enhanced exchange (large <span class="inline-formula"><i>k</i></span> values). During high and intermediate wind speeds (above 6–8 <span class="inline-formula">m s<sup>−1</sup></span>), conditions on both sides of the air–water interface were found to be relevant for the gas exchange. Our findings further suggest that at such relatively high wind speeds, sea spray is an efficient mechanisms for air–sea <span class="inline-formula">CO<sub>2</sub></span> exchange. During low wind speeds (<span class="inline-formula"><6</span> <span class="inline-formula">m s<sup>−1</sup></span>), water-side convection was found to be a relevant control mechanism. The effect of both sea spray and water-side convection on the gas exchange showed a clear seasonality with positive fluxes (winter conditions) being the most affected.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T05:22:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-533e17f9464a4161ae19eb8050ad1b4c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1726-4170 1726-4189 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T05:22:49Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biogeosciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-533e17f9464a4161ae19eb8050ad1b4c2022-12-22T03:00:42ZengCopernicus PublicationsBiogeosciences1726-41701726-41892022-12-01195645566510.5194/bg-19-5645-2022On physical mechanisms enhancing air–sea CO<sub>2</sub> exchangeL. Gutiérrez-Loza0E. Nilsson1M. B. Wallin2M. B. Wallin3E. Sahlée4A. Rutgersson5Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SwedenDepartment of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SwedenDepartment of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SwedenDepartment of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, SwedenDepartment of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SwedenDepartment of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden<p>Reducing uncertainties in the air–sea <span class="inline-formula">CO<sub>2</sub></span> flux calculations is one of the major challenges when addressing the oceanic contribution in the global carbon balance. In traditional models, the air–sea <span class="inline-formula">CO<sub>2</sub></span> flux is estimated using expressions of the gas transfer velocity as a function of wind speed. However, other mechanisms affecting the variability in the flux at local and regional scales are still poorly understood. The uncertainties associated with the flux estimates become particularly large in heterogeneous environments such as coastal and marginal seas. Here, we investigated the air–sea <span class="inline-formula">CO<sub>2</sub></span> exchange at a coastal site in the central Baltic Sea using 9 years of eddy covariance measurements. Based on these observations we were able to capture the temporal variability in the air–sea <span class="inline-formula">CO<sub>2</sub></span> flux and other parameters relevant for the gas exchange. Our results show that a wind-based model with a similar pattern to those developed for larger basins and open-sea conditions can, on average, be a good approximation for <span class="inline-formula"><i>k</i></span>, the gas transfer velocity. However, in order to reduce the uncertainty associated with these averages and produce reliable short-term <span class="inline-formula"><i>k</i></span> estimates, additional physical processes must be considered. Using a normalized gas transfer velocity, we identified conditions associated with enhanced exchange (large <span class="inline-formula"><i>k</i></span> values). During high and intermediate wind speeds (above 6–8 <span class="inline-formula">m s<sup>−1</sup></span>), conditions on both sides of the air–water interface were found to be relevant for the gas exchange. Our findings further suggest that at such relatively high wind speeds, sea spray is an efficient mechanisms for air–sea <span class="inline-formula">CO<sub>2</sub></span> exchange. During low wind speeds (<span class="inline-formula"><6</span> <span class="inline-formula">m s<sup>−1</sup></span>), water-side convection was found to be a relevant control mechanism. The effect of both sea spray and water-side convection on the gas exchange showed a clear seasonality with positive fluxes (winter conditions) being the most affected.</p>https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/19/5645/2022/bg-19-5645-2022.pdf |
| spellingShingle | L. Gutiérrez-Loza E. Nilsson M. B. Wallin M. B. Wallin E. Sahlée A. Rutgersson On physical mechanisms enhancing air–sea CO<sub>2</sub> exchange Biogeosciences |
| title | On physical mechanisms enhancing air–sea CO<sub>2</sub> exchange |
| title_full | On physical mechanisms enhancing air–sea CO<sub>2</sub> exchange |
| title_fullStr | On physical mechanisms enhancing air–sea CO<sub>2</sub> exchange |
| title_full_unstemmed | On physical mechanisms enhancing air–sea CO<sub>2</sub> exchange |
| title_short | On physical mechanisms enhancing air–sea CO<sub>2</sub> exchange |
| title_sort | on physical mechanisms enhancing air sea co sub 2 sub exchange |
| url | https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/19/5645/2022/bg-19-5645-2022.pdf |
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