WorldWideScience

Sample records for co2 conditions oceanic

  1. Ocean acidification: the other CO2 problem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doney, Scott C; Fabry, Victoria J; Feely, Richard A; Kleypas, Joan A

    2009-01-01

    Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), primarily from human fossil fuel combustion, reduces ocean pH and causes wholesale shifts in seawater carbonate chemistry. The process of ocean acidification is well documented in field data, and the rate will accelerate over this century unless future CO2 emissions are curbed dramatically. Acidification alters seawater chemical speciation and biogeochemical cycles of many elements and compounds. One well-known effect is the lowering of calcium carbonate saturation states, which impacts shell-forming marine organisms from plankton to benthic molluscs, echinoderms, and corals. Many calcifying species exhibit reduced calcification and growth rates in laboratory experiments under high-CO2 conditions. Ocean acidification also causes an increase in carbon fixation rates in some photosynthetic organisms (both calcifying and noncalcifying). The potential for marine organisms to adapt to increasing CO2 and broader implications for ocean ecosystems are not well known; both are high priorities for future research. Although ocean pH has varied in the geological past, paleo-events may be only imperfect analogs to current conditions.

  2. Observations of CO{sub 2} clathrate hydrate formation and dissolution under deep-ocean disposal conditions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Warzinski, R.P.; Cugini, A.V. [Department of Energy, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Holder, G.D. [Univ. of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

    1995-11-01

    Disposal of anthropogenic emissions of CO{sub 2} may be required to mitigate rises in atmospheric levels of this greenhouse gas if other measures are ineffective and the worst global warming scenarios begin to occur. Long-term storage of large quantities of CO{sub 2} has been proposed, but the feasibility of large land and ocean disposal options remains to be established. Determining the fate of liquid CO{sub 2} injected into the ocean at depths greater than 500 m is complicated by uncertainties associated with the physical behavior of CO{sub 2} under these conditions, in particular the possible formation of the ice-like CO{sub 2} clathrate hydrate. Resolving this issue is key to establishing the technical feasibility of this option. Experimental and theoretical work in this area is reported.

  3. Ocean CO{sub 2} disposal

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shindo, Yuji; Hakuta, Toshikatsu [National Inst. of Materials and Chemical Research, AIST, MITI, Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan)

    1993-12-31

    Most countries in the world will continue to depend on fossil fuels for their main energy at least for half a country, even in the confrontation with the threat of global warming. This indicates that the development of CO{sub 2} removal technologies such as recovering CO{sub 2} from flue gases and sequestering it of in the deep oceans or subterranean sites is necessary, at least until non-fossil fuel dependent society is developed. Ocean CO{sub 2} disposal is one of the promising options for the sequestration of CO{sub 2} recovered from flue gases. Oceans have sufficient capacity to absorb all the CO{sub 2} emitted in the world. It is very significant to research and develop the technologies for ocean CO{sub 2} disposal.

  4. Anthropogenic CO2 in the ocean

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tsung-Hung Peng

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available The focus of this review article is on the anthropogenic CO2 taken up by the ocean. There are several methods of identifying the anthropogenic CO2 signal and quantifying its inventory in the ocean. The ?C* method is most frequently used to estimate the global distribution of anthropogenic CO2 in the ocean. Results based on analysis of the dataset obtained from the comprehensive surveys of inorganic carbon distribution in the world oceans in the 1990s are given. These surveys were jointly conducted during the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE and the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS. This data set consists of 9618 hydrographic stations from a total of 95 cruises, which represents the most accurate and comprehensive view of the distribution of inorganic carbon in the global ocean available today. The increase of anthropogenic CO2 in the ocean during the past few decades is also evaluated using direct comparison of results from repeat surveys and using statistical method of Multi-parameter Linear Regression (MLR. The impact of increasing oceanic anthropogenic CO2 on the calcium carbonate system in the ocean is reviewed briefly as well. Extensive studies of CaCO3 dissolution as a result of increasing anthropogenic CO2 in the ocean have revealed several distinct oceanic regions where the CaCO3 undersaturation zone has expanded.

  5. Southern hemisphere ocean CO2 uptake: reconciling atmospheric and oceanic estimates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roy, T.; Matear, R.; Rayner, P.; Francey, R.

    2003-01-01

    Using an atmospheric inversion model we investigate the southern hemisphere ocean CO 2 uptake. From sensitivity studies that varied both the initial ocean flux distribution and the atmospheric data used in the inversion, our inversion predicted a total (ocean and land) uptake of 1.65-1.90 Gt C/yr. We assess the consistency between the mean southern hemisphere ocean uptake predicted by an atmospheric inversion model for the 1991-1997 period and the T99 ocean flux estimate based on observed pCO 2 in Takahashi et al. (2002; Deep-Sea Res II, 49, 1601-1622). The inversion can not match the large 1.8 Gt C/yr southern extratropical (20-90 deg S) uptake of the T99 ocean flux estimate without producing either unreasonable land fluxes in the southern mid-latitudes or by increasing the mismatches between observed and simulated atmospheric CO 2 data. The southern extratropical uptake is redistributed between the mid and high latitudes. Our results suggest that the T99 estimate of the Southern Ocean uptake south of 50 deg S is too large, and that the discrepancy reflects the inadequate representation of wintertime conditions in the T99 estimate

  6. The Abundance of Atmospheric CO{sub 2} in Ocean Exoplanets: a Novel CO{sub 2} Deposition Mechanism

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Levi, A.; Sasselov, D. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Podolak, M., E-mail: amitlevi.planetphys@gmail.com [Dept. of Geosciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978 (Israel)

    2017-03-20

    We consider super-Earth sized planets which have a water mass fraction large enough to form an external mantle composed of high-pressure water-ice polymorphs and also lack a substantial H/He atmosphere. We consider such planets in their habitable zone, so that their outermost condensed mantle is a global, deep, liquid ocean. For these ocean planets, we investigate potential internal reservoirs of CO{sub 2}, the amount of CO{sub 2} dissolved in the ocean for the various saturation conditions encountered, and the ocean-atmosphere exchange flux of CO{sub 2}. We find that, in a steady state, the abundance of CO{sub 2} in the atmosphere has two possible states. When wind-driven circulation is the dominant CO{sub 2} exchange mechanism, an atmosphere of tens of bars of CO{sub 2} results, where the exact value depends on the subtropical ocean surface temperature and the deep ocean temperature. When sea-ice formation, acting on these planets as a CO{sub 2} deposition mechanism, is the dominant exchange mechanism, an atmosphere of a few bars of CO{sub 2} is established. The exact value depends on the subpolar surface temperature. Our results suggest the possibility of a negative feedback mechanism, unique to water planets, where a reduction in the subpolar temperature drives more CO{sub 2} into the atmosphere to increase the greenhouse effect.

  7. Environmental impacts of ocean disposal of CO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adams, E.; Herzog, H.; Auerbach, D.

    1995-01-01

    One option to reduce atmospheric CO 2 levels is to capture and sequester power plant CO 2 Commercial CO 2 capture technology, though expensive, exists today. However, the ability to dispose of large quantities of CO 2 is highly uncertain. The deep ocean is one of only a few possible CO 2 disposal options (others are depleted oil and gas wells or deep, confined aquifers) and is a prime candidate because the deep ocean is vast and highly unsaturated in CO 2 . The term disposal is really a misnomer because the atmosphere and ocean eventually equilibrate on a timescale of 1000 years regardless of where the CO 2 is originally discharged. However, peak atmospheric CO 2 concentrations expected to occur in the next few centuries could be significantly reduced by ocean disposal. The magnitude of this reduction will depend upon the quantity of CO 2 injected in the ocean, as well as the depth and location of injection. Ocean disposal of CO 2 will only make sense if the environmental impacts to the ocean are significantly less than the avoided impacts of atmospheric release. Our project has been examining these ocean impacts through a multi-disciplinary effort designed to summarize the current state of knowledge. The end-product will be a report issued during the summer of 1996 consisting of two volumes an executive summary (Vol I) and a series of six, individually authored topical reports (Vol II). A workshop with invited participants from the U.S. and abroad will review the draft findings in January, 1996

  8. LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS TO SIMULATE CO2 OCEAN DISPOSAL

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stephen M. Masutani

    1999-12-31

    This Final Technical Report summarizes the technical accomplishments of an investigation entitled ''Laboratory Experiments to Simulate CO{sub 2} Ocean Disposal'', funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's University Coal Research Program. This investigation responds to the possibility that restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions may be imposed in the future to comply with the Framework Convention on Climate Change. The primary objective of the investigation was to obtain experimental data that can be applied to assess the technical feasibility and environmental impacts of oceanic containment strategies to limit release of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) from coal and other fossil fuel combustion systems into the atmosphere. A number of critical technical uncertainties of ocean disposal of CO{sub 2} were addressed by performing laboratory experiments on liquid CO{sub 2} jet break-up into a dispersed droplet phase, and hydrate formation, under deep ocean conditions. Major accomplishments of this study included: (1) five jet instability regimes were identified that occur in sequence as liquid CO{sub 2} jet disintegration progresses from laminar instability to turbulent atomization; (2) linear regression to the data yielded relationships for the boundaries between the five instability regimes in dimensionless Ohnesorge Number, Oh, and jet Reynolds Number, Re, space; (3) droplet size spectra was measured over the full range of instabilities; (4) characteristic droplet diameters decrease steadily with increasing jet velocity (and increasing Weber Number), attaining an asymptotic value in instability regime 5 (full atomization); and (5) pre-breakup hydrate formation appears to affect the size distribution of the droplet phase primary by changing the effective geometry of the jet.

  9. Sequestering CO2 in the Ocean: Options and Consequences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rau, G. H.; Caldeira, K.

    2002-12-01

    The likelihood of negative climate and environmental impacts associated with increasing atmospheric CO2 has prompted serious consideration of various CO2 mitigation strategies. Among these are methods of capturing and storing of CO2 in the ocean. Two approaches that have received the most attention in this regard have been i) ocean fertilization to enhanced biological uptake and fixation of CO2, and ii) the chemical/mechanical capture and injection of CO2 into the deep ocean. Both methods seek to enhance or speed up natural mechanisms of CO2 uptake and storage by the ocean, namely i) the biological CO2 "pump" or ii) the passive diffusion of CO2 into the surface ocean and subsequent mixing into the deep sea. However, as will be reviewed, concerns about the capacity and effectiveness of either strategy in long-term CO2 sequestration have been raised. Both methods are not without potentially significant environmental impacts, and the costs of CO2 capture and injection (option ii) are currently prohibitive. An alternate method of ocean CO2 sequestration would be to react and hydrate CO2 rich waste gases (e.g., power plant flue gas) with seawater and to subsequently neutralize the resulting carbonic acid with limestone to produce calcium and bicarbonate ions in solution. This approach would simply speed up the CO2 uptake and sequestration that naturally (but very slowly) occurs via global carbonate weathering. This would avoid much of the increased acidity associated with direct CO2 injection while obviating the need for costly CO2 separation and capture. The addition of the resulting bicarbonate- and carbonate-rich solution to the ocean would help to counter the decrease in pH and carbonate ion concentration, and hence loss of biological calcification that is presently occurring as anthropogenic CO2 invades the ocean from the atmosphere. However, as with any approach to CO2 mitigation, the costs, impacts, risks, and benefits of this method need to be better understood

  10. Environmental impacts of ocean disposal of CO{sub 2}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adams, E.; Herzog, H.; Auerbach, D. [and others

    1995-11-01

    One option to reduce atmospheric CO{sub 2} levels is to capture and sequester power plant CO{sub 2} Commercial CO{sub 2} capture technology, though expensive, exists today. However, the ability to dispose of large quantities of CO{sub 2} is highly uncertain. The deep ocean is one of only a few possible CO{sub 2} disposal options (others are depleted oil and gas wells or deep, confined aquifers) and is a prime candidate because the deep ocean is vast and highly unsaturated in CO{sub 2}. The term disposal is really a misnomer because the atmosphere and ocean eventually equilibrate on a timescale of 1000 years regardless of where the CO{sub 2} is originally discharged. However, peak atmospheric CO{sub 2} concentrations expected to occur in the next few centuries could be significantly reduced by ocean disposal. The magnitude of this reduction will depend upon the quantity of CO{sub 2} injected in the ocean, as well as the depth and location of injection. Ocean disposal of CO{sub 2} will only make sense if the environmental impacts to the ocean are significantly less than the avoided impacts of atmospheric release. Our project has been examining these ocean impacts through a multi-disciplinary effort designed to summarize the current state of knowledge. The end-product will be a report issued during the summer of 1996 consisting of two volumes an executive summary (Vol I) and a series of six, individually authored topical reports (Vol II). A workshop with invited participants from the U.S. and abroad will review the draft findings in January, 1996.

  11. Laboratory Experiments to Stimulate CO2 Ocean Disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Masutani, S.M.

    1997-01-01

    This Technical Progress Report summarizes activities conducted over the period 8/16/96-2/15/97 as part of this project. This investigation responds to the possibility that restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions may be imposed in the future to comply with the Framework Convention on Climate Change. The primary objective of the investigation is to obtain experimental data that can be applied to assess the technical feasibility and environmental impacts of oceanic containment strategies to limit release of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from coal and other fossil fuel combustion systems into the atmosphere. Critical technical uncertainties of ocean disposal of CO 2 will be addressed by performing experiments that: (1) characterize size spectra and velocities of a dispersed CO 2 phase in the near-field of a discharge jet; and (2) estimate rates of mass transfer from dissolving droplets of liquid CO 2 encased in a thin hydrate shell. Experiments will be conducted in a laboratory facility that can reproduce conditions in the ocean to depths of 600 m (1,969 ft). Between 8/16/96 and 2/15/97, activities focused on modifications to the experimental apparatus and the testing of diagnostics. Following completion of these tasks, experiments will be initiated and will continue through the end of the 36 month period of performance. Major accomplishments of this reporting period were: (1) delivery, set-up, and testing of the PDPA (Phase Doppler Particle Analyzer), which will be the principal diagnostic of the continuous CO 2 jet injection tests; (2) presentation of research papers and posters at the 212th American Chemical Society National Meeting and the Third International Conference on Carbon Dioxide Removal; (3) participation in the 4th Expert Workshop on Ocean Storage of Carbon Dioxide; (4) execution of an Agreement with ABB Management, Ltd. to support and extend the activities of this grant; and (5) initiation of research collaborations with Dr. P.M. Haugen of the University of

  12. Achieving Negative CO2 Emissions by Protecting Ocean Chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cannara, A.

    2016-12-01

    Industrial Age CO2 added 1.8 trillion tons to the atmosphere. About ¼ has dissolved in seas. The rest still dissolves, bolstered by present emissions of >30 gigatons/year. Airborne & oceanic CO2 have induced sea warming & ocean acidification*. This paper suggests a way to induce a negative CO2-emissions environment for climate & oceans - preserve the planet`s dominant CO2-sequestration system ( 1 gigaton/year via calcifying sea life**) by promptly protecting ocean chemistry via expansion of clean power for both lime production & replacement of CO2-emitting sources. Provide natural alkali (CaO, MgO…) to oceans to maintain average pH above 8.0, as indicated by marine biologists. That alkali (lime) is available from past calcifying life's limestone deposits, so can be returned safely to seas once its CO2 is removed & permanently sequestered (Carbfix, BSCP, etc.***). Limestone is a dense source of CO2 - efficient processing per mole sequestered. Distribution of enough lime is possible via cargo-ship transits - 10,000 tons lime/transit, 1 million transits/year. New Panamax ships carry 120,000 tons. Just 10,000/transit allows gradual reduction of present & past CO2 emissions effects, if coupled with combustion-power reductions. CO2 separation from limestone, as in cement plants, consumes 400kWHrs of thermal energy per ton of output lime (or CO2). To combat yearly CO2 dissolution in seas, we must produce & distribute about 10gigatons of lime/year. Only nuclear power produces the clean energy (thousands of terawatt hours) to meet this need - 1000 dedicated 1GWe reactors, processing 12 cubic miles of limestone/year & sequestering CO2 into a similar mass of basalt. Basalt is common in the world. Researchers*** report it provides good, mineralized CO2 sequestration. The numbers above allow gradual CO2 reduction in air and seas, if we return to President Kennedy's energy path: http://tinyurl.com/6xgpkfa We're on an environmental precipice due to failure to eliminate

  13. Method and apparatus for efficient injection of CO2 in oceans

    Science.gov (United States)

    West, Olivia R.; Tsouris, Constantinos; Liang, Liyuan

    2003-07-29

    A liquid CO.sub.2 injection system produces a negatively buoyant consolidated stream of liquid CO.sub.2, CO.sub.2 hydrate, and water that sinks upon release at ocean depths in the range of 700-1500 m. In this approach, seawater at a predetermined ocean depth is mixed with the liquid CO.sub.2 stream before release into the ocean. Because mixing is conducted at depths where pressures and temperatures are suitable for CO.sub.2 hydrate formation, the consolidated stream issuing from the injector is negatively buoyant, and comprises mixed CO.sub.2 -hydrate/CO.sub.2 -liquid/water phases. The "sinking" characteristic of the produced stream will prolong the metastability of CO.sub.2 ocean sequestration by reducing the CO.sub.2 dissolution rate into water. Furthermore, the deeper the CO.sub.2 hydrate stream sinks after injection, the more stable it becomes internally, the deeper it is dissolved, and the more dispersed is the resulting CO.sub.2 plume. These factors increase efficiency, increase the residence time of CO2 in the ocean, and decrease the cost of CO.sub.2 sequestration while reducing deleterious impacts of free CO.sub.2 gas in ocean water.

  14. Phytoplankton Do Not Produce Carbon-Rich Organic Matter in High CO2 Oceans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Ja-Myung; Lee, Kitack; Suh, Young-Sang; Han, In-Seong

    2018-05-01

    The ocean is a substantial sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) released as a result of human activities. Over the coming decades the dissolved inorganic C concentration in the surface ocean is predicted to increase, which is expected to have a direct influence on the efficiency of C utilization (consumption and production) by phytoplankton during photosynthesis. Here we evaluated the generality of C-rich organic matter production by examining the elemental C:N ratio of organic matter produced under conditions of varying pCO2. The data used in this analysis were obtained from a series of pelagic in situ pCO2 perturbation studies that were performed in the diverse ocean regions and involved natural phytoplankton assemblages. The C:N ratio of the resulting particulate and dissolved organic matter did not differ across the range of pCO2 conditions tested. In particular, the ratio for particulate organic C and N was found to be 6.58 ± 0.05, close to the theoretical value of 6.6.

  15. Physiological advantages of dwarfing in surviving extinctions in high-CO2 oceans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garilli, Vittorio; Rodolfo-Metalpa, Riccardo; Scuderi, Danilo; Brusca, Lorenzo; Parrinello, Daniela; Rastrick, Samuel P. S.; Foggo, Andy; Twitchett, Richard J.; Hall-Spencer, Jason M.; Milazzo, Marco

    2015-07-01

    Excessive CO2 in the present-day ocean-atmosphere system is causing ocean acidification, and is likely to cause a severe biodiversity decline in the future, mirroring effects in many past mass extinctions. Fossil records demonstrate that organisms surviving such events were often smaller than those before, a phenomenon called the Lilliput effect. Here, we show that two gastropod species adapted to acidified seawater at shallow-water CO2 seeps were smaller than those found in normal pH conditions and had higher mass-specific energy consumption but significantly lower whole-animal metabolic energy demand. These physiological changes allowed the animals to maintain calcification and to partially repair shell dissolution. These observations of the long-term chronic effects of increased CO2 levels forewarn of changes we can expect in marine ecosystems as CO2 emissions continue to rise unchecked, and support the hypothesis that ocean acidification contributed to past extinction events. The ability to adapt through dwarfing can confer physiological advantages as the rate of CO2 emissions continues to increase.

  16. Characteristics of coupled atmosphere-ocean CO2 sensitivity experiments with different ocean formulations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Washington, W.M.; Meehl, G.A.

    1990-01-01

    The Community Climate Model at the National Center for Atmospheric Research has been coupled to a simple mixed-layer ocean model and to a coarse-grid ocean general circulation model (OGCM). This paper compares the responses of simulated climate to increases of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in these two coupled models. Three types of simulations were run: (1) control runs with both ocean models, with CO 2 held constant at present-day concentrations, (2) instantaneous doubling of atmospheric CO 2 (from 330 to 660 ppm) with both ocean models, and (3) a gradually increasing (transient) CO 2 concentration starting at 330 ppm and increasing linearly at 1% per year, with the OGCM. The mixed-layer and OGCM cases exhibit increases of 3.5 C and 1.6 C, respectively, in globally averaged surface air temperature for the instantaneous doubling cases. The transient-forcing case warms 0.7 C by the end of 30 years. The mixed-layer ocean yields warmer-than-observed tropical temperatures and colder-than-observed temperatures in the higher latitudes. The coarse-grid OGCM simulates lower-than-observed sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the tropics and higher-than-observed SSTs and reduced sea-ice extent at higher latitudes. Sensitivity in the OGCM after 30 years is much lower than in simulations with the same atmosphere coupled to a 50-m slab-ocean mixed layer. The OGCM simulates a weaker thermohaline circulation with doubled CO 2 as the high-latitude ocean-surface layer warms and freshens and the westerly wind stress decreases. Convective overturning in the OGCM decreases substantially with CO 2 warming

  17. Characteristics of coupled atmosphere-ocean CO2 sensitivity experiments with different ocean formulations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Washington, W.M.; Meehl, G.A.

    1991-01-01

    The Community Climate Model at the National Center for Atmospheric Research has been coupled to a simple mixed-layer ocean model and to a coarse-grid ocean general circulation model (OGCM). This paper compares the responses of simulated climate to increases of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in these two coupled models. Three types of simulations were run: (1) control runs with both ocean models, with CO 2 held constant at present-day concentrations, (2) instantaneous doubling of atmospheric CO 2 (from 330 to 660 ppm) with both ocean models, and (3) a gradually increasing (transient) CO 2 concentration starting at 330 ppm and increasing linearly at 1% per year, with the OGCM. The mixed-layer and OGCM cases exhibit increases of 3.5 C and 1.6 C, respectively, in globally averaged surface air temperature for the instantaneous doubling cases. The transient-forcing case warms 0.7 C by the end of 30 years. The mixed-layer ocean yields warmer-than-observed tropical temperatures and colder-than-observed temperatures in the higher latitudes. The coarse-grid OGCM simulates lower-than-observed sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the tropics and higher-than-observed SSTs and reduced sea-ice extent at higher latitudes. Sensitivity in the OGCM after 30 years is much lower than in simulations with the same atmosphere coupled to a 50-m slab-ocean mixed layer. The OGCM simulates a weaker thermohaline circulation with doubled CO 2 as the high-latitude ocean-surface layer warms and freshens and the westerly wind stress decreases. Convective overturning in the OGCM decreases substantially with CO 2 warming. 46 refs.; 20 figs.; 1 tab

  18. The role of ocean transport in the uptake of anthropogenic CO2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. Totterdell

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available We compare modeled oceanic carbon uptake in response to pulse CO2 emissions using a suite of global ocean models and Earth system models. In response to a CO2 pulse emission of 590 Pg C (corresponding to an instantaneous doubling of atmospheric CO2 from 278 to 556 ppm, the fraction of CO2 emitted that is absorbed by the ocean is: 37±8%, 56±10%, and 81±4% (model mean ±2σ in year 30, 100, and 1000 after the emission pulse, respectively. Modeled oceanic uptake of pulse CO2 on timescales from decades to about a century is strongly correlated with simulated present-day uptake of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs and CO2 across all models, while the amount of pulse CO2 absorbed by the ocean from a century to a millennium is strongly correlated with modeled radiocarbon in the deep Southern and Pacific Ocean. However, restricting the analysis to models that are capable of reproducing observations within uncertainty, the correlation is generally much weaker. The rates of surface-to-deep ocean transport are determined for individual models from the instantaneous doubling CO2 simulations, and they are used to calculate oceanic CO2 uptake in response to pulse CO2 emissions of different sizes pulses of 1000 and 5000 Pg C. These results are compared with simulated oceanic uptake of CO2 by a number of models simulations with the coupling of climate-ocean carbon cycle and without it. This comparison demonstrates that the impact of different ocean transport rates across models on oceanic uptake of anthropogenic CO2 is of similar magnitude as that of climate-carbon cycle feedbacks in a single model, emphasizing the important role of ocean transport in the uptake of anthropogenic CO2.

  19. Direct Experiments on the Ocean Disposal of Fossil Fuel CO2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barry, James, P.

    2010-05-26

    Funding from DoE grant # FG0204-ER63721, Direct Experiments on the Ocean Disposal of Fossil Fuel CO2, supposed several postdoctoral fellows and research activities at MBARI related to ocean CO2 disposal and the biological consequences of high ocean CO2 levels on marine organisms. Postdocs supported on the project included Brad Seibel, now an associate professor at the University of Rhode Island, Jeff Drazen, now an associate professor at the University of Hawaii, and Eric Pane, who continues as a research associate at MBARI. Thus, the project contributed significantly to the professional development of young scientists. In addition, we made significant progress in several research areas. We continued several deep-sea CO2 release experiments using support from DoE and MBARI, along with several collaborators. These CO2 release studies had the goal of broadening our understanding of the effects of high ocean CO2 levels on deep sea animals in the vicinity of potential release sites for direct deep-ocean carbon dioxide sequestration. Using MBARI ships and ROVs, we performed these experiments at depths of 3000 to 3600 m, where liquid CO2 is heavier than seawater. CO2 was released into small pools (sections of PVC pipe) on the seabed, where it dissolved and drifted downstream, bathing any caged animals and sediments in a CO2-rich, low-pH plume. We assessed the survival of organisms nearby. Several publications arose from these studies (Barry et al. 2004, 2005; Carman et al. 2004; Thistle et al. 2005, 2006, 2007; Fleeger et al. 2006, 2010; Barry and Drazen 2007; Bernhard et al. 2009; Sedlacek et al. 2009; Ricketts et al. in press; Barry et al, in revision) concerning the sensitivity of animals to low pH waters. Using funds from DoE and MBARI, we designed and fabricated a hyperbaric trap-respirometer to study metabolic rates of deep-sea fishes under high CO2 conditions (Drazen et al, 2005), as well as a gas-control aquarium system to support laboratory studies of the

  20. Evasion of CO2 injected into the ocean in the context of CO2 stabilization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kheshgi, Haroon S.

    2004-01-01

    The eventual evasion of injected CO 2 to the atmosphere is one consideration when assessing deep-sea disposal of CO 2 as a potential response option to climate change concerns. Evasion estimated using an ocean carbon cycle model is compared to long-term trajectories for future CO 2 emissions, including illustrative cases leading to stabilization of CO 2 concentration at various levels. Modeled residence time for CO 2 injected into the deep ocean exceeds the 100-year time-scale usually considered in scenarios for future emissions, and the potential impacts of climate change. Illustrative cases leading monotonically to constant CO 2 concentration have been highlighted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to give guidance on possible timing of emission reductions that may be required to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations at various levels. For stabilization cases considered, significant modeled evasion does not occur until long after CO 2 emissions have reached a maximum and begun to decline. Illustrative cases can also lead to a maximum in CO 2 concentration followed by a decline to slowly decreasing concentrations. In such cases, future injection of emissions into the deep ocean leads to lower maximum CO 2 concentration, with less effect on concentration later on in time

  1. Tropical CO2 seeps reveal the impact of ocean acidification on coral reef invertebrate recruitment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allen, Ro; Foggo, Andrew; Fabricius, Katharina; Balistreri, Annalisa; Hall-Spencer, Jason M

    2017-11-30

    Rising atmospheric CO 2 concentrations are causing ocean acidification by reducing seawater pH and carbonate saturation levels. Laboratory studies have demonstrated that many larval and juvenile marine invertebrates are vulnerable to these changes in surface ocean chemistry, but challenges remain in predicting effects at community and ecosystem levels. We investigated the effect of ocean acidification on invertebrate recruitment at two coral reef CO 2 seeps in Papua New Guinea. Invertebrate communities differed significantly between 'reference' (median pH7.97, 8.00), 'high CO 2 ' (median pH7.77, 7.79), and 'extreme CO 2 ' (median pH7.32, 7.68) conditions at each reef. There were also significant reductions in calcifying taxa, copepods and amphipods as CO 2 levels increased. The observed shifts in recruitment were comparable to those previously described in the Mediterranean, revealing an ecological mechanism by which shallow coastal systems are affected by near-future levels of ocean acidification. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. The other ocean acidification problem: CO2 as a resource among competitors for ecosystem dominance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Connell, Sean D.; Kroeker, Kristy J.; Fabricius, Katharina E.; Kline, David I.; Russell, Bayden D.

    2013-01-01

    Predictions concerning the consequences of the oceanic uptake of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) have been primarily occupied with the effects of ocean acidification on calcifying organisms, particularly those critical to the formation of habitats (e.g. coral reefs) or their maintenance (e.g. grazing echinoderms). This focus overlooks direct and indirect effects of CO2 on non-calcareous taxa that play critical roles in ecosystem shifts (e.g. competitors). We present the model that future atmospheric [CO2] may act as a resource for mat-forming algae, a diverse and widespread group known to reduce the resilience of kelp forests and coral reefs. We test this hypothesis by combining laboratory and field CO2 experiments and data from ‘natural’ volcanic CO2 vents. We show that mats have enhanced productivity in experiments and more expansive covers in situ under projected near-future CO2 conditions both in temperate and tropical conditions. The benefits of CO2 are likely to vary among species of producers, potentially leading to shifts in species dominance in a high CO2 world. We explore how ocean acidification combines with other environmental changes across a number of scales, and raise awareness of CO2 as a resource whose change in availability could have wide-ranging community consequences beyond its direct effects. PMID:23980244

  3. The other ocean acidification problem: CO2 as a resource among competitors for ecosystem dominance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Connell, Sean D; Kroeker, Kristy J; Fabricius, Katharina E; Kline, David I; Russell, Bayden D

    2013-01-01

    Predictions concerning the consequences of the oceanic uptake of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) have been primarily occupied with the effects of ocean acidification on calcifying organisms, particularly those critical to the formation of habitats (e.g. coral reefs) or their maintenance (e.g. grazing echinoderms). This focus overlooks direct and indirect effects of CO2 on non-calcareous taxa that play critical roles in ecosystem shifts (e.g. competitors). We present the model that future atmospheric [CO2] may act as a resource for mat-forming algae, a diverse and widespread group known to reduce the resilience of kelp forests and coral reefs. We test this hypothesis by combining laboratory and field CO2 experiments and data from 'natural' volcanic CO2 vents. We show that mats have enhanced productivity in experiments and more expansive covers in situ under projected near-future CO2 conditions both in temperate and tropical conditions. The benefits of CO2 are likely to vary among species of producers, potentially leading to shifts in species dominance in a high CO2 world. We explore how ocean acidification combines with other environmental changes across a number of scales, and raise awareness of CO2 as a resource whose change in availability could have wide-ranging community consequences beyond its direct effects.

  4. Isotopic versus micrometeorologic ocean CO2 fluxes: A serious conflict

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Broecker, W.S.; Ledwell, J.R.; Takahashi, T.; Weiss, R.; Merlivat, L.; Memery, L.; Tsung-Hung Peng; Jahne, B.; Otto Munnich, K.

    1986-01-01

    Eddy correlation measurements over the ocean give CO 2 fluxes an order of magnitude or more larger than expected from mass balance or more larger than expected from mass balance measurements using radiocarbon and radon 222. In particular, Smith and Jones (1985) reported large upward and downward fluxes in a surf zone at supersaturations of 15% and attributed them to the equilibration of bubbles at elevated pressures. They argue that even on the open ocean such bubble injection may create steady state CO 2 supersaturations and that inferences of fluxes based on air-sea pCO 2 differences and radon exchange velocities must be made with caution. We defend the global average CO 2 exchange rate determined by three independent radioisotopic means: prebomb radiocarbon inventories; global surveys of mixed layer radon deficits; and oceanic uptake of bomb-produced radiocarbon. We argue that laboratory and lake data do not lead one to expect fluxes as large as reported from the eddy correlation technique; that the radon method of determining exchange velocities is indeed useful for estimating CO 2 fluxes; that supersaturations of CO 2 due to bubble injection on the open ocean are negligible; that the hypothesis that Smith and Jones advance cannot account for the fluxes that they report; and that the pCO 2 values reported by Smith and Jones are likely to be systematically much too high. The CO 2 fluxes for the ocean measured to data by the micrometeorological method can be reconciled with neither the observed concentrations of radioisotopes of radon and carbon in the oceans nor the tracer experiments carried out in lakes and in wind/wave tunnels

  5. An update to the Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT version 2)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bakker, D.C.E.; Pfeil, B.; Smith, K.; Hankin, S.; Olsen, A.; Alin, S. R.; Cosca, C.; Harasawa, S.; Kozyr, A.; Nojiri, Y.; O'Brien, K. M.; Schuster, U.; Telszewski, M.; Tilbrook, B.; Wada, C.; Akl, J.; Barbero, L.; Bates, N. R.; Boutin, J.; Bozec, Y.; Cai, W. -J.; Castle, R. D.; Chavez, F. P.; Chen, L.; Chierici, M.; Currie, K.; de Baar, H. J. W.; Evans, W.; Feely, R. A.; Fransson, A.; Gao, Z.; Hales, B.; Hardman-Mountford, N. J.; Hoppema, M.; Huang, W. -J.; Hunt, C. W.; Huss, B.; Ichikawa, T.; Johannessen, T.; Jones, E. M.; Jones, S. D.; Jutterstrom, S.; Kitidis, V.; Koertzinger, A.; Landschuetzer, P.; Lauvset, S. K.; Lefevre, N.; Manke, A. B.; Mathis, J. T.; Merlivat, L.; Metzl, N.; Murata, A.; Newberger, T.; Omar, A. M.; Ono, T.; Park, G. -H.; Paterson, K.; Pierrot, D.; Rios, A. F.; Sabine, C. L.; Saito, S.; Salisbury, J.; Sarma, V. V. S. S.; Schlitzer, R.; Sieger, R.; Skjelvan, I.; Steinhoff, T.; Sullivan, K. F.; Sun, H.; Sutton, A. J.; Suzuki, T.; Sweeney, C.; Takahashi, T.; Tjiputra, J.; Tsurushima, N.; van Heuven, S. M. A. C.; Vandemark, D.; Vlahos, P.; Wallace, D. W. R.; Wanninkhof, R.; Watson, A.J.

    2014-01-01

    The Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT), an activity of the international marine carbon research community, provides access to synthesis and gridded fCO(2) (fugacity of carbon dioxide) products for the surface oceans. Version 2 of SOCAT is an update of the previous release (version 1) with more data

  6. Pontellid copepods, Labidocera spp., affected by ocean acidification: A field study at natural CO2 seeps.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Joy N; Richter, Claudio; Fabricius, Katharina E; Cornils, Astrid

    2017-01-01

    CO2 seeps in coral reefs were used as natural laboratories to study the impacts of ocean acidification on the pontellid copepod, Labidocera spp. Pontellid abundances were reduced by ∼70% under high-CO2 conditions. Biological parameters and substratum preferences of the copepods were explored to determine the underlying causes of such reduced abundances. Stage- and sex-specific copepod lengths, feeding ability, and egg development were unaffected by ocean acidification, thus changes in these physiological parameters were not the driving factor for reduced abundances under high-CO2 exposure. Labidocera spp. are demersal copepods, hence they live amongst reef substrata during the day and emerge into the water column at night. Deployments of emergence traps showed that their preferred reef substrata at control sites were coral rubble, macro algae, and turf algae. However, under high-CO2 conditions they no longer had an association with any specific substrata. Results from this study indicate that even though the biology of a copepod might be unaffected by high-CO2, Labidocera spp. are highly vulnerable to ocean acidification.

  7. Pontellid copepods, Labidocera spp., affected by ocean acidification: A field study at natural CO2 seeps.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joy N Smith

    Full Text Available CO2 seeps in coral reefs were used as natural laboratories to study the impacts of ocean acidification on the pontellid copepod, Labidocera spp. Pontellid abundances were reduced by ∼70% under high-CO2 conditions. Biological parameters and substratum preferences of the copepods were explored to determine the underlying causes of such reduced abundances. Stage- and sex-specific copepod lengths, feeding ability, and egg development were unaffected by ocean acidification, thus changes in these physiological parameters were not the driving factor for reduced abundances under high-CO2 exposure. Labidocera spp. are demersal copepods, hence they live amongst reef substrata during the day and emerge into the water column at night. Deployments of emergence traps showed that their preferred reef substrata at control sites were coral rubble, macro algae, and turf algae. However, under high-CO2 conditions they no longer had an association with any specific substrata. Results from this study indicate that even though the biology of a copepod might be unaffected by high-CO2, Labidocera spp. are highly vulnerable to ocean acidification.

  8. Future ocean hypercapnia driven by anthropogenic amplification of the natural CO2 cycle

    Science.gov (United States)

    McNeil, Ben I.; Sasse, Tristan P.

    2016-01-01

    High carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in sea-water (ocean hypercapnia) can induce neurological, physiological and behavioural deficiencies in marine animals. Prediction of the onset and evolution of hypercapnia in the ocean requires a good understanding of annual variations in oceanic CO2 concentration, but there is a lack of relevant global observational data. Here we identify global ocean patterns of monthly variability in carbon concentration using observations that allow us to examine the evolution of surface-ocean CO2 levels over the entire annual cycle under increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations. We predict that the present-day amplitude of the natural oscillations in oceanic CO2 concentration will be amplified by up to tenfold in some regions by 2100, if atmospheric CO2 concentrations continue to rise throughout this century (according to the RCP8.5 scenario of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). The findings from our data are broadly consistent with projections from Earth system climate models. Our predicted amplification of the annual CO2 cycle displays distinct global patterns that may expose major fisheries in the Southern, Pacific and North Atlantic oceans to hypercapnia many decades earlier than is expected from average atmospheric CO2 concentrations. We suggest that these oceanCO2 hotspots’ evolve as a combination of the strong seasonal dynamics of CO2 concentration and the long-term effective storage of anthropogenic CO2 in the oceans that lowers the buffer capacity in these regions, causing a nonlinear amplification of CO2 concentration over the annual cycle. The onset of ocean hypercapnia (when the partial pressure of CO2 in sea-water exceeds 1,000 micro-atmospheres) is forecast for atmospheric CO2 concentrations that exceed 650 parts per million, with hypercapnia expected in up to half the surface ocean by 2100, assuming a high-emissions scenario (RCP8.5). Such extensive ocean hypercapnia has detrimental implications for

  9. FEASIBILITY OF LARGE-SCALE OCEAN CO2 SEQUESTRATION

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dr. Peter Brewer; Dr. James Barry

    2002-09-30

    We have continued to carry out creative small-scale experiments in the deep ocean to investigate the science underlying questions of possible future large-scale deep-ocean CO{sub 2} sequestration as a means of ameliorating greenhouse gas growth rates in the atmosphere. This project is closely linked to additional research funded by the DoE Office of Science, and to support from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. The listing of project achievements here over the past year reflects these combined resources. Within the last project year we have: (1) Published a significant workshop report (58 pages) entitled ''Direct Ocean Sequestration Expert's Workshop'', based upon a meeting held at MBARI in 2001. The report is available both in hard copy, and on the NETL web site. (2) Carried out three major, deep ocean, (3600m) cruises to examine the physical chemistry, and biological consequences, of several liter quantities released on the ocean floor. (3) Carried out two successful short cruises in collaboration with Dr. Izuo Aya and colleagues (NMRI, Osaka, Japan) to examine the fate of cold (-55 C) CO{sub 2} released at relatively shallow ocean depth. (4) Carried out two short cruises in collaboration with Dr. Costas Tsouris, ORNL, to field test an injection nozzle designed to transform liquid CO{sub 2} into a hydrate slurry at {approx}1000m depth. (5) In collaboration with Prof. Jill Pasteris (Washington University) we have successfully accomplished the first field test of a deep ocean laser Raman spectrometer for probing in situ the physical chemistry of the CO{sub 2} system. (6) Submitted the first major paper on biological impacts as determined from our field studies. (7) Submitted a paper on our measurements of the fate of a rising stream of liquid CO{sub 2} droplets to Environmental Science & Technology. (8) Have had accepted for publication in Eos the first brief account of the laser Raman spectrometer success. (9) Have had two

  10. Southern Ocean CO2 sink: the contribution of the sea ice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Delille, B.; Vancoppenolle, Martin; Geilfus, Nicolas-Xavier

    2014-01-01

    at the air-sea ice interface. The sea ice changes from a transient source to a sink for atmospheric CO2. We upscale these observations to the whole Antarctic sea ice cover using the NEMO-LIM3 large-scale sea ice-ocean and provide first esti- mates of spring and summer CO2 uptake from the atmosphere...... by Antarctic sea ice. Over the spring- summer period, the Antarctic sea ice cover is a net sink of atmospheric CO2 of 0.029 Pg C, about 58% of the estimated annual uptake from the Southern Ocean. Sea ice then contributes significantly to the sink of CO2 of the Southern Ocean....... undersaturation while the underlying oceanic waters remains slightly oversaturated. The decrease from winter to summer of pCO2 in the brines is driven by dilution with melting ice, dissolution of carbonate crystals, and net primary production. As the ice warms, its permeability increases, allowing CO2 transfer...

  11. Simulated effect of calcification feedback on atmospheric CO2 and ocean acidification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Han; Cao, Long

    2016-01-01

    Ocean uptake of anthropogenic CO2 reduces pH and saturation state of calcium carbonate materials of seawater, which could reduce the calcification rate of some marine organisms, triggering a negative feedback on the growth of atmospheric CO2. We quantify the effect of this CO2-calcification feedback by conducting a series of Earth system model simulations that incorporate different parameterization schemes describing the dependence of calcification rate on saturation state of CaCO3. In a scenario with SRES A2 CO2 emission until 2100 and zero emission afterwards, by year 3500, in the simulation without CO2-calcification feedback, model projects an accumulated ocean CO2 uptake of 1462 PgC, atmospheric CO2 of 612 ppm, and surface pH of 7.9. Inclusion of CO2-calcification feedback increases ocean CO2 uptake by 9 to 285 PgC, reduces atmospheric CO2 by 4 to 70 ppm, and mitigates the reduction in surface pH by 0.003 to 0.06, depending on the form of parameterization scheme used. It is also found that the effect of CO2-calcification feedback on ocean carbon uptake is comparable and could be much larger than the effect from CO2-induced warming. Our results highlight the potentially important role CO2-calcification feedback plays in ocean carbon cycle and projections of future atmospheric CO2 concentrations. PMID:26838480

  12. Evasion of CO{sub 2} injected into the ocean in the content of CO{sub 2} stabilization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kheshgi, H.S. [ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Co., Annandale, NJ (United States)

    2004-08-01

    The eventual evasion of injected CO{sub 2} to the atmosphere is one consideration when assessing deep-sea disposal of CO{sub 2} as a potential response option to climate change concerns. Evasion estimated using an ocean carbon cycle model is compared to long-term trajectories for future CO{sub 2} emissions, including illustrative cases leading to stabilization of CO{sub 2} concentration at various levels. Modeled residence time for CO{sub 2} injected into the deep ocean exceeds the 100-year time-scale usually considered in scenarios for future emissions, and the potential impacts of climate change. Illustrative cases leading monotonically to constant CO{sub 2} concentration have been highlighted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to give guidance on possible timing of emission reductions that may be required to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations at various levels. For stabilization cases considered, significant modeled evasion does not occur until long after CO{sub 2} emissions have reached a maximum and begun to decline. Illustrative cases can also lead to a maximum in CO{sub 2} concentration followed by a decline to slowly decreasing concentrations. In such cases, future injection of emissions into the deep ocean leads to lower maximum CO{sub 2} concentration, with less effect on concentration later on in time. (author)

  13. Evasion of CO{sub 2} injected into the ocean in the context of CO{sub 2} stabilization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kheshgi, Haroon S

    2004-08-01

    The eventual evasion of injected CO{sub 2} to the atmosphere is one consideration when assessing deep-sea disposal of CO{sub 2} as a potential response option to climate change concerns. Evasion estimated using an ocean carbon cycle model is compared to long-term trajectories for future CO{sub 2} emissions, including illustrative cases leading to stabilization of CO{sub 2} concentration at various levels. Modeled residence time for CO{sub 2} injected into the deep ocean exceeds the 100-year time-scale usually considered in scenarios for future emissions, and the potential impacts of climate change. Illustrative cases leading monotonically to constant CO{sub 2} concentration have been highlighted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to give guidance on possible timing of emission reductions that may be required to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations at various levels. For stabilization cases considered, significant modeled evasion does not occur until long after CO{sub 2} emissions have reached a maximum and begun to decline. Illustrative cases can also lead to a maximum in CO{sub 2} concentration followed by a decline to slowly decreasing concentrations. In such cases, future injection of emissions into the deep ocean leads to lower maximum CO{sub 2} concentration, with less effect on concentration later on in time.

  14. Environmental Assessment for Potential Impacts of Ocean CO2 Storage on Marine Biogeochemical Cycles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamada, N.; Tsurushima, N.; Suzumura, M.; Shibamoto, Y.; Harada, K.

    2008-12-01

    bacteria and hydrolytic enzymes are known as the essential promoters for organic matter decomposition in marine ecosystems. Bacterial activity and metabolisms under various CO2 concentrations and pH were examined on total cell abundance, 3H-leucine incorporation rate, and viable cell abundance. Our in vitro experiments demonstrated that acute effect by high CO2 conditions was negligible on the activities of bathypelagic bacteria at pH 7 or higher. However, our results suggested that bacterial assemblage in some organic-rich "microbial hot-spots" in seawater such as organic aggregates sinking particles, exhibited high sensitivity to acidification. Furthermore, it was indicated that CO2 injection seems to be the trigger to alter the microbial community structure between Eubacteria and Archaea. The activities of five types of hydrolytic enzymes showed no significant change with acidification as those observed in the bacterial activity. As to acute effects on microbial and biochemical processes examined by our laboratory studies, no significant influence was exhibited in the simulated ocean CO2 storage on marine biogeochemical cycling. Uncertainties in chronic and large-scale impacts, however, remain and should be addressed for more understanding the potential benefits and risks of the ocean storage.

  15. Evasion of CO{sub 2} injected into the ocean in the context of CO{sub 2} stabilization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haroon S. Kheshgi [ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, Annandale, NJ (United States)

    2003-07-01

    The eventual evasion of injected CO{sub 2} to the atmosphere is one consideration when assessing deep sea disposal of CO{sub 2} as a potential response option to climate change concerns. Evasion estimated using an ocean carbon cycle model is compared to long-term trajectories for future CO{sub 2} emissions, including illustrative cases leading to stabilization of CO{sub 2} concentration at various levels. Modeled residence time for CO{sub 2} injected into the deep ocean exceeds the 100-year time scale usually considered in scenarios for future emissions, and the potential impacts of climate change. Illustrative cases leading monotonically to constant CO{sub 2} concentration have been highlighted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to give guidance on possible timing of emission reductions that may be required to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations at various levels. For stabilization cases considered, significant modeled evasion does not occur until long after CO{sub 2} emissions have reached a maximum and begun to decline. Illustrative cases can also lead to a maximum in CO{sub 2} concentration followed by a decline to slowly decreasing concentrations. In such cases, future injection of emissions into the deep ocean leads to lower maximum CO{sub 2} concentration, with less effect on concentration later on in time. 20 refs., 4 figs.

  16. CO2-induced ocean acidification does not affect individual or group behaviour in a temperate damselfish.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwan, Garfield Tsz; Hamilton, Trevor James; Tresguerres, Martin

    2017-07-01

    Open ocean surface CO 2 levels are projected to reach approximately 800 µatm, and ocean pH to decrease by approximately 0.3 units by the year 2100 due to anthropogenic CO 2 emissions and the subsequent process of ocean acidification (OA). When exposed to these CO 2 /pH values, several fish species display abnormal behaviour in laboratory tests, an effect proposed to be linked to altered neuronal GABA A- receptor function. Juvenile blacksmith ( Chromis punctipinnis ) are social fish that regularly experience CO 2 /pH fluctuations through kelp forest diurnal primary production and upwelling events, so we hypothesized that they might be resilient to OA. Blacksmiths were exposed to control conditions (pH ∼ 7.92; p CO 2  ∼ 540 µatm), constant acidification (pH ∼ 7.71; p CO 2  ∼ 921 µatm) and oscillating acidification (pH ∼ 7.91, p CO 2  ∼ 560 µatm (day), pH ∼ 7.70, p CO 2  ∼ 955 µatm (night)), and caught and tested in two seasons of the year when the ocean temperature was different: winter (16.5 ± 0.1°C) and summer (23.1 ± 0.1°C). Neither constant nor oscillating CO 2 -induced acidification affected blacksmith individual light/dark preference, inter-individual distance in a shoal or the shoal's response to a novel object, suggesting that blacksmiths are tolerant to projected future OA conditions. However, blacksmiths tested during the winter demonstrated significantly higher dark preference in the individual light/dark preference test, thus confirming season and/or water temperature as relevant factors to consider in behavioural tests.

  17. Assessing the potential long-term increase of oceanic fossil fuel CO2 uptake due to CO2-calcification feedback

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. M. Lenton

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available Plankton manipulation experiments exhibit a wide range of sensitivities of biogenic calcification to simulated anthropogenic acidification of the ocean, with the "lab rat" of planktic calcifiers, Emiliania huxleyi apparently not representative of calcification generally. We assess the implications of this observational uncertainty by creating an ensemble of realizations of an Earth system model that encapsulates a comparable range of uncertainty in calcification response to ocean acidification. We predict that a substantial reduction in marine carbonate production is possible in the future, with enhanced ocean CO2 sequestration across the model ensemble driving a 4–13% reduction in the year 3000 atmospheric fossil fuel CO2 burden. Concurrent changes in ocean circulation and surface temperatures in the model contribute about one third to the increase in CO2 uptake. We find that uncertainty in the predicted strength of CO2-calcification feedback seems to be dominated by the assumption as to which species of calcifier contribute most to carbonate production in the open ocean.

  18. Earth 2075 (CO2) - can Ocean-Amplified Carbon Capture (oacc) Impart Atmospheric CO2-SINKING Ability to CCS Fossil Energy?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fry, R.; Routh, M.; Chaudhuri, S.; Fry, S.; Ison, M.; Hughes, S.; Komor, C.; Klabunde, K.; Sethi, V.; Collins, D.; Polkinghorn, W.; Wroobel, B.; Hughes, J.; Gower, G.; Shkolnik, J.

    2017-12-01

    Previous attempts to capture atmospheric CO2 by algal blooming were stalled by ocean viruses, zooplankton feeding, and/or bacterial decomposition of surface blooms, re-releasing captured CO2 instead of exporting it to seafloor. CCS fossil energy coupling could bypass algal bloom limits—enabling capture of 10 GtC/yr atmospheric CO2 by selective emiliania huxleyi (EHUX) blooming in mid-latitude open oceans, far from coastal waters and polar seas. This could enable a 500 GtC drawdown, 350 ppm restoration by 2050, 280 ppm CO2 by 2075, and ocean pH 8.2. White EHUX blooms could also reflect sunlight back into outer space and seed extra ocean cloud cover, via DMS release, to raise albedo 1.8%—restoring preindustrial temperature (ΔT = 0°C) by 2030. Open oceans would avoid post-bloom anoxia, exclusively a coastal water phenomenon. The EHUX calcification reaction initially sources CO2, but net sinking prevails in follow-up equilibration reactions. Heavier-than-water EHUX sink captured CO2 to the sea floor before surface decomposition occurs. Seeding EHUX high on their nonlinear growth curve could accelerate short-cycle secondary open-ocean blooming—overwhelming mid-latitude viruses, zooplankton, and competition from other algae. Mid-latitude "ocean deserts" exhibit low viral, zooplankton, and bacterial counts. Thermocline prevents nutrient upwelling that would otherwise promote competing algae. Adding nitrogen nutrient would foster exclusive EHUX blooming. Elevated EHUX seed levels could arise from sealed, pH-buffered, floating, seed-production bioreactors infused with 10% CO2 from carbon feedstock supplied by inland CCS fossil power plants capturing 90% of emissions as liquid CO2. Deep-water SPAR platforms extract natural gas from beneath the sea floor. On-platform Haber and pH processing could convert extracted CH4 to buffered NH4+ nutrient, enabling ≥0.7 GtC/yr of bioreactor seed production and 10 GtC/yr of amplified secondary open-ocean CO2 capture—making CCS

  19. Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT) gridded data products

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Sabine, C.L.; Hankin, S.; Koyuk, H.; Bakker, D.C.E.; Pfeil, B.; Olsen, A; Metzl, N.; Kozyr, A; Fassbender, A; Manke, A; Malczyk, J.; Akl, J.; Alin, S.R.; Bellerby, R.G.J.; Borges, A; Boutin, J.; Brown, P.J.; Cai, W.-J.; Chavez, F.P.; Chen, A.; Cosca, C.; Feely, R.A.; Gonzalez-Davila, M.; Goyet, C.; Hardman-Mountford, N.; Heinze, C.; Hoppema, M.; Hunt, C.W.; Hydes, D.; Ishii, M.; Johannessen, T.; Key, R.M.; Kortzinger, A.; Landschutzer, P.; Lauvset, S.K.; Lefevre, N.; Lenton, A.; Lourantou, A.; Merlivat, L.; Midorikawa, T.; Mintrop, L.; Miyazaki, C.; Murata, A.; Nakadate, A.; Nakano, Y.; Nakaoka, S.; Nojiri, Y.; Omar, A.M.; Padin, X.A.; Park, G.-H.; Paterson, K.; Perez, F.F.; Pierrot, D.; Poisson, A.; Rios, A.F.; Salisbury, J.; Santana-Casiano, J.M.; Sarma, V.V.S.S.; et al.

    As a response to public demand for a well-documented, quality controlled, publically available, global surface ocean carbon dioxide (CO2) data set, the international marine carbon science community developed the Surface Ocean CO2...

  20. Impact of climate change and variability on the global oceanic sink of CO2

    OpenAIRE

    Le Quéré, Corinne; Takahashi, Taro; Buitenhuis, Erik T.; Rödenbeck, Christian; Sutherland, Stewart C.

    2010-01-01

    About one quarter of the CO2 emitted to the atmosphere by human activities is absorbed annually by the ocean. All the processes that influence the oceanic uptake of CO2 are controlled by climate. Hence changes in climate (both natural and human-induced) are expected to alter the uptake of CO2 by the ocean. However, available information that constrains the direction, magnitude, or rapidity of the response of ocean CO2 to changes in climate is limited. We present an analysis of oceanic CO2 tre...

  1. Deep ocean ventilation, carbon isotopes, marine sedimentation and the deglacial CO2 rise

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Heinze

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available The link between the atmospheric CO2 level and the ventilation state of the deep ocean is an important building block of the key hypotheses put forth to explain glacial-interglacial CO2 fluctuations. In this study, we systematically examine the sensitivity of atmospheric CO2 and its carbon isotope composition to changes in deep ocean ventilation, the ocean carbon pumps, and sediment formation in a global 3-D ocean-sediment carbon cycle model. Our results provide support for the hypothesis that a break up of Southern Ocean stratification and invigorated deep ocean ventilation were the dominant drivers for the early deglacial CO2 rise of ~35 ppm between the Last Glacial Maximum and 14.6 ka BP. Another rise of 10 ppm until the end of the Holocene is attributed to carbonate compensation responding to the early deglacial change in ocean circulation. Our reasoning is based on a multi-proxy analysis which indicates that an acceleration of deep ocean ventilation during early deglaciation is not only consistent with recorded atmospheric CO2 but also with the reconstructed opal sedimentation peak in the Southern Ocean at around 16 ka BP, the record of atmospheric δ13CCO2, and the reconstructed changes in the Pacific CaCO3 saturation horizon.

  2. Ocean Warming and CO2-Induced Acidification Impact the Lipid Content of a Marine Predatory Gastropod

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roselyn Valles-Regino

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Ocean warming and acidification are current global environmental challenges impacting aquatic organisms. A shift in conditions outside the optimal environmental range for marine species is likely to generate stress that could impact metabolic activity, with consequences for the biosynthesis of marine lipids. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in the lipid content of Dicathais orbita exposed to current and predicted future climate change scenarios. The whelks were exposed to a combination of temperature and CO2-induced acidification treatments in controlled flowthrough seawater mesocosms for 35 days. Under current conditions, D. orbita foot tissue has an average of 6 mg lipid/g tissue, but at predicted future ocean temperatures, the total lipid content dropped significantly, to almost half. The fatty acid composition is dominated by polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA 52% with an n-3:6 fatty acid ratio of almost 2, which remains unchanged under future ocean conditions. However, we detected an interactive effect of temperature and pCO2 on the % PUFAs and n-3 and n-6 fatty acids were significantly reduced by elevated water temperature, while both the saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids were significantly reduced under increased pCO2 acidifying conditions. The present study indicates the potential for relatively small predicted changes in ocean conditions to reduce lipid reserves and alter the fatty acid composition of a predatory marine mollusc. This has potential implications for the growth and survivorship of whelks under future conditions, but only minimal implications for human consumption of D. orbita as nutritional seafood are predicted.

  3. Seasonal and mesoscale variability of oceanic transport of anthropogenic CO2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J.-C. Dutay

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Estimates of the ocean's large-scale transport of anthropogenic CO2 are based on one-time hydrographic sections, but the temporal variability of this transport has not been investigated. The aim of this study is to evaluate how the seasonal and mesoscale variability affect data-based estimates of anthropogenic CO2 transport. To diagnose this variability, we made a global anthropogenic CO2 simulation using an eddy-permitting version of the coupled ocean sea-ice model ORCA-LIM. As for heat transport, the seasonally varying transport of anthropogenic CO2 is largest within 20° of the equator and shows secondary maxima in the subtropics. Ekman transport generally drives most of the seasonal variability, but the contribution of the vertical shear becomes important near the equator and in the Southern Ocean. Mesoscale variabilty contributes to the annual-mean transport of both heat and anthropogenic CO2 with strong poleward transport in the Southern Ocean and equatorward transport in the tropics. This "rectified" eddy transport is largely baroclinic in the tropics and barotropic in the Southern Ocean due to a larger contribution from standing eddies. Our analysis revealed that most previous hydrographic estimates of meridional transport of anthropogenic CO2 are severely biased because they neglect temporal fluctuations due to non-Ekman velocity variations. In each of the three major ocean basins, this bias is largest near the equator and in the high southern latitudes. In the subtropical North Atlantic, where most of the hydrographic-based estimates have been focused, this uncertainty represents up to 20% and 30% of total meridional transport of heat and CO2. Generally though, outside the tropics and Southern Ocean, there are only small variations in meridional transport due to seasonal variations in tracer fields and time variations in eddy transport. For the North Atlantic, eddy variability accounts for up to 10% and 15% of the total transport of

  4. Environmental impacts of ocean disposal of CO{sub 2}. Final report volume 2, September 1994--August 1996

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Herzog, H.J.; Adams, E.E. [eds.

    1996-12-01

    One option to reduce atmospheric CO{sub 2} levels is to capture and sequester power plant CO{sub 2}. Commercial CO{sub 2} capture technology, though expensive, exists today. However, the ability to dispose of large quantities of CO{sub 2} is highly uncertain. The deep ocean is one of only a few possible CO{sub 2} disposal options (others are depleted oil and gas wells or deep, confined aquifers) and is a prime candidate because the deep ocean is vast and highly unsaturated in CO{sub 2}. Technically, the term `disposal` is really a misnomer because the atmosphere and ocean eventually equilibrate on a time scale of 1000 years regardless of where the CO{sub 2} is originally discharged. However, peak atmospheric CO{sub 2} concentrations expected to occur in the next few centuries could be significantly reduced by ocean disposal. The magnitude of this reduction will depend upon the quantity of CO{sub 2} injected in the ocean, as well as the depth and location of injection. Ocean disposal of CO{sub 2} will only make sense if the environmental impacts to the ocean are significantly less than the avoided impacts of atmospheric release. In this project, we examined these ocean impacts through a multi-disciplinary effort designed to summarize the current state of knowledge. In the process, we have developed a comprehensive method to assess the impacts of pH changes on passive marine organisms. This final report addresses the following six topics: CO{sub 2} loadings and scenarios, impacts of CO{sub 2} transport, near-field perturbations, far-field perturbations, environmental impacts of CO{sub 2} release, and policy and legal implications of CO{sub 2} release.

  5. Effect of land albedo, CO2, orography, and oceanic heat transport on extreme climates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. Romanova

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Using an atmospheric general circulation model of intermediate complexity coupled to a sea ice – slab ocean model, we perform a number of sensitivity experiments under present-day orbital conditions and geographical distribution to assess the possibility that land albedo, atmospheric CO2, orography and oceanic heat transport may cause an ice-covered Earth. Changing only one boundary or initial condition, the model produces solutions with at least some ice-free oceans in the low latitudes. Using some combination of these forcing parameters, a full Earth's glaciation is obtained. We find that the most significant factor leading to an ice-covered Earth is the high land albedo in combination with initial temperatures set equal to the freezing point. Oceanic heat transport and orography play only a minor role for the climate state. Extremely low concentrations of CO2 also appear to be insufficient to provoke a runaway ice-albedo feedback, but the strong deviations in surface air temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere point to the existence of a strong nonlinearity in the system. Finally, we argue that the initial condition determines whether the system can go into a completely ice covered state, indicating multiple equilibria, a feature known from simple energy balance models.

  6. The Arctic Ocean marine carbon cycle: evaluation of air-sea CO2 exchanges, ocean acidification impacts and potential feedbacks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. R. Bates

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available At present, although seasonal sea-ice cover mitigates atmosphere-ocean gas exchange, the Arctic Ocean takes up carbon dioxide (CO2 on the order of −66 to −199 Tg C year−1 (1012 g C, contributing 5–14% to the global balance of CO2 sinks and sources. Because of this, the Arctic Ocean has an important influence on the global carbon cycle, with the marine carbon cycle and atmosphere-ocean CO2 exchanges sensitive to Arctic Ocean and global climate change feedbacks. In the near-term, further sea-ice loss and increases in phytoplankton growth rates are expected to increase the uptake of CO2 by Arctic Ocean surface waters, although mitigated somewhat by surface warming in the Arctic. Thus, the capacity of the Arctic Ocean to uptake CO2 is expected to alter in response to environmental changes driven largely by climate. These changes are likely to continue to modify the physics, biogeochemistry, and ecology of the Arctic Ocean in ways that are not yet fully understood. In surface waters, sea-ice melt, river runoff, cooling and uptake of CO2 through air-sea gas exchange combine to decrease the calcium carbonate (CaCO3 mineral saturation states (Ω of seawater while seasonal phytoplankton primary production (PP mitigates this effect. Biological amplification of ocean acidification effects in subsurface waters, due to the remineralization of organic matter, is likely to reduce the ability of many species to produce CaCO3 shells or tests with profound implications for Arctic marine ecosystems

  7. Two decades of ocean CO2 sink and variability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Quere, C. Le; Bopp, L.; Heimann, M.; Prentice, I.C.; Aumont, O.; Bousquet, P.; Ciais, P.; Francey, R.; Rayner, P.J.; Keeling, C.D.; Keeling, R.F.; Piper, S.C.; Kheshgi, H.; Peyliln, P.

    2003-01-01

    Atmospheric CO 2 has increased at a nearly identical average rate of 3.3 and 3.2 Pg C/yr for the decades of the 1980s and the 1990s, in spite of a large increase in fossil fuel emissions from 5.4 to 6.3 Pg C/yr. Thus, the sum of the ocean and land CO 2 sinks was 1 Pg C/yr larger in the 1990s than in to the 1980s. Here we quantify the ocean and land sinks for these two decades using recent atmospheric inversions and ocean models. The ocean and land sinks are estimated to be, respectively, 0.3 (0.1 to 0.6) and 0.7 (0.4 to 0.9) Pg C/yr larger in the 1990s than in the 1980s. When variability less than 5 yr is removed, all estimates show a global oceanic sink more or less steadily increasing with time, and a large anomaly in the land sink during 1990-1994. For year-to-year variability, all estimates show 1/3 to 1/2 less variability in the ocean than on land, but the amplitude and phase of the oceanic variability remain poorly determined. A mean oceanic sink of 1.9 Pg C/yr for the 1990s based on O 2 observations corrected for ocean outgassing is supported by these estimates, but an uncertainty on the mean value of the order of ±0.7 Pg C/yr remains. The difference between the two decades appears to be more robust than the absolute value of either of the two decades

  8. On the relations between the oceanic uptake of CO2 and its carbon isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heimann, M.; Maier-Reimer, E.

    1994-01-01

    The recent proposals to estimate the oceanic uptake of CO 2 by monitoring the oceanic change in 13 C/ 12 C isotope ratio or the air-sea 13 C/ 12 C isotopic disequilibrium is reviewed. Because the history of atmospheric CO 2 and 13 CO 2 since preindustrial times is almost the same, the oceanic penetration depth of both tracers must be the same. This dynamic constraint permits the establishment of yet a third method to estimate the global ocean uptake of CO 2 from 13 C measurements. Using available observations in conjunction with canonical values for the global carbon cycle parameters the three methods yield inconsistent oceanic CO 2 uptake rates for the time period 1970-1990, ranging from 0 to over 3 GtC year -1 . However, uncertainties in the available carbon cycle data must be taken into account. Using a non-linear estimation procedure, a consistent scenario with an oceanic CO 2 uptake rate of 2.2±0.8 GtC year -1 can be established. The method also permits an investigation of the sensitivities of the different approaches. An analysis of the results of two three-dimensional simulations with the Hamburg Model of the Oceanic Carbon Cycle shows that the 13 C isotope indeed tracks the oceanic penetration of anthropogenic CO 2 . Because of its different time history, bomb produced radiocarbon, as measured at the time of GEOSECS, correlates much less well to excess carbon. (orig.)

  9. Use of hydrate for sequestering CO{sub 2} in the deep ocean

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    North, W.J.; Morgan, J.J. [California Inst. of Technology, Pasadena, CA (United States); Spencer, D.F. [Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States)] [and others

    1993-12-31

    Tremendous amounts of CO{sub 2} are accumulating annually in the atmosphere (ca 3 gigatons of carbon per year at present). Prevention or significant amelioration of this atmospheric buildup will obviously require a grand scale corrective activity. A potential solution to the problem might involve sequestering CO{sub 2} in an alternate reservoir. The ocean immediately comes to mind as a reservoir of appropriate magnitude to accommodate the huge quantities of CO{sub 2} involved. Presumably there would be a trade-off: we would achieve a semi-clean atmosphere for an as- yet-to-be-determined impact in the ocean. Minimizing any oceanic impacts would enhance attractiveness of the trade-off.

  10. Pleistocene atmospheric CO2 change linked to Southern Ocean nutrient utilization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ziegler, M.; Diz, P.; Hall, I. R.; Zahn, R.

    2011-12-01

    Biological uptake of CO2 by the ocean and its subsequent storage in the abyss is intimately linked with the global carbon cycle and constitutes a significant climatic force1. The Southern Ocean is a particularly important region because its wind-driven upwelling regime brings CO2 laden abyssal waters to the surface that exchange CO2 with the atmosphere. The Subantarctic Zone (SAZ) is a CO2 sink and also drives global primary productivity as unutilized nutrients, advected with surface waters from the south, are exported via Subantarctic Mode Water (SAMW) as preformed nutrients to the low latitudes where they fuel the biological pump in upwelling areas. Recent model estimates suggest that up to 40 ppm of the total 100 ppm atmospheric pCO2 reduction during the last ice age were driven by increased nutrient utilization in the SAZ and associated feedbacks on the deep ocean alkalinity. Micro-nutrient fertilization by iron (Fe), contained in the airborne dust flux to the SAZ, is considered to be the prime factor that stimulated this elevated photosynthetic activity thus enhancing nutrient utilization. We present a millennial-scale record of the vertical stable carbon isotope gradient between subsurface and deep water (Δδ13C) in the SAZ spanning the past 350,000 years. The Δδ13C gradient, derived from planktonic and benthic foraminifera, reflects the efficiency of biological pump and is highly correlated (rxy = -0.67 with 95% confidence interval [0.63; 0.71], n=874) with the record of dust flux preserved in Antarctic ice cores6. This strongly suggests that nutrient utilization in the SAZ was dynamically coupled to dust-induced Fe fertilization across both glacial-interglacial and faster millennial timescales. In concert with ventilation changes of the deep Southern Ocean this drove ocean-atmosphere CO2 exchange and, ultimately, atmospheric pCO2 variability during the late Pleistocene.

  11. Sensitivity to ocean acidification parallels natural pCO2 gradients experienced by Arctic copepods under winter sea ice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Ceri N.; Brown, Kristina A.; Edwards, Laura A.; Cooper, Glenn; Findlay, Helen S.

    2013-01-01

    The Arctic Ocean already experiences areas of low pH and high CO2, and it is expected to be most rapidly affected by future ocean acidification (OA). Copepods comprise the dominant Arctic zooplankton; hence, their responses to OA have important implications for Arctic ecosystems, yet there is little data on their current under-ice winter ecology on which to base future monitoring or make predictions about climate-induced change. Here, we report results from Arctic under-ice investigations of copepod natural distributions associated with late-winter carbonate chemistry environmental data and their response to manipulated pCO2 conditions (OA exposures). Our data reveal that species and life stage sensitivities to manipulated OA conditions were correlated with their vertical migration behavior and with their natural exposures to different pCO2 ranges. Vertically migrating adult Calanus spp. crossed a pCO2 range of >140 μatm daily and showed only minor responses to manipulated high CO2. Oithona similis, which remained in the surface waters and experienced a pCO2 range of <75 μatm, showed significantly reduced adult and nauplii survival in high CO2 experiments. These results support the relatively untested hypothesis that the natural range of pCO2 experienced by an organism determines its sensitivity to future OA and highlight that the globally important copepod species, Oithona spp., may be more sensitive to future high pCO2 conditions compared with the more widely studied larger copepods. PMID:24297880

  12. Changing noise levels in a high CO2/lower pH ocean

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brewer, P. G.; Hester, K. C.; Peltzer, E. T.; Kirkwood, W. J.

    2008-12-01

    We show that ocean acidification from fossil fuel CO2 invasion and from increased respiration/reduced ventilation, has significantly reduced ocean sound absorption and thus increased ocean noise levels in the kHz frequency range. Below 10 kHz, sound absorption occurs due to well known chemical relaxations in the B(OH)3/B(OH)4- and HCO3-/CO32- systems. The pH dependence of these chemical relaxations results in decreased sound absorption (α = dB/km) as the ocean becomes more acidic from increased CO2 levels. The scale of surface ocean pH change today from the +105 ppmv change in atmospheric CO2 is about - 0.12 pH, resulting in frequency dependent decreases in sound absorption that now exceed 12% over pre- industrial. Under reasonable projections of future fossil fuel CO2 emissions and other sources a pH change of 0.3 units or more can be anticipated by mid-century, resulting in a decrease in α by almost 40%. Increases in water temperature have a smaller effect but also contribute to decreased sound absorption. Combining a lowering of 0.3 pH units with an increase of 3°C, α will decrease further to almost 45%. Ambient noise levels in the ocean within the auditory range critical for environmental, military, and economic interests are set to increase significantly due to the combined effects of decreased absorption and increasing sources from mankind's activities. Incorporation of sound absorption in modeling future ocean scenarios (R. Zeebe, personal communication) and long-term monitoring possibly with the aid of modern cabled observatories can give insights in how ocean noise will continue to change and its effect on groups such as marine mammals which communicate in the affected frequency range.

  13. Fast Atmosphere-Ocean Model Runs with Large Changes in CO2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Russell, Gary L.; Lacis, Andrew A.; Rind, David H.; Colose, Christopher; Opstbaum, Roger F.

    2013-01-01

    How does climate sensitivity vary with the magnitude of climate forcing? This question was investigated with the use of a modified coupled atmosphere-ocean model, whose stability was improved so that the model would accommodate large radiative forcings yet be fast enough to reach rapid equilibrium. Experiments were performed in which atmospheric CO2 was multiplied by powers of 2, from 1/64 to 256 times the 1950 value. From 8 to 32 times, the 1950 CO2, climate sensitivity for doubling CO2 reaches 8 C due to increases in water vapor absorption and cloud top height and to reductions in low level cloud cover. As CO2 amount increases further, sensitivity drops as cloud cover and planetary albedo stabilize. No water vapor-induced runaway greenhouse caused by increased CO2 was found for the range of CO2 examined. With CO2 at or below 1/8 of the 1950 value, runaway sea ice does occur as the planet cascades to a snowball Earth climate with fully ice covered oceans and global mean surface temperatures near 30 C.

  14. Temperature dependence of CO2-enhanced primary production in the European Arctic Ocean

    KAUST Repository

    Holding, J. M.

    2015-08-31

    The Arctic Ocean is warming at two to three times the global rate1 and is perceived to be a bellwether for ocean acidification2, 3. Increased CO2 concentrations are expected to have a fertilization effect on marine autotrophs4, and higher temperatures should lead to increased rates of planktonic primary production5. Yet, simultaneous assessment of warming and increased CO2 on primary production in the Arctic has not been conducted. Here we test the expectation that CO2-enhanced gross primary production (GPP) may be temperature dependent, using data from several oceanographic cruises and experiments from both spring and summer in the European sector of the Arctic Ocean. Results confirm that CO2 enhances GPP (by a factor of up to ten) over a range of 145–2,099 μatm; however, the greatest effects are observed only at lower temperatures and are constrained by nutrient and light availability to the spring period. The temperature dependence of CO2-enhanced primary production has significant implications for metabolic balance in a warmer, CO2-enriched Arctic Ocean in the future. In particular, it indicates that a twofold increase in primary production during the spring is likely in the Arctic.

  15. The relative influence of H2O and CO2 on the primitive surface conditions of Venus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salvador, A.; Massol, H.; Davaille, A.; Marcq, E.; Sarda, P.; Chassefiere, E.

    2017-12-01

    How the volatile content influences the primordial surface conditions of terrestrial planets and, thus, their future geodynamic evolution is an important question to answer. We simulate the secular convective cooling of a 1-D magma ocean (MO) in interaction with its outgassed atmosphere. A first rapid cooling stage, where efficient MO cooling and degassing take place, producing the atmosphere, is followed by a second quasi steady state where the heat flux balance is dominated by the solar flux. The end ofthe rapid cooling stage (ERCS) is reached when the mantle heat flux becomes negligible compared tothe absorbed solar flux. Varying the initial CO2 and H2O contents and the solar distance, we showed that the resulting surface conditions at ERCS strongly depend on these parameters and that water ocean's formation obeys simple scaling laws.Although today's Venus is located beyond the inner edge of the habitable zone due to its high albedo, its high CO2/H2O ratio prevents any water ocean formation.We already showed that depending on the formation time of its cloudcover and resulting albedo, only 0.3 Earth ocean mass might be sufficient to form a water ocean onearly Venus. Here we investigate more precisely these results by taking into account the effect of shortwave radiation on the radiative budget by computing the feedbacks between atmospheric composition and incident stellar flux instead of using a prescribed albedo value.

  16. Sea ice contribution to the air-sea CO{sub 2} exchange in the Arctic and Southern Oceans

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rysgaard, Soeren (Greenland Climate Research Centre, Greenland Inst. of Natural Resources, Nuuk, Greenland (Denmark); Centre for Earth Observation Science, CHR Faculty of Environment Earth and Resources, Univ. of Manitoba, Winnipeg (Canada)), e-mail: rysgaard@natur.gl; Bendtsen, Joergen (Greenland Climate Research Centre, Greenland Inst. of Natural Resources, Nuuk, Greenland (Denmark); Centre for Ice and Climate, Niels Bohr Inst., Univ. of Copenhagen, Copenhagen O (Denmark)); Delille, Bruno (Unit' e d' Oceanographie Chimique, Interfacultary Centre for Marine Research, Universite de Liege, Liege (Belgium)); Dieckmann, Gerhard S. (Alfred Wegener Inst. for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven (Germany)); Glud, Ronnie N. (Greenland Climate Research Centre, Greenland Inst. of Natural Resources, Nuuk, Greenland (Denmark); Scottish Association of Marine Sciences, Scotland UK, Southern Danish Univ. and NordCee, Odense M (Denmark)); Kennedy, Hilary; Papadimitriou, Stathys (School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor Univ., Menai Bridge, Anglesey, Wales (United Kingdom)); Mortensen, John (Greenland Climate Research Centre, Greenland Inst. of Natural Resources, Nuuk, Greenland (Denmark)); Thomas, David N. (School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor Univ., Menai Bridge, Anglesey, Wales (United Kingdom); Finnish Environment Inst. (SYKE), Marine Research Centre, Helsinki (Finland)); Tison, Jean-Louis (Glaciology Unit, Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, (Belgium))

    2011-11-15

    Although salt rejection from sea ice is a key process in deep-water formation in ice-covered seas, the concurrent rejection of CO{sub 2} and the subsequent effect on air-sea CO{sub 2} exchange have received little attention. We review the mechanisms by which sea ice directly and indirectly controls the air-sea CO{sub 2} exchange and use recent measurements of inorganic carbon compounds in bulk sea ice to estimate that oceanic CO{sub 2} uptake during the seasonal cycle of sea-ice growth and decay in ice-covered oceanic regions equals almost half of the net atmospheric CO{sub 2} uptake in ice-free polar seas. This sea-ice driven CO{sub 2} uptake has not been considered so far in estimates of global oceanic CO{sub 2} uptake. Net CO{sub 2} uptake in sea-ice-covered oceans can be driven by; (1) rejection during sea-ice formation and sinking of CO{sub 2}-rich brine into intermediate and abyssal oceanic water masses, (2) blocking of air-sea CO{sub 2} exchange during winter, and (3) release of CO{sub 2}-depleted melt water with excess total alkalinity during sea-ice decay and (4) biological CO{sub 2} drawdown during primary production in sea ice and surface oceanic waters

  17. The non-steady state oceanic CO2 signal: its importance, magnitude and a novel way to detect it

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. I. McNeil

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available The role of the ocean has been pivotal in modulating rising atmospheric CO2 levels since the industrial revolution, sequestering nearly half of all fossil-fuel derived CO2 emissions. Net oceanic uptake of CO2 has roughly doubled between the 1960s (~1 Pg C yr−1 and 2000s (~2 Pg C yr−1, with expectations that it will continue to absorb even more CO2 with rising future atmospheric CO2 levels. However, recent CO2 observational analyses along with numerous model predictions suggest the rate of oceanic CO2 uptake is already slowing, largely as a result of a natural decadal-scale outgassing signal. This recent CO2 outgassing signal represents a significant shift in our understanding of the oceans role in modulating atmospheric CO2. Current tracer-based estimates for the ocean storage of anthropogenic CO2 assume the ocean circulation and biology is in steady state, thereby missing the new and potentially important "non-steady state" CO2 outgassing signal. By combining data-based techniques that assume the ocean is in a steady state, with techniques that constrain the net oceanic CO2 uptake signal, we show how to extract the non-steady state CO2 signal from observations. Over the entire industrial era, the non-steady state CO2 outgassing signal (~13 ± 10 Pg C is estimated to represent about 9% of the total net CO2 inventory change (~142 Pg C. However, between 1989 and 2007, the non-steady state CO2 outgassing signal (~6.3 Pg C has likely increased to be ~18% of net oceanic CO2 storage over that period (~36 Pg C. The present uncertainty of our data-based techniques for oceanic CO2 uptake limit our capacity to quantify the non-steady state CO2 signal, however with more data and better certainty estimates across a range of diverse methods, this important and growing CO2 signal could be better constrained in the future.

  18. A consistent and verifiable macroscopic model for the dissolution of liquid CO2 in water under hydrate forming conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Radhakrishnan, R.; Demurov, A.; Trout, B.L.; Herzog, H.

    2003-01-01

    Direct injection of liquid CO 2 into the ocean has been proposed as one method to reduce the emission levels of CO 2 into the atmosphere. When liquid CO 2 is injected (normally as droplets) at ocean depths >500 m, a solid interfacial region between the CO 2 and the water is observed to form. This region consists of hydrate clathrates and hinders the rate of dissolution of CO 2 . It is, therefore, expected to have a significant impact on the injection of liquid CO 2 into the ocean. Up until now, no consistent and predictive model for the shrinking of droplets of CO 2 under hydrate forming conditions has been proposed. This is because all models proposed to date have had too many unknowns. By computing rates of the physical and chemical processes in hydrates via molecular dynamics simulations, we have been able to determine independently some of these unknowns. We then propose the most reasonable model and use it to make independent predictions of the rates of mass transfer and thickness of the hydrate region. These predictions are compared to measurements, and implications to the rates of shrinkage of CO 2 droplets under varying flow conditions are discussed. (author)

  19. Lessons from two high CO2 worlds - future oceans and intensive aquaculture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellis, Robert P; Urbina, Mauricio A; Wilson, Rod W

    2017-06-01

    Exponentially rising CO 2 (currently ~400 μatm) is driving climate change and causing acidification of both marine and freshwater environments. Physiologists have long known that CO 2 directly affects acid-base and ion regulation, respiratory function and aerobic performance in aquatic animals. More recently, many studies have demonstrated that elevated CO 2 projected for end of this century (e.g. 800-1000 μatm) can also impact physiology, and have substantial effects on behaviours linked to sensory stimuli (smell, hearing and vision) both having negative implications for fitness and survival. In contrast, the aquaculture industry was farming aquatic animals at CO 2 levels that far exceed end-of-century climate change projections (sometimes >10 000 μatm) long before the term 'ocean acidification' was coined, with limited detrimental effects reported. It is therefore vital to understand the reasons behind this apparent discrepancy. Potential explanations include 1) the use of 'control' CO 2 levels in aquaculture studies that go beyond 2100 projections in an ocean acidification context; 2) the relatively benign environment in aquaculture (abundant food, disease protection, absence of predators) compared to the wild; 3) aquaculture species having been chosen due to their natural tolerance to the intensive conditions, including CO 2 levels; or 4) the breeding of species within intensive aquaculture having further selected traits that confer tolerance to elevated CO 2 . We highlight this issue and outline the insights that climate change and aquaculture science can offer for both marine and freshwater settings. Integrating these two fields will stimulate discussion on the direction of future cross-disciplinary research. In doing so, this article aimed to optimize future research efforts and elucidate effective mitigation strategies for managing the negative impacts of elevated CO 2 on future aquatic ecosystems and the sustainability of fish and shellfish

  20. Impact of CO{sub 2} hydrates on ocean carbon dioxide deposition options

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lund, P C

    1995-04-01

    The objective of the research project described in this report was to contribute to the research on greenhouse gases and the global environment. The focus is on the concept of storing large amounts of CO{sub 2} in the ocean. The project was divided into three subtasks: (1) a comprehensive study of the thermodynamic, physical and chemical properties of the seawater/CO{sub 2}/hydrate system, (2) establishment of a micro-scale kinetic model for CO{sub 2} hydrate formation and stability, based on (1), and (3) establishment of macro-scale models for various ocean deposition options based on (2). A database of selected thermodynamic functions has been set up. A large database of oceanic data has also been made; for any given coordinates at sea a computer program provides the temperature, salinity and oxygen profiles from the sea surface to the sea floor. The kinetic model predicts the formation and pseudo-stability of a very thin hydrate film which acts as an inhibitor for diffusion of CO{sub 2} into the sea water. The model predicts that the hydrate film reduces the overall flux from a liquid CO{sub 2} source with about 90%. Thermodynamically, pure CO{sub 2} in contact with water might form hydrates at depths below about 400 m, which would indicate that hydrate formation could play a role for all ocean CO{sub 2} deposition options. However, this study shows that other mechanisms significantly reduce the role of hydrate formation. It is finally concluded that although more modelling and experimental work is required within this field of research, the hydrate film may play an important role for all options except from shallow water injection. 86 refs., 32 figs., 16 tabs.

  1. Numerical modeling of pore-scale phenomena during CO2 sequestration in oceanic sediments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Qinjun; Tsimpanogiannis, Ioannis N.; Zhang, Dongxiao; Lichtner, Peter C.

    2005-01-01

    Direct disposal of liquid CO 2 on the ocean floor is one of the approaches considered for sequestering CO 2 in order to reduce its concentration in the atmosphere. At oceanic depths deeper than approximately 3000 m, liquid CO 2 density is higher than the density of seawater and CO 2 is expected to sink and form a pool at the ocean floor. In addition to chemical reactions between CO 2 and seawater to form hydrate, fluid displacement is also expected to occur within the ocean floor sediments. In this work, we consider two different numerical models for hydrate formation at the pore scale. The first model consists of the Lattice Boltzmann (LB) method applied to a single-phase supersaturated solution in a constructed porous medium. The second model is based on the Invasion Percolation (IP) in pore networks, applied to two-phase immiscible displacement of seawater by liquid CO 2 . The pore-scale results are upscaled to obtain constitutive relations for porosity, both transverse and for the entire domain, and for permeability. We examine deposition and displacement patterns, and changes in porosity and permeability due to hydrate formation, and how these properties depend on various parameters including a parametric study of the effect of hydrate formation kinetics. According to the simulations, the depth of CO 2 invasion in the sediments is controlled by changes in the pore-scale porosity close to the hydrate formation front. (author)

  2. Quantifying the drivers of ocean-atmosphere CO2 fluxes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lauderdale, Jonathan M.; Dutkiewicz, Stephanie; Williams, Richard G.; Follows, Michael J.

    2016-07-01

    A mechanistic framework for quantitatively mapping the regional drivers of air-sea CO2 fluxes at a global scale is developed. The framework evaluates the interplay between (1) surface heat and freshwater fluxes that influence the potential saturated carbon concentration, which depends on changes in sea surface temperature, salinity and alkalinity, (2) a residual, disequilibrium flux influenced by upwelling and entrainment of remineralized carbon- and nutrient-rich waters from the ocean interior, as well as rapid subduction of surface waters, (3) carbon uptake and export by biological activity as both soft tissue and carbonate, and (4) the effect on surface carbon concentrations due to freshwater precipitation or evaporation. In a steady state simulation of a coarse-resolution ocean circulation and biogeochemistry model, the sum of the individually determined components is close to the known total flux of the simulation. The leading order balance, identified in different dynamical regimes, is between the CO2 fluxes driven by surface heat fluxes and a combination of biologically driven carbon uptake and disequilibrium-driven carbon outgassing. The framework is still able to reconstruct simulated fluxes when evaluated using monthly averaged data and takes a form that can be applied consistently in models of different complexity and observations of the ocean. In this way, the framework may reveal differences in the balance of drivers acting across an ensemble of climate model simulations or be applied to an analysis and interpretation of the observed, real-world air-sea flux of CO2.

  3. Quantifying pCO2 in biological ocean acidification experiments: A comparison of four methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watson, Sue-Ann; Fabricius, Katharina E; Munday, Philip L

    2017-01-01

    Quantifying the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in seawater is an essential component of ocean acidification research; however, equipment for measuring CO2 directly can be costly and involve complex, bulky apparatus. Consequently, other parameters of the carbonate system, such as pH and total alkalinity (AT), are often measured and used to calculate the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) in seawater, especially in biological CO2-manipulation studies, including large ecological experiments and those conducted at field sites. Here we compare four methods of pCO2 determination that have been used in biological ocean acidification experiments: 1) Versatile INstrument for the Determination of Total inorganic carbon and titration Alkalinity (VINDTA) measurement of dissolved inorganic carbon (CT) and AT, 2) spectrophotometric measurement of pHT and AT, 3) electrode measurement of pHNBS and AT, and 4) the direct measurement of CO2 using a portable CO2 equilibrator with a non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) gas analyser. In this study, we found these four methods can produce very similar pCO2 estimates, and the three methods often suited to field-based application (spectrophotometric pHT, electrode pHNBS and CO2 equilibrator) produced estimated measurement uncertainties of 3.5-4.6% for pCO2. Importantly, we are not advocating the replacement of established methods to measure seawater carbonate chemistry, particularly for high-accuracy quantification of carbonate parameters in seawater such as open ocean chemistry, for real-time measures of ocean change, nor for the measurement of small changes in seawater pCO2. However, for biological CO2-manipulation experiments measuring differences of over 100 μatm pCO2 among treatments, we find the four methods described here can produce similar results with careful use.

  4. Spatio-temporal Variability in Surface Ocean pCO2 Inferred from Observations

    OpenAIRE

    Jones, Steve

    2012-01-01

    The variability of surface ocean pCO2 is examined on multiple spatial and temporal scales. Temporal autocorrelation analysis is used to examine pCO2 variability over multiple years. Spatial autocorrelation analysis describes pCO2 variability over multiple spatial scales. Spatial autocorrelation lengths range between

  5. Arctic Ocean CO2 uptake: an improved multiyear estimate of the air-sea CO2 flux incorporating chlorophyll a concentrations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yasunaka, Sayaka; Siswanto, Eko; Olsen, Are; Hoppema, Mario; Watanabe, Eiji; Fransson, Agneta; Chierici, Melissa; Murata, Akihiko; Lauvset, Siv K.; Wanninkhof, Rik; Takahashi, Taro; Kosugi, Naohiro; Omar, Abdirahman M.; van Heuven, Steven; Mathis, Jeremy T.

    2018-03-01

    We estimated monthly air-sea CO2 fluxes in the Arctic Ocean and its adjacent seas north of 60° N from 1997 to 2014. This was done by mapping partial pressure of CO2 in the surface water (pCO2w) using a self-organizing map (SOM) technique incorporating chlorophyll a concentration (Chl a), sea surface temperature, sea surface salinity, sea ice concentration, atmospheric CO2 mixing ratio, and geographical position. We applied new algorithms for extracting Chl a from satellite remote sensing reflectance with close examination of uncertainty of the obtained Chl a values. The overall relationship between pCO2w and Chl a was negative, whereas the relationship varied among seasons and regions. The addition of Chl a as a parameter in the SOM process enabled us to improve the estimate of pCO2w, particularly via better representation of its decline in spring, which resulted from biologically mediated pCO2w reduction. As a result of the inclusion of Chl a, the uncertainty in the CO2 flux estimate was reduced, with a net annual Arctic Ocean CO2 uptake of 180 ± 130 Tg C yr-1. Seasonal to interannual variation in the CO2 influx was also calculated.

