High atmosphere-ocean exchange of organic carbon in the NE subtropical Atlantic

Author(s)
Jordi Dachs, Maria L. Calleja, Carlos M. Duarte, Sabino del Vento, Barbara Turpin, Andrea Polidori, Gerhard J. Herndl, Susana Agustí
Abstract

The air-sea exchange of organic carbon (OC) remains largely unexplored, except for few organic compounds comprising a small fraction of the total aerosol and gaseous OC in the atmosphere. Observations of high atmospheric concentrations and diffusive air-sea exchanges for such individual organic compounds, suggest that air-sea exchange of total OC may contribute significantly to the oceanic carbon budget. Here we quantify the atmosphere-ocean exchanges of total OC in the NE Subtropical Atlantic. Average net gaseous diffusive air-water fluxes averaged -31 and -25 mmol C m-2 d-1 for the spring and fall, respectively, exceeding measured OC inputs by dry aerosol deposition (FDDOC, -0.98 mmol C m-2 d-1) and net CO2 exchange (FCO2, -6.3 mmol C m-2 d-1). These fluxes are important to understand the regional carbon budget of the NE Subtropical Atlantic, and depict the atmosphere as a major dynamic vector for OC exchange with the ocean.

Organisation(s)
External organisation(s)
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), University of the Balearic Islands, Rutgers University, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research
Journal
Geophysical Research Letters
Volume
32
Pages
1-4
No. of pages
4
ISSN
0094-8276
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1029/2005GL023799
Publication date
11-2005
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
105102 General geophysics
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Geophysics, General Earth and Planetary Sciences
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/faf89561-b4f8-4dd8-86de-bcd2f657bfa4