An Analytical Framework for the Steady State Impact of Carbonate Compensation on Atmospheric CO[subscript 2]
The deep-ocean carbonate ion concentration impacts the fraction of the marine calcium carbonate production that is buried in sediments. This gives rise to the carbonate compensation feedback, which is thought to restore the deep-ocean carbonate ion concentration on multimillennial timescales. We fo...
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | en_US |
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American Geophysical Union (AGU)
2019
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/120290 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3736-1956 |
| _version_ | 1826216423500808192 |
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| author | Omta, Anne Willem Ferrari, Raffaele McGee, William David |
| author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Omta, Anne Willem Ferrari, Raffaele McGee, William David |
| author_sort | Omta, Anne Willem |
| collection | MIT |
| description | The deep-ocean carbonate ion concentration impacts the fraction of the marine calcium carbonate production that is buried in sediments. This gives rise to the carbonate compensation feedback, which is thought to restore the deep-ocean carbonate ion concentration on multimillennial timescales.
We formulate an analytical framework to investigate the impact of carbonate compensation under various changes in the carbon cycle relevant for anthropogenic change and glacial cycles. Using this framework,
we show that carbonate compensation amplifies by 15–20% changes in atmospheric CO[subscript 2] resulting from a redistribution of carbon between the atmosphere and ocean (e.g., due to changes in temperature,
salinity, or nutrient utilization). A counterintuitive result emerges when the impact of organic matter burial in the ocean is examined. The organic matter burial first leads to a slight decrease in atmospheric CO[subscript 2] and
an increase in the deep-ocean carbonate ion concentration. Subsequently, enhanced calcium carbonate burial leads to outgassing of carbon from the ocean to the atmosphere, which is quantified by our framework. Results from simulations with a multibox model including the minor acids and bases important for the ocean-atmosphere exchange of carbon are consistent with our analytical predictions. We discuss the potential role of carbonate compensation in glacial-interglacial cycles as an example of how our
theoretical framework may be applied. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T16:47:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/120290 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | en_US |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T16:47:27Z |
| publishDate | 2019 |
| publisher | American Geophysical Union (AGU) |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1202902022-10-03T08:19:13Z An Analytical Framework for the Steady State Impact of Carbonate Compensation on Atmospheric CO[subscript 2] Omta, Anne Willem Ferrari, Raffaele McGee, William David Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Ferrari, Raffaele Omta, Anne Willem Ferrari, Raffaele McGee, William David The deep-ocean carbonate ion concentration impacts the fraction of the marine calcium carbonate production that is buried in sediments. This gives rise to the carbonate compensation feedback, which is thought to restore the deep-ocean carbonate ion concentration on multimillennial timescales. We formulate an analytical framework to investigate the impact of carbonate compensation under various changes in the carbon cycle relevant for anthropogenic change and glacial cycles. Using this framework, we show that carbonate compensation amplifies by 15–20% changes in atmospheric CO[subscript 2] resulting from a redistribution of carbon between the atmosphere and ocean (e.g., due to changes in temperature, salinity, or nutrient utilization). A counterintuitive result emerges when the impact of organic matter burial in the ocean is examined. The organic matter burial first leads to a slight decrease in atmospheric CO[subscript 2] and an increase in the deep-ocean carbonate ion concentration. Subsequently, enhanced calcium carbonate burial leads to outgassing of carbon from the ocean to the atmosphere, which is quantified by our framework. Results from simulations with a multibox model including the minor acids and bases important for the ocean-atmosphere exchange of carbon are consistent with our analytical predictions. We discuss the potential role of carbonate compensation in glacial-interglacial cycles as an example of how our theoretical framework may be applied. Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (Grant 3778) National Science Foundation (U.S.) (OCE-1536515) Simons Foundation (SCOPE Award 329108) 2019-02-08T16:26:01Z 2019-02-08T16:26:01Z 2018-03 2017-10 Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 0886-6236 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/120290 Omta, Anne Willem, Raffaele Ferrari, and David McGee. “An Analytical Framework for the Steady State Impact of Carbonate Compensation on Atmospheric CO[subscript 2].” Global Biogeochemical Cycles 32, no. 4 (April 2018): 720–735. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3736-1956 en_US http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2017GB005809 Global Biogeochemical Cycles Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use. application/pdf American Geophysical Union (AGU) Prof. Ferrari via Chris Sherratt |
| spellingShingle | Omta, Anne Willem Ferrari, Raffaele McGee, William David An Analytical Framework for the Steady State Impact of Carbonate Compensation on Atmospheric CO[subscript 2] |
| title | An Analytical Framework for the Steady State Impact of Carbonate Compensation on Atmospheric CO[subscript 2] |
| title_full | An Analytical Framework for the Steady State Impact of Carbonate Compensation on Atmospheric CO[subscript 2] |
| title_fullStr | An Analytical Framework for the Steady State Impact of Carbonate Compensation on Atmospheric CO[subscript 2] |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Analytical Framework for the Steady State Impact of Carbonate Compensation on Atmospheric CO[subscript 2] |
| title_short | An Analytical Framework for the Steady State Impact of Carbonate Compensation on Atmospheric CO[subscript 2] |
| title_sort | analytical framework for the steady state impact of carbonate compensation on atmospheric co subscript 2 |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/120290 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3736-1956 |
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