  6. Response of ocean acidification to a gradual increase and decrease of atmospheric CO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cao, Long; Zhang, Han; Zheng, Meidi; Wang, Shuangjing

    2014-01-01

    We perform coupled climate–carbon cycle model simulations to examine changes in ocean acidity in response to idealized change of atmospheric CO 2 . Atmospheric CO 2 increases at a rate of 1% per year to four times its pre-industrial level of 280 ppm and then decreases at the same rate to the pre-industrial level. Our simulations show that changes in surface ocean chemistry largely follow changes in atmospheric CO 2 . However, changes in deep ocean chemistry in general lag behind the change in atmospheric CO 2 because of the long time scale associated with the penetration of excess CO 2 into the deep ocean. In our simulations with the effect of climate change, when atmospheric CO 2 reaches four times its pre-industrial level, global mean aragonite saturation horizon (ASH) shoals from the pre-industrial value of 1288 to 143 m. When atmospheric CO 2 returns from the peak value of 1120 ppm to pre-industrial level, ASH is 630 m, which is approximately the value of ASH when atmospheric CO 2 first increases to 719 ppm. At pre-industrial CO 2 9% deep-sea cold-water corals are surrounded by seawater that is undersaturated with aragonite. When atmospheric CO 2 reaches 1120 ppm, 73% cold-water coral locations are surrounded by seawater with aragonite undersaturation, and when atmospheric CO 2 returns to the pre-industrial level, 18% cold-water coral locations are surrounded by seawater with aragonite undersaturation. Our analysis indicates the difficulty for some marine ecosystems to recover to their natural chemical habitats even if atmospheric CO 2 content can be lowered in the future. (paper)

  7. Ocean acidification impacts bacteria-phytoplankton coupling at low-nutrient conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hornick, Thomas; Bach, Lennart T.; Crawfurd, Katharine J.; Spilling, Kristian; Achterberg, Eric P.; Woodhouse, Jason N.; Schulz, Kai G.; Brussaard, Corina P. D.; Riebesell, Ulf; Grossart, Hans-Peter

    2017-01-01

    The oceans absorb about a quarter of the annually produced anthropogenic atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), resulting in a decrease in surface water pH, a process termed ocean acidification (OA). Surprisingly little is known about how OA affects the physiology of heterotrophic bacteria or the coupling of heterotrophic bacteria to phytoplankton when nutrients are limited. Previous experiments were, for the most part, undertaken during productive phases or following nutrient additions designed to stimulate algal blooms. Therefore, we performed an in situ large-volume mesocosm ( ˜ 55 m3) experiment in the Baltic Sea by simulating different fugacities of CO2 (fCO2) extending from present to future conditions. The study was conducted in July-August after the nominal spring bloom, in order to maintain low-nutrient conditions throughout the experiment. This resulted in phytoplankton communities dominated by small-sized functional groups (picophytoplankton). There was no consistent fCO2-induced effect on bacterial protein production (BPP), cell-specific BPP (csBPP) or biovolumes (BVs) of either free-living (FL) or particle-associated (PA) heterotrophic bacteria, when considered as individual components (univariate analyses). Permutational Multivariate Analysis of Variance (PERMANOVA) revealed a significant effect of the fCO2 treatment on entire assemblages of dissolved and particulate nutrients, metabolic parameters and the bacteria-phytoplankton community. However, distance-based linear modelling only identified fCO2 as a factor explaining the variability observed amongst the microbial community composition, but not for explaining variability within the metabolic parameters. This suggests that fCO2 impacts on microbial metabolic parameters occurred indirectly through varying physicochemical parameters and microbial species composition. Cluster analyses examining the co-occurrence of different functional groups of bacteria and phytoplankton further revealed a separation of

  8. Oysters and eelgrass: potential partners in a high pCO2 ocean.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Groner, Maya L; Burge, Colleen A; Cox, Ruth; Rivlin, Natalie; Turner, Mo; Van Alstyne, Kathryn L; Wyllie-Echeverria, Sandy; Bucci, John; Staudigel, Philip; Friedman, Carolyn S

    2018-05-25

    Climate change is affecting the health and physiology of marine organisms and altering species interactions. Ocean acidification (OA) threatens calcifying organisms such as the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas. In contrast, seagrasses, such as the eelgrass Zostera marina, can benefit from the increase in available carbon for photosynthesis found at a lower seawater pH. Seagrasses can remove dissolved inorganic carbon from OA environments, creating local daytime pH refugia. Pacific oysters may improve the health of eelgrass by filtering out pathogens such as Labyrinthula zosterae (LZ), which causes eelgrass wasting disease (EWD). We examined how co-culture of eelgrass ramets and juvenile oysters affected the health and growth of eelgrass and the mass of oysters under different pCO 2 exposures. In Phase I, each species was cultured alone or in co-culture at 12°C across ambient, medium, and high pCO 2 conditions, (656, 1158 and1606 μatm pCO 2 , respectively). Under high pCO 2 , eelgrass grew faster and had less severe EWD (contracted in the field prior to the experiment). Co-culture with oysters also reduced the severity of EWD. While the presence of eelgrass decreased daytime pCO 2 , this reduction was not substantial enough to ameliorate the negative impact of high pCO 2 on oyster mass. In Phase II, eelgrass alone or oysters and eelgrass in co-culture were held at 15°C under ambient and high pCO 2 conditions, (488 and 2013 μatm pCO 2 , respectively). Half of the replicates were challenged with cultured LZ. Concentrations of defensive compounds in eelgrass (total phenolics and tannins), were altered by LZ exposure and pCO 2 treatments. Greater pathogen loads and increased EWD severity were detected in LZ exposed eelgrass ramets; EWD severity was reduced at high relative to low pCO 2 . Oyster presence did not influence pathogen load or EWD severity; high LZ concentrations in experimental treatments may have masked the effect of this treatment. Collectively, these

  9. The influence of the ocean circulation state on ocean carbon storage and CO2 drawdown potential in an Earth system model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ödalen, Malin; Nycander, Jonas; Oliver, Kevin I. C.; Brodeau, Laurent; Ridgwell, Andy

    2018-03-01

    During the four most recent glacial cycles, atmospheric CO2 during glacial maxima has been lowered by about 90-100 ppm with respect to interglacials. There is widespread consensus that most of this carbon was partitioned in the ocean. It is, however, still debated which processes were dominant in achieving this increased carbon storage. In this paper, we use an Earth system model of intermediate complexity to explore the sensitivity of ocean carbon storage to ocean circulation state. We carry out a set of simulations in which we run the model to pre-industrial equilibrium, but in which we achieve different states of ocean circulation by changing forcing parameters such as wind stress, ocean diffusivity and atmospheric heat diffusivity. As a consequence, the ensemble members also have different ocean carbon reservoirs, global ocean average temperatures, biological pump efficiencies and conditions for air-sea CO2 disequilibrium. We analyse changes in total ocean carbon storage and separate it into contributions by the solubility pump, the biological pump and the CO2 disequilibrium component. We also relate these contributions to differences in the strength of the ocean overturning circulation. Depending on which ocean forcing parameter is tuned, the origin of the change in carbon storage is different. When wind stress or ocean diapycnal diffusivity is changed, the response of the biological pump gives the most important effect on ocean carbon storage, whereas when atmospheric heat diffusivity or ocean isopycnal diffusivity is changed, the solubility pump and the disequilibrium component are also important and sometimes dominant. Despite this complexity, we obtain a negative linear relationship between total ocean carbon and the combined strength of the northern and southern overturning cells. This relationship is robust to different reservoirs dominating the response to different forcing mechanisms. Finally, we conduct a drawdown experiment in which we investigate

  10. The influence of the ocean circulation state on ocean carbon storage and CO2 drawdown potential in an Earth system model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Ödalen

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available During the four most recent glacial cycles, atmospheric CO2 during glacial maxima has been lowered by about 90–100 ppm with respect to interglacials. There is widespread consensus that most of this carbon was partitioned in the ocean. It is, however, still debated which processes were dominant in achieving this increased carbon storage. In this paper, we use an Earth system model of intermediate complexity to explore the sensitivity of ocean carbon storage to ocean circulation state. We carry out a set of simulations in which we run the model to pre-industrial equilibrium, but in which we achieve different states of ocean circulation by changing forcing parameters such as wind stress, ocean diffusivity and atmospheric heat diffusivity. As a consequence, the ensemble members also have different ocean carbon reservoirs, global ocean average temperatures, biological pump efficiencies and conditions for air–sea CO2 disequilibrium. We analyse changes in total ocean carbon storage and separate it into contributions by the solubility pump, the biological pump and the CO2 disequilibrium component. We also relate these contributions to differences in the strength of the ocean overturning circulation. Depending on which ocean forcing parameter is tuned, the origin of the change in carbon storage is different. When wind stress or ocean diapycnal diffusivity is changed, the response of the biological pump gives the most important effect on ocean carbon storage, whereas when atmospheric heat diffusivity or ocean isopycnal diffusivity is changed, the solubility pump and the disequilibrium component are also important and sometimes dominant. Despite this complexity, we obtain a negative linear relationship between total ocean carbon and the combined strength of the northern and southern overturning cells. This relationship is robust to different reservoirs dominating the response to different forcing mechanisms. Finally, we conduct a drawdown experiment

  11. CO2-level Dependent Effects of Ocean Acidification on Squid, Doryteuthis pealeii, Early Life History

    KAUST Repository

    Zakroff, Casey J.

    2013-12-01

    Ocean acidification is predicted to lead to global oceanic decreases in pH of up to 0.3 units within the next 100 years. However, those levels are already being reached currently in coastal regions due to natural CO2 variability. Squid are a vital component of the pelagic ecosystem, holding a unique niche as a highly active predatory invertebrate and major prey stock for upper trophic levels. This study examined the effects of a range of ocean acidification regimes on the early life history of a coastal squid species, the Atlantic longfin squid, Doryteuthis pealeii. Eggs were raised in a flow-through ocean acidification system at CO2 levels ranging from ambient (400ppm) to 2200ppm. Time to hatching, hatching efficiency, and hatchling mantle lengths, yolk sac sizes, and statoliths were all examined to elucidate stress effects. Delays in hatching time of at least a day were seen at exposures above 1300ppm in all trials under controlled conditions. Mantle lengths were significantly reduced at exposures above 1300 ppm. Yolk sac sizes varied between CO2 treatments, but no distinct pattern emerged. Statoliths were increasingly porous and malformed as CO2 exposures increased, and were significantly reduced in surface area at exposures above 1300ppm. Doryteuthis pealeii appears to be able to withstand acidosis stress without major effects up to 1300ppm, but is strongly impacted past that threshold. Since yolk consumption did not vary among treatments, it appears that during its early life stages, D. pealeii reallocates its available energy budget away from somatic growth and system development in order to mitigate the stress of acidosis.

  12. Simulated 21st century's increase in oceanic suboxia by CO2-enhanced biotic carbon export

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oschlies, Andreas; Schulz, Kai G.; Riebesell, Ulf; Schmittner, Andreas

    2008-12-01

    The primary impacts of anthropogenic CO2 emissions on marine biogeochemical cycles predicted so far include ocean acidification, global warming induced shifts in biogeographical provinces, and a possible negative feedback on atmospheric CO2 levels by CO2-fertilized biological production. Here we report a new potentially significant impact on the oxygen-minimum zones of the tropical oceans. Using a model of global climate, ocean circulation, and biogeochemical cycling, we extrapolate mesocosm-derived experimental findings of a pCO2-sensitive increase in biotic carbon-to-nitrogen drawdown to the global ocean. For a simulation run from the onset of the industrial revolution until A.D. 2100 under a "business-as-usual" scenario for anthropogenic CO2 emissions, our model predicts a negative feedback on atmospheric CO2 levels, which amounts to 34 Gt C by the end of this century. While this represents a small alteration of the anthropogenic perturbation of the carbon cycle, the model results reveal a dramatic 50% increase in the suboxic water volume by the end of this century in response to the respiration of excess organic carbon formed at higher CO2 levels. This is a significant expansion of the marine "dead zones" with severe implications not only for all higher life forms but also for oxygen-sensitive nutrient recycling and, hence, for oceanic nutrient inventories.

  13. Confined release of CO{sub 2} into the ocean

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adams, E.E.; Zhang, X.Y.; Herzog, H.J. [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States)] [and others

    1993-12-31

    To help reduce global warming, it has been proposed to sequester some CO{sub 2} in the deep ocean. However, current pipe technology is limited to about 600-650 m{sup 4}, so deeper transport requires other means. Recently, it was suggested that CO{sub 2} could be released at depths of 200 - 400 m as a concentrated seawater solution. The dense solution would form a negatively buoyant gravity current and sink to greater depth. In the following we expand our previous calculations showing that an unconfined release of CO{sub 2} will not create sufficient concentration or negative buoyancy. However, release of either compressed gaseous or liquid CO{sub 2} into an appropriately designed confinement vessel could produce sufficient concentration to transport the current to deeper water. Furthermore, such a scheme may facilitate formation of CO{sub 2} hydrate particles that are heavier than seawater, causing further sinking. A recently completed Research Needs assessment study which we conducted for DOE concludes that shallow water disposal of CO{sub 2} may be the most promising CO{sub 2} disposal option.

  14. Anthropogenic CO2 distribution in the North Pacific ocean

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, C [National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung (Taiwan, Province of China)

    1993-06-01

    This paper discusses the penetration depth of anthropogenic CO2 in the North Pacific Ocean based on carbonate data in the literature. The carbonate data in the literature were used to supplement the tracer data showing oceanic mixing features for waters formed in the last 140 years. The deepest penetration over 2,000m was found in the northwest North Pacific. On the other hand, the shallowest penetration to less than 400m was found in the eastern equatorial Pacific. Consequently, it was suggested that penetration depth of anthropogenic CO2 has been controlled by such factors as deep water formation in the Northwest Pacific, upwelling in the equatorial Pacific, and vertical mixing in the western boundary areas. It was revealed that these results are in harmony well with results implied from tritium, C-14, and freons distributions. The total inventory of excess carbon in the North Pacific was 14.7[plus minus]4[times]10[sup 15]g around 1980. 48 refs., 10 figs.

  15. Why Southern Ocean uptake of anthropogenic CO2 may be decreasing

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Mongwe, P

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available to the warm surface water and its influence on CO2 solubility (Figures 2 and 3). The decline is DIC with depth correlates with the decrease in temperature (Figures 2 and 3), as colder water holds more CO2. The Southern Ocean has particularly high DIC... southwards, upwelling is also expected move more southwards, which may result in more intense CO2 outgassing. The emitted CO2 contributes to green house gases, which alter the heat balance and result in increased average temperatures. REFERENCES Le...

  16. Ocean acidification affects fish spawning but not paternity at CO2 seeps.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milazzo, Marco; Cattano, Carlo; Alonzo, Suzanne H; Foggo, Andrew; Gristina, Michele; Rodolfo-Metalpa, Riccardo; Sinopoli, Mauro; Spatafora, Davide; Stiver, Kelly A; Hall-Spencer, Jason M

    2016-07-27

    Fish exhibit impaired sensory function and altered behaviour at levels of ocean acidification expected to occur owing to anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions during this century. We provide the first evidence of the effects of ocean acidification on reproductive behaviour of fish in the wild. Satellite and sneaker male ocellated wrasse (Symphodus ocellatus) compete to fertilize eggs guarded by dominant nesting males. Key mating behaviours such as dominant male courtship and nest defence did not differ between sites with ambient versus elevated CO2 concentrations. Dominant males did, however, experience significantly lower rates of pair spawning at elevated CO2 levels. Despite the higher risk of sperm competition found at elevated CO2, we also found a trend of lower satellite and sneaker male paternity at elevated CO2 Given the importance of fish for food security and ecosystem stability, this study highlights the need for targeted research into the effects of rising CO2 levels on patterns of reproduction in wild fish. © 2016 The Author(s).

  17. Low pCO2 under sea-ice melt in the Canada Basin of the western Arctic Ocean

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kosugi, Naohiro; Sasano, Daisuke; Ishii, Masao; Nishino, Shigeto; Uchida, Hiroshi; Yoshikawa-Inoue, Hisayuki

    2017-12-01

    In September 2013, we observed an expanse of surface water with low CO2 partial pressure (pCO2sea) (Ocean. The large undersaturation of CO2 in this region was the result of massive primary production after the sea-ice retreat in June and July. In the surface of the Canada Basin, salinity was low ( 20 µmol kg-1) in the subsurface low pCO2sea layer in the Canada Basin indicated significant net primary production undersea and/or in preformed condition. If these low pCO2sea layers surface by wind mixing, they will act as additional CO2 sinks; however, this is unlikely because intensification of stratification by sea-ice melt inhibits mixing across the halocline.

  18. The sequestration switch. Removing industrial CO2 by direct ocean absorption

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ametistova, Lioudmila; Briden, James; Twidell, John

    2002-01-01

    This review paper considers direct injection of industrial CO 2 emissions into the mid-water oceanic column below 500 m depth. Such a process is a potential candidate for switching atmospheric carbon emissions directly to long term sequestration, thereby relieving the intermediate atmospheric burden. Given sufficient research justification, the argument is that harmful impact in both the Atmosphere and the biologically rich upper marine layer could be reduced. The paper aims to estimate the role that active intervention, through direct ocean CO 2 storage, could play and to outline further research and assessment for the strategy to be a viable option for climate change mitigation. The attractiveness of direct ocean injection lies in its bypassing of the Atmosphere and upper marine region, its relative permanence, its practicability using existing technologies and its quantification. The difficulties relate to the uncertainty of some fundamental scientific issues, such as plume dynamics, lowered pH of the exposed waters and associated ecological impact, the significant energy penalty associated with the necessary engineering plant and the uncertain costs. Moreover, there are considerable uncertainties regarding related international marine law. Development of the process would require acceptance of the evidence for climate change, strict requirements for large industrial consumers of fossil fuel to reduce CO 2 emissions into the Atmosphere and scientific evidence for the overall beneficial impact of ocean sequestration

  19. Literature review of CO sub 2 behavior in the ocean and its fixation methods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sakaguchi, I [and others; CRIEPI, Abiko-shi (Japan). Abiko Research Lab.

    1991-01-01

    CO{sub 2} behaviour in the ocean and its fixation methods are reviewed. Intermediate and deep water is an important carbon reservoir in the ocean. It is estimated that plenty of carbon, 37,700 GtC, is stored in the intermediate and deep water as compared with the storage in the atmosphere and surface water, 725 GtC each. Main carbon transportation routes in the ocean are (1) downward flux by sinking of carbonate particles, organic particles and water from surface, and (2) upward flux by upwelling of dissolved carbon rich deep water. Because 10{sup 3} years are estimated to be required for deep water upwelling to surface, organic and carbonate particles sinking into the intermediate and deep water are considered to be stored for a long term. Biomass of marine algae and its primary production are estimated to be 2-5 GtC and 10-40 GtC/year respectively. Two to five per cent of the primary production is estimated to be transported from surface to more than 1000 m deep as marine snow or fecal pellets. Following three methods are considered to be possible candidates to reduce atmospheric CO{sub 2} using marine organisms: (1) increasing macroalgae biomass to be used as biomass energy; (2) fixing CO{sub 2} as CaCO{sub 3} like coral reefs; (3) adding micronutrients such as iron to ocean surface water for increasing the primary production and the amount of carbon particles sinking to a deep layer. Following subjects should be studied before utilizing these methods in the ocean: (1) cost reduction for biomass production for increasing macroalgae biomass; (2) CO{sub 2} balance during classification for fixing CO{sub 2} as CaCO{sub 3}; (3) cleaning limiting factors for algae production, how to spread micronutrients to vast sea area and assessing possible environmental effects of adding micronutrients.

  20. Sea ice contribution to the air-sea CO(2) exchange in the Arctic and Southern Oceans

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rysgaard...[], Søren; Bendtsen, Jørgen; Delille, B.

    2011-01-01

    Although salt rejection from sea ice is a key process in deep-water formation in ice-covered seas, the concurrent rejection of CO(2) and the subsequent effect on air-sea CO(2) exchange have received little attention. We review the mechanisms by which sea ice directly and indirectly controls the air......-sea CO(2) exchange and use recent measurements of inorganic carbon compounds in bulk sea ice to estimate that oceanic CO(2) uptake during the seasonal cycle of sea-ice growth and decay in ice-covered oceanic regions equals almost half of the net atmospheric CO(2) uptake in ice-free polar seas. This sea......-sea CO(2) exchange during winter, and (3) release of CO(2)-depleted melt water with excess total alkalinity during sea-ice decay and (4) biological CO(2) drawdown during primary production in sea ice and surface oceanic waters....

  1. Over-calcified forms of the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi in high-CO2 waters are not preadapted to ocean acidification

    Science.gov (United States)

    von Dassow, Peter; Díaz-Rosas, Francisco; Mahdi Bendif, El; Gaitán-Espitia, Juan-Diego; Mella-Flores, Daniella; Rokitta, Sebastian; John, Uwe; Torres, Rodrigo

    2018-03-01

    Marine multicellular organisms inhabiting waters with natural high fluctuations in pH appear more tolerant to acidification than conspecifics occurring in nearby stable waters, suggesting that environments of fluctuating pH hold genetic reservoirs for adaptation of key groups to ocean acidification (OA). The abundant and cosmopolitan calcifying phytoplankton Emiliania huxleyi exhibits a range of morphotypes with varying degrees of coccolith mineralization. We show that E. huxleyi populations in the naturally acidified upwelling waters of the eastern South Pacific, where pH drops below 7.8 as is predicted for the global surface ocean by the year 2100, are dominated by exceptionally over-calcified morphotypes whose distal coccolith shield can be almost solid calcite. Shifts in morphotype composition of E. huxleyi populations correlate with changes in carbonate system parameters. We tested if these correlations indicate that the hyper-calcified morphotype is adapted to OA. In experimental exposures to present-day vs. future pCO2 (400 vs. 1200 µatm), the over-calcified morphotypes showed the same growth inhibition (-29.1±6.3 %) as moderately calcified morphotypes isolated from non-acidified water (-30.7±8.8 %). Under the high-CO2-low-pH condition, production rates of particulate organic carbon (POC) increased, while production rates of particulate inorganic carbon (PIC) were maintained or decreased slightly (but not significantly), leading to lowered PIC / POC ratios in all strains. There were no consistent correlations of response intensity with strain origin. The high-CO2-low-pH condition affected coccolith morphology equally or more strongly in over-calcified strains compared to moderately calcified strains. High-CO2-low-pH conditions appear not to directly select for exceptionally over-calcified morphotypes over other morphotypes, but perhaps indirectly by ecologically correlated factors. More generally, these results suggest that oceanic planktonic

  2. Temporal and spatial variations of oceanic pCO2 and air-sea CO2 flux in th Greenland Sea and the Barents Sea

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakaoka, Shin-Ichiro; Aoki, Shuji; Nakazawa, Takakiyo; Yoshikawa-Inoue, Hisayuki

    2006-01-01

    In order to elucidate the seasonal and inter annual variations of oceanic CO 2 uptake in the Greenland Sea and the Barents Sea, the partial pressure of CO 2 in the surface ocean (pCO 2 sea ) was measured in all seasons between 1992 and 2001. We derived monthly varying relationships between pCO 2 sea and sea surface temperature (SST) and combined them with the SST data from the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis to determine pCO 2 sea and air-sea CO 2 flux in these seas. The pCO 2 sea values were normalized to the year 1995 by assuming that pCO 2 sea increased at the same growth rate (1.5 μatm/yr) of the pCO 2 in the air (pCO 2 air ) between 1992 and 2001. In 1995, the annual net air-sea CO 2 fluxes were evaluated to be 52 ± 20 gC/m 2 /yr in the Greenland Sea and 46 ± 18 gC/m 2 /yr in the Barents Sea. The CO 2 flux into the ocean reached its maximum in winter and minimum in summer. The wind speed and (delta)pCO 2 (=pCO 2 air -pCO 2 sea ) exerted a greater influence on the seasonal variation than the sea ice coverage. The annual CO 2 uptake examined in this study (70-80 deg N, 20 deg W-40 deg E) was estimated to be 0.050 ± 0.020 GtC/yr in 1995. The inter annual variation in the annual CO 2 uptake was found to be positively correlated with the North Atlantic Oscillation Index (NAOI) via wind strength but negatively correlated with (delta)pCO 2 and the sea ice coverage. The present results indicate that the variability in wind speed and sea ice coverage play a major role, while that in (delta)pCO 2 plays a minor role, in determining the interannual variation of CO 2 uptake in this area

  3. The declining uptake rate of atmospheric CO2 by land and ocean sinks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raupach, M.R.; Gloor, M.; Sarmiento, J.L.; Gasser, T.

    2014-01-01

    Through 1959-2012, an airborne fraction (AF) of 0.44 of total anthropogenic CO 2 emissions remained in the atmosphere, with the rest being taken up by land and ocean CO 2 sinks. Understanding of this uptake is critical because it greatly alleviates the emissions reductions required for climate mitigation, and also reduces the risks and damages that adaptation has to embrace. An observable quantity that reflects sink properties more directly than the AF is the CO 2 sink rate (k S ), the combined land-ocean CO 2 sink flux per unit excess atmospheric CO 2 above pre industrial levels. Here we show from observations that k S declined over 1959-2012 by a factor of about 1/3, implying that CO 2 sinks increased more slowly than excess CO 2 . Using a carbon-climate model, we attribute the decline in k S to four mechanisms: slower-than-exponential CO 2 emissions growth (35% of the trend), volcanic eruptions (25 %), sink responses to climate change (20 %), and nonlinear responses to increasing CO 2 , mainly oceanic (20 %). The first of these mechanisms is associated purely with the trajectory of extrinsic forcing, and the last two with intrinsic, feedback responses of sink processes to changes in climate and atmospheric CO 2 . Our results suggest that the effects of these intrinsic, nonlinear responses are already detectable in the global carbon cycle. Although continuing future decreases in k S will occur under all plausible CO 2 emission scenarios, the rate of decline varies between scenarios in non intuitive ways because extrinsic and intrinsic mechanisms respond in opposite ways to changes in emissions: extrinsic mechanisms cause k S to decline more strongly with increasing mitigation, while intrinsic mechanisms cause k S to decline more strongly under high-emission, low-mitigation scenarios as the carbon-climate system is perturbed further from a near-linear regime. (authors)

  4. Interannual drivers of the seasonal cycle of CO2 in the Southern Ocean

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. Gregor

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Resolving and understanding the drivers of variability of CO2 in the Southern Ocean and its potential climate feedback is one of the major scientific challenges of the ocean-climate community. Here we use a regional approach on empirical estimates of pCO2 to understand the role that seasonal variability has in long-term CO2 changes in the Southern Ocean. Machine learning has become the preferred empirical modelling tool to interpolate time- and location-restricted ship measurements of pCO2. In this study we use an ensemble of three machine-learning products: support vector regression (SVR and random forest regression (RFR from Gregor et al. (2017, and the self-organising-map feed-forward neural network (SOM-FFN method from Landschützer et al. (2016. The interpolated estimates of ΔpCO2 are separated into nine regions in the Southern Ocean defined by basin (Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic and biomes (as defined by Fay and McKinley, 2014a. The regional approach shows that, while there is good agreement in the overall trend of the products, there are periods and regions where the confidence in estimated ΔpCO2 is low due to disagreement between the products. The regional breakdown of the data highlighted the seasonal decoupling of the modes for summer and winter interannual variability. Winter interannual variability had a longer mode of variability compared to summer, which varied on a 4–6-year timescale. We separate the analysis of the ΔpCO2 and its drivers into summer and winter. We find that understanding the variability of ΔpCO2 and its drivers on shorter timescales is critical to resolving the long-term variability of ΔpCO2. Results show that ΔpCO2 is rarely driven by thermodynamics during winter, but rather by mixing and stratification due to the stronger correlation of ΔpCO2 variability with mixed layer depth. Summer pCO2 variability is consistent with chlorophyll a variability, where higher concentrations of chlorophyll

  5. Interannual drivers of the seasonal cycle of CO2 in the Southern Ocean

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gregor, Luke; Kok, Schalk; Monteiro, Pedro M. S.

    2018-04-01

    Resolving and understanding the drivers of variability of CO2 in the Southern Ocean and its potential climate feedback is one of the major scientific challenges of the ocean-climate community. Here we use a regional approach on empirical estimates of pCO2 to understand the role that seasonal variability has in long-term CO2 changes in the Southern Ocean. Machine learning has become the preferred empirical modelling tool to interpolate time- and location-restricted ship measurements of pCO2. In this study we use an ensemble of three machine-learning products: support vector regression (SVR) and random forest regression (RFR) from Gregor et al. (2017), and the self-organising-map feed-forward neural network (SOM-FFN) method from Landschützer et al. (2016). The interpolated estimates of ΔpCO2 are separated into nine regions in the Southern Ocean defined by basin (Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic) and biomes (as defined by Fay and McKinley, 2014a). The regional approach shows that, while there is good agreement in the overall trend of the products, there are periods and regions where the confidence in estimated ΔpCO2 is low due to disagreement between the products. The regional breakdown of the data highlighted the seasonal decoupling of the modes for summer and winter interannual variability. Winter interannual variability had a longer mode of variability compared to summer, which varied on a 4-6-year timescale. We separate the analysis of the ΔpCO2 and its drivers into summer and winter. We find that understanding the variability of ΔpCO2 and its drivers on shorter timescales is critical to resolving the long-term variability of ΔpCO2. Results show that ΔpCO2 is rarely driven by thermodynamics during winter, but rather by mixing and stratification due to the stronger correlation of ΔpCO2 variability with mixed layer depth. Summer pCO2 variability is consistent with chlorophyll a variability, where higher concentrations of chlorophyll a correspond with lower pCO2

  6. In situ developmental responses of tropical sea urchin larvae to ocean acidification conditions at naturally elevated pCO2 vent sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamare, Miles D; Liddy, Michelle; Uthicke, Sven

    2016-11-30

    Laboratory experiments suggest that calcifying developmental stages of marine invertebrates may be the most ocean acidification (OA)-sensitive life-history stage and represent a life-history bottleneck. To better extrapolate laboratory findings to future OA conditions, developmental responses in sea urchin embryos/larvae were compared under ecologically relevant in situ exposures on vent-elevated pCO 2 and ambient pCO 2 coral reefs in Papua New Guinea. Echinometra embryos/larvae were reared in meshed chambers moored in arrays on either venting reefs or adjacent non-vent reefs. After 24 and 48 h, larval development and morphology were quantified. Compared with controls (mean pH (T) = 7.89-7.92), larvae developing in elevated pCO 2 vent conditions (pH (T) = 7.50-7.72) displayed a significant reduction in size and increased abnormality, with a significant correlation of seawater pH with both larval size and larval asymmetry across all experiments. Reciprocal transplants (embryos from vent adults transplanted to control conditions, and vice versa) were also undertaken to identify if adult acclimatization can translate resilience to offspring (i.e. transgenerational processes). Embryos originating from vent adults were, however, no more tolerant to reduced pH. Sea temperature and chlorophyll-a concentrations (i.e. larval nutrition) did not contribute to difference in larval size, but abnormality was correlated with chlorophyll levels. This study is the first to examine the response of marine larvae to OA scenarios in the natural environment where, importantly, we found that stunted and abnormal development observed in situ are consistent with laboratory observations reported in sea urchins, in both the direction and magnitude of the response. © 2016 The Author(s).

  7. A multi-decade record of high-quality fCO2 data in version 3 of the Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakker, Dorothee; Landa, Camilla S.; Pfeil, Benjamin; Metzl, Nicolas; O’Brien, Kevin; Olsen, Are; Smith, Karl; Cosca, Cathy; Harasawa, Sumiko; Nakaoka, Shin-ichiro; Jones, Stephen; Nojiri, Yukihiro; Steinhoff, Tobias; Sweeney, Colm; Schuster, Ute; Takahashi, Taro; Tilbrook, Bronte; Wada, Chisato; Wanninkhof, Rik; Alin, Simone R.; Balestrini, Carlos F.; Barbero, Leticia; Bates, Nicholas; Bianchi, Alejandro A.; Bonou, Frédéric; Boutin, Jacqueline; Bozec, Yann; Burger, Eugene F.; Cai, Wei-Jun; Castle, Robert D.; Chen, Liqi; Chierici, Melissa; Currie, Kim; Evans, Wiley; Featherstone, Charles; Feely, Richard; Fransson, Agneta; Goyet, Catherine; Greenwood, Naomi; Gregor, Luke; Hankin, Steven C.; Hardman-Mountford, Nick J.; Harlay, Jérôme; Hauck, Judith; Hoppema, Mario; Humphreys, Matthew P.; Hunt, Christopher W.; Huss, Betty; Ibánhez, J. Severino P.; Johannessen, Truls; Keeling, Ralph F.; Kitidis, Vassilis; Körtzinger, Arne; Kozyr, Alex; Krasakopoulou, Evangelia; Kuwata, Akira; Landschützer, Peter; Lauvset, Siv K.; Lefèvre, Nathalie; Lo Monaco, Claire; Manke, Ansley; Mathis, Jeremy T.; Merlivat, Liliane; Millero, Frank J.; Monteiro, Pedro M. S.; Munro, David R.; Murata, Akihiko; Newberger, Timothy; Omar, Abdirahman M.; Ono, Tsuneo; Paterson, Kristina; Pearce, David; Pierrot, Denis; Robbins, Lisa L.; Saito, Shu; Salisbury, Joe; Schlitzer, Reiner; Schneider, Bernd; Schweitzer, Roland; Sieger, Rainer; Skjelvan, Ingunn; Sullivan, Kevin F.; Sutherland, Stewart C.; Sutton, Adrienne J.; Tadokoro, Kazuaki; Telszewski, Maciej; Tuma, Matthias; van Heuven, Steven M. A. C.; Vandemark, Douglas; Ward, Brian; Watson, Andrew J.; Xu, Suqing

    2016-01-01

    The Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT) is a synthesis of quality-controlled f CO2 (fugacity of carbon dioxide) values for the global surface oceans and coastal seas with regular updates. Version 3 of SOCAT has 14.7 million f CO2 values from 3646 data sets covering the years 1957 to 2014. This latest version has an additional 4.6 million f CO2 values relative to version 2 and extends the record from 2011 to 2014. Version 3 also significantly increases the data availability for 2005 to 2013. SOCAT has an average of approximately 1.2 million surface water f CO2 values per year for the years 2006 to 2012. Quality and documentation of the data has improved. A new feature is the data set quality control (QC) flag of E for data from alternative sensors and platforms. The accuracy of surface water f CO2 has been defined for all data set QC flags. Automated range checking has been carried out for all data sets during their upload into SOCAT. The upgrade of the interactive Data Set Viewer (previously known as the Cruise Data Viewer) allows better interrogation of the SOCAT data collection and rapid creation of high-quality figures for scientific presentations. Automated data upload has been launched for version 4 and will enable more frequent SOCAT releases in the future. High-profile scientific applications of SOCAT include quantification of the ocean sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide and its long-term variation, detection of ocean acidification, as well as evaluation of coupled-climate and ocean-only biogeochemical models. Users of SOCAT data products are urged to acknowledge the contribution of data providers, as stated in the SOCAT Fair Data Use Statement. This ESSD (Earth System Science Data) “living data” publication documents the methods and data sets used for the assembly of this new version of the SOCAT data collection and compares these with those used for earlier versions of the data collection (Pfeil et al., 2013; Sabine et al., 2013; Bakker et al., 2014). 

  8. Biological and physical controls in the Southern Ocean on past millennial-scale atmospheric CO2 changes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gottschalk, Julia; Skinner, Luke C; Lippold, Jörg; Vogel, Hendrik; Frank, Norbert; Jaccard, Samuel L; Waelbroeck, Claire

    2016-05-17

    Millennial-scale climate changes during the last glacial period and deglaciation were accompanied by rapid changes in atmospheric CO2 that remain unexplained. While the role of the Southern Ocean as a 'control valve' on ocean-atmosphere CO2 exchange has been emphasized, the exact nature of this role, in particular the relative contributions of physical (for example, ocean dynamics and air-sea gas exchange) versus biological processes (for example, export productivity), remains poorly constrained. Here we combine reconstructions of bottom-water [O2], export production and (14)C ventilation ages in the sub-Antarctic Atlantic, and show that atmospheric CO2 pulses during the last glacial- and deglacial periods were consistently accompanied by decreases in the biological export of carbon and increases in deep-ocean ventilation via southern-sourced water masses. These findings demonstrate how the Southern Ocean's 'organic carbon pump' has exerted a tight control on atmospheric CO2, and thus global climate, specifically via a synergy of both physical and biological processes.

  9. Ocean acidification of a coastal Antarctic marine microbial community reveals a critical threshold for CO2 tolerance in phytoplankton productivity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deppeler, Stacy; Petrou, Katherina; Schulz, Kai G.; Westwood, Karen; Pearce, Imojen; McKinlay, John; Davidson, Andrew

    2018-01-01

    High-latitude oceans are anticipated to be some of the first regions affected by ocean acidification. Despite this, the effect of ocean acidification on natural communities of Antarctic marine microbes is still not well understood. In this study we exposed an early spring, coastal marine microbial community in Prydz Bay to CO2 levels ranging from ambient (343 µatm) to 1641 µatm in six 650 L minicosms. Productivity assays were performed to identify whether a CO2 threshold existed that led to a change in primary productivity, bacterial productivity, and the accumulation of chlorophyll a (Chl a) and particulate organic matter (POM) in the minicosms. In addition, photophysiological measurements were performed to identify possible mechanisms driving changes in the phytoplankton community. A critical threshold for tolerance to ocean acidification was identified in the phytoplankton community between 953 and 1140 µatm. CO2 levels ≥ 1140 µatm negatively affected photosynthetic performance and Chl a-normalised primary productivity (csGPP14C), causing significant reductions in gross primary production (GPP14C), Chl a accumulation, nutrient uptake, and POM production. However, there was no effect of CO2 on C : N ratios. Over time, the phytoplankton community acclimated to high CO2 conditions, showing a down-regulation of carbon concentrating mechanisms (CCMs) and likely adjusting other intracellular processes. Bacterial abundance initially increased in CO2 treatments ≥ 953 µatm (days 3-5), yet gross bacterial production (GBP14C) remained unchanged and cell-specific bacterial productivity (csBP14C) was reduced. Towards the end of the experiment, GBP14C and csBP14C markedly increased across all treatments regardless of CO2 availability. This coincided with increased organic matter availability (POC and PON) combined with improved efficiency of carbon uptake. Changes in phytoplankton community production could have negative effects on the Antarctic food web and the

  10. Ocean acidification of a coastal Antarctic marine microbial community reveals a critical threshold for CO2 tolerance in phytoplankton productivity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Deppeler

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available High-latitude oceans are anticipated to be some of the first regions affected by ocean acidification. Despite this, the effect of ocean acidification on natural communities of Antarctic marine microbes is still not well understood. In this study we exposed an early spring, coastal marine microbial community in Prydz Bay to CO2 levels ranging from ambient (343 µatm to 1641 µatm in six 650 L minicosms. Productivity assays were performed to identify whether a CO2 threshold existed that led to a change in primary productivity, bacterial productivity, and the accumulation of chlorophyll a (Chl a and particulate organic matter (POM in the minicosms. In addition, photophysiological measurements were performed to identify possible mechanisms driving changes in the phytoplankton community. A critical threshold for tolerance to ocean acidification was identified in the phytoplankton community between 953 and 1140 µatm. CO2 levels  ≥ 1140 µatm negatively affected photosynthetic performance and Chl a-normalised primary productivity (csGPP14C, causing significant reductions in gross primary production (GPP14C, Chl a accumulation, nutrient uptake, and POM production. However, there was no effect of CO2 on C : N ratios. Over time, the phytoplankton community acclimated to high CO2 conditions, showing a down-regulation of carbon concentrating mechanisms (CCMs and likely adjusting other intracellular processes. Bacterial abundance initially increased in CO2 treatments  ≥ 953 µatm (days 3–5, yet gross bacterial production (GBP14C remained unchanged and cell-specific bacterial productivity (csBP14C was reduced. Towards the end of the experiment, GBP14C and csBP14C markedly increased across all treatments regardless of CO2 availability. This coincided with increased organic matter availability (POC and PON combined with improved efficiency of carbon uptake. Changes in phytoplankton community production could have negative

  11. Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas Database Version 5 (SOCATv5) (NCEI Accession 0163180)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT, www.socat.info) is a synthesis activity by the international marine carbon research community and has more than 100 contributors...

  12. The declining uptake rate of atmospheric CO2 by land and ocean sinks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. R. Raupach

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Through 1959–2012, an airborne fraction (AF of 0.44 of total anthropogenic CO2 emissions remained in the atmosphere, with the rest being taken up by land and ocean CO2 sinks. Understanding of this uptake is critical because it greatly alleviates the emissions reductions required for climate mitigation, and also reduces the risks and damages that adaptation has to embrace. An observable quantity that reflects sink properties more directly than the AF is the CO2 sink rate (kS, the combined land–ocean CO2 sink flux per unit excess atmospheric CO2 above preindustrial levels. Here we show from observations that kS declined over 1959–2012 by a factor of about 1 / 3, implying that CO2 sinks increased more slowly than excess CO2. Using a carbon–climate model, we attribute the decline in kS to four mechanisms: slower-than-exponential CO2 emissions growth (~ 35% of the trend, volcanic eruptions (~ 25%, sink responses to climate change (~ 20%, and nonlinear responses to increasing CO2, mainly oceanic (~ 20%. The first of these mechanisms is associated purely with the trajectory of extrinsic forcing, and the last two with intrinsic, feedback responses of sink processes to changes in climate and atmospheric CO2. Our results suggest that the effects of these intrinsic, nonlinear responses are already detectable in the global carbon cycle. Although continuing future decreases in kS will occur under all plausible CO2 emission scenarios, the rate of decline varies between scenarios in non-intuitive ways because extrinsic and intrinsic mechanisms respond in opposite ways to changes in emissions: extrinsic mechanisms cause kS to decline more strongly with increasing mitigation, while intrinsic mechanisms cause kS to decline more strongly under high-emission, low-mitigation scenarios as the carbon–climate system is perturbed further from a near-linear regime.

  13. Westerly Winds and the Southern Ocean CO2 Sink Since the Last Glacial-Interglacial Transition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hodgson, D. A.; Saunders, K. M.; Roberts, S. J.; Perren, B.; Butz, C.; Sime, L. C.; Davies, S. J.; Grosjean, M.

    2017-12-01

    The capacity of the Southern Ocean carbon sink is partly controlled by the Southern Hemisphere westerly winds (SHW) and sea ice. These regulate the upwelling of dissolved carbon-rich deep water to Antarctic surface waters, determine the surface area for air-sea gas exchange and therefore modulate the net uptake of atmospheric CO2. Some models have proposed that strengthened SHW will result in a weakening of the Southern Ocean CO2 sink. If these models are correct, then one would expect that reconstructions of changes in SHW intensity on centennial to millennial timescales would show clear links with Antarctic ice core and Southern Ocean marine geological records of atmospheric CO2, temperature and sea ice. Here, we present a 12,300 year reconstruction of past wind strength based on three independent proxies that track the changing inputs of sea salt aerosols and minerogenic particles into lake sediments on sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island. The proxies are consistent in showing that periods of high wind intensity corresponded with the increase in CO2 across the late Last Glacial-Interglacial Transition and in the last 7,000 years, suggesting that the winds have contributed to the long term outgassing of CO2 from the ocean during these periods.

  14. MERIS Ocean Colour Data for the Estimation of Surface Water pCO2: The Case Studies of Peru and Namibia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Karagali, Ioanna; Badger, Merete; Sørensen, Lise Lotte

    2010-01-01

    Carbon dioxide fluxes between the ocean and atmosphere are important when trying to estimate the amount of existing atmospheric CO2. The ocean can potentially be considered as a storage or source of CO2 depending on temperature, salinity, biological activity and wind. To identify the role...... of a region, CO2 fluxes must be estimated. The air-sea exchange of CO2 depends on the partial pressures of atmospheric and oceanic CO2 and a wind related exchange coefficient. Direct in situ measurements are expensive, operationally demanding and of low spatial resolution. It has been shown that indirect...... estimation of oceanic pCO2 is possible due to its strong dependence on temperature. Primary production may also influence the CO2 concentration in the water, due to the consumption by phytoplankton. The present study aims at estimating the oceanic pCO2 with the use of satellite measurements for water...

  15. South African carbon observations: CO2 measurements for land, atmosphere and ocean

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Feig, Gregor T

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available , Mudau AE, Monteiro PMS. South African carbon observations: CO2 measurements for land, atmosphere and ocean. S Afr J Sci. 2017;113(11/12), Art. #a0237, 4 pages. http://dx.doi. org/10.17159/sajs.2017/a0237 Carbon dioxide plays a central role in earth... References 1. Houghton RA. Balancing the global carbon budget. Annu Rev Earth Planet Sci. 2007;35:313–347. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev. earth.35.031306.140057 2. Denman KL. Climate change, ocean processes and ocean iron fertilization. Mar Ecol Prog Ser...

  16. Role of mesoscale eddies in the global ocean uptake of anthropogenic CO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zouhair, Lachkar

    2007-02-01

    Mesoscale eddies play a fundamental role in ocean dynamics particularly in the Southern Ocean. Global-scale tracer simulations are typically made at coarse resolution without explicitly modeling eddies. Here we ask what role do eddies play in ocean uptake, storage, and meridional transport of anthropogenic CO 2 , CFC-11 and bomb Δ 14 C. We made global anthropogenic transient tracer simulations in coarse-resolution, ORCA2, and eddy-permitting, ORCA05 and ORCA025, versions of the ocean modelling system NEMO. We focus on the Southern Ocean where tracer air-sea fluxes are largest. Eddies have little effect on bomb Δ 14 C uptake and storage. Yet for CFC-11 and anthropogenic CO 2 , increased eddy activity reduces southern extra-tropical uptake by 28% and 25% respectively, thereby providing better agreement with observations. It is shown that the discrepancies in the equilibration times between the three tracers determine their respective sensitivities to the model horizontal resolution. Applying Gent and McWilliams (1990) (GM) parameterization of eddies in the non-eddying version of the model does improve results, but not enough. An in-depth investigation of the mechanisms by which eddies affect the uptake of the transient tracers shows that including mesoscale eddies leads to an overall reduction in the Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) ventilation, and modifies substantially the spatial distribution of their source regions. This investigation reveals also that the GM parameterization still overestimates the ventilation and the subduction of AAIW in the Indian Ocean where the simulated mixed layer is particularly deep during the winter. This work suggests that most current coarse-resolution models may overestimate the ventilation of AAIW in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean. This study shows also that the use of the GM parameterization may be of limited utility where mixed layer is relatively deep and confirms the general need for a more adequate

  17. Transport and absorption of CO2 in the ocean

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nydal, Reidar; Gislefoss, Jorunn S.

    1999-01-01

    The overview gives an account of C 1 4. C 1 3, C 1 2, DIC (dissolved inorganic carbon), CO 2 , salt and plankton concentration and sea temperature during the last 2 decades in the Atlantic Ocean and particularly in the Norwegian Ocean. Atmospheric radioactive carbon concentrations, sea water flow patterns as well as carbon, salt, temperature and plankton depth profiles have been studied. There does not seem to be significant alterations in the C 1 4 concentration in the Norwegian Sea. Measurements from the Scotland - Greenland ridge have not yet been carried out. -Significant rise in DIC concentrations were not found but it is most likely that the alterations will increase during the 21st century. The plankton concentrations showed seasonal variations and decreased with sea depth. Proposals for further investigations are made

  18. Increasing efficiency of CO2 uptake by combined land-ocean sink

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Marle, M.; van Wees, D.; Houghton, R. A.; Nassikas, A.; van der Werf, G.

    2017-12-01

    Carbon-climate feedbacks are one of the key uncertainties in predicting future climate change. Such a feedback could originate from carbon sinks losing their efficiency, for example due to saturation of the CO2 fertilization effect or ocean warming. An indirect approach to estimate how the combined land and ocean sink responds to climate change and growing fossil fuel emissions is based on assessing the trends in the airborne fraction of CO2 emissions from fossil fuel and land use change. One key limitation with this approach has been the large uncertainty in quantifying land use change emissions. We have re-assessed those emissions in a more data-driven approach by combining estimates coming from a bookkeeping model with visibility-based land use change emissions available for the Arc of Deforestation and Equatorial Asia, two key regions with large land use change emissions. The advantage of the visibility-based dataset is that the emissions are observation-based and this dataset provides more detailed information about interannual variability than previous estimates. Based on our estimates we provide evidence that land use and land cover change emissions have increased more rapidly than previously thought, implying that the airborne fraction has decreased since the start of CO2 measurements in 1959. This finding is surprising because it means that the combined land and ocean sink has become more efficient while the opposite is expected.

  19. Ocean acidification effects on calcification in pCO2 acclimated Caribbean scleractinian coral

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ocean acidification (OA) is projected to increase the acidity of coral reef habitats 2-3 times that of present day pCO2 levels. Many studies have shown the adverse effects on scleractinian calcification when exposed to elevated pCO2 levels, however, in these studies, corals have ...

  20. Quantifying the influence of CO2 seasonality on future ocean acidification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sasse, T. P.; McNeil, B. I.; Matear, R. J.; Lenton, A.

    2015-04-01

    Ocean acidification is a predictable consequence of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), and is highly likely to impact the entire marine ecosystem - from plankton at the base to fish at the top. Factors which are expected to be impacted include reproductive health, organism growth and species composition and distribution. Predicting when critical threshold values will be reached is crucial for projecting the future health of marine ecosystems and for marine resources planning and management. The impacts of ocean acidification will be first felt at the seasonal scale, however our understanding how seasonal variability will influence rates of future ocean acidification remains poorly constrained due to current model and data limitations. To address this issue, we first quantified the seasonal cycle of aragonite saturation state utilizing new data-based estimates of global ocean surface dissolved inorganic carbon and alkalinity. This seasonality was then combined with earth system model projections under different emissions scenarios (RCPs 2.6, 4.5 and 8.5) to provide new insights into future aragonite under-saturation onset. Under a high emissions scenario (RCP 8.5), our results suggest accounting for seasonality will bring forward the initial onset of month-long under-saturation by 17 years compared to annual-mean estimates, with differences extending up to 35 ± 17 years in the North Pacific due to strong regional seasonality. Our results also show large-scale under-saturation once atmospheric CO2 reaches 486 ppm in the North Pacific and 511 ppm in the Southern Ocean independent of emission scenario. Our results suggest that accounting for seasonality is critical to projecting the future impacts of ocean acidification on the marine environment.

  1. Environmental impacts of ocean disposal of CO2. First quarterly report, September 1--September 30, 1994

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tester, J.W.

    1994-01-01

    This paper is divided into five sections (corresponding to five tasks) which all must be considered in order to determine the ultimate environmental impact of ocean disposal of CO 2 . The sections are: ambient physical and chemical properties of the ocean; CO 2 loadings (i.e. quantities and purities of CO 2 ) produced using different capture technologies; methods of CO 2 transport and injection, and their associated physical/chemical perturbations; environmental impacts for the scenarios outlined in section the previous section; and other considerations including legal issues, public perception, and monitoring requirements

  2. Global high-resolution monthly pCO2 climatology for the coastal ocean derived from neural network interpolation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. G. Laruelle

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available In spite of the recent strong increase in the number of measurements of the partial pressure of CO2 in the surface ocean (pCO2, the air–sea CO2 balance of the continental shelf seas remains poorly quantified. This is a consequence of these regions remaining strongly under-sampled in both time and space and of surface pCO2 exhibiting much higher temporal and spatial variability in these regions compared to the open ocean. Here, we use a modified version of a two-step artificial neural network method (SOM-FFN; Landschützer et al., 2013 to interpolate the pCO2 data along the continental margins with a spatial resolution of 0.25° and with monthly resolution from 1998 to 2015. The most important modifications compared to the original SOM-FFN method are (i the much higher spatial resolution and (ii the inclusion of sea ice and wind speed as predictors of pCO2. The SOM-FFN is first trained with pCO2 measurements extracted from the SOCATv4 database. Then, the validity of our interpolation, in both space and time, is assessed by comparing the generated pCO2 field with independent data extracted from the LDVEO2015 database. The new coastal pCO2 product confirms a previously suggested general meridional trend of the annual mean pCO2 in all the continental shelves with high values in the tropics and dropping to values beneath those of the atmosphere at higher latitudes. The monthly resolution of our data product permits us to reveal significant differences in the seasonality of pCO2 across the ocean basins. The shelves of the western and northern Pacific, as well as the shelves in the temperate northern Atlantic, display particularly pronounced seasonal variations in pCO2,  while the shelves in the southeastern Atlantic and in the southern Pacific reveal a much smaller seasonality. The calculation of temperature normalized pCO2 for several latitudes in different oceanic basins confirms that the seasonality in shelf pCO2 cannot solely be explained by

  3. CO sub(2) and N sub(2) O fluxes from the northern Indian Ocean

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Narvekar, P.V.; Naqvi, S.W.A.; DileepKumar, M.

    and the deep water concentrations signify quantities of N sub(2)O to be consumed within the sediments. The northern Indian Ocean as a source of CO sub(2) to the atmosphere is poorly quantified. The N sub(2)O data indicate that the vertical diffusion coefficient...

  4. The role of Southern Ocean mixing and upwelling in glacial-interglacial atmospheric CO2 change

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watson, Andrew J.; Naveira Garabato, Alberto C.

    2006-01-01

    Decreased ventilation of the Southern Ocean in glacial time is implicated in most explanations of lower glacial atmospheric CO 2 . Today, the deep (>2000 m) ocean south of the Polar Front is rapidly ventilