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Advances in understanding of air–sea exchange and cycling of greenhouse gases in the upper ocean1.07 MB
Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open
Journal article
Advances in understanding of air–sea exchange and cycling of greenhouse gases in the upper ocean
Elementa (Washington, D.C.), Vol.12(1), 00044
12/01/2024
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Abstract
The air–sea exchange and oceanic cycling of greenhouse gases (GHG), including carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2), are fundamental in controlling the evolution of the Earth’s atmospheric chemistry and climate. Significant advances have been made over the last 10 years in understanding, instrumentation and methods, as well as deciphering the production and consumption pathways of GHG in the upper ocean (including the surface and subsurface ocean down to approximately 1000 m). The global ocean under current conditions is now well established as a major sink for CO2, a major source for N2O and a minor source for both CH4 and CO. The importance of the ocean as a sink or source of NOx is largely unknown so far. There are still considerable uncertainties about the processes and their major drivers controlling the distributions of N2O, CH4, CO, and NOx in the upper ocean. Without having a fundamental understanding of oceanic GHG production and consumption pathways, our knowledge about the effects of ongoing major oceanic changes—warming, acidification, deoxygenation, and eutrophication—on the oceanic cycling and air–sea exchange of GHG remains rudimentary at best. We suggest that only through a comprehensive, coordinated, and interdisciplinary approach that includes data collection by global observation networks as well as joint process studies can the necessary data be generated to (1) identify the relevant microbial and phytoplankton communities, (2) quantify the rates of ocean GHG production and consumption pathways, (3) comprehend their major drivers, and (4) decipher economic and cultural implications of mitigation solutions.
Details
- Title
- Advances in understanding of air–sea exchange and cycling of greenhouse gases in the upper ocean
- Creators
- Hermann W. Bange - GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research KielPrecious Mongwe - Southern Ocean Carbon Climate Observatory CSIR (Cape Town, South Africa)Jamie D. Shutler - University of ExeterDamian L. Arévalo-Martínez - GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research KielDaniele Bianchi - University of California, Los AngelesSiv K. Lauvset - Bjerknes Centre for Climate ResearchChunying Liu - Ocean University of ChinaCarolin R. Löscher - University of Southern DenmarkHelena Martins - Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological InstituteJudith A. Rosentreter - Southern Cross UniversityOliver Schmale - Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research WarnemündeTobias Steinhoff - GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research KielRobert C. Upstill-Goddard - Newcastle UniversityRik Wanninkhof - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Miami, Florida)Samuel T. Wilson - Newcastle UniversityHuixiang Xie - Université du Québec à Rimouski
- Publication Details
- Elementa (Washington, D.C.), Vol.12(1), 00044
- Publisher
- University of California Press
- Grant note
- Science Foundation via SCORU.S. National Science Foun-dation: OCE-1840868 Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR)
JDS was partially funded by the European Space Agency grant AO/1-10757/21/I-DT and the Convex Seascape Survey. PM and HM were funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement no. 820989 (COMFORT) . The authors thank Lisa Miller (associate editor) and two anonymous reviewers for their comments which helped to improve the manuscript. This perspective article contributes to the science plan of the Surface Ocean-Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS) which is supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation via SCOR. This publication resulted in part from support from the U.S. National Science Foundation (Grant OCE-1840868) to the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) .r Science Foundation via SCOR. This publication resulted in part from support from the U.S. National Science Foun-dation (Grant OCE-1840868) to the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) .
- Identifiers
- 991013160130302368
- Copyright
- © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY 4.0).
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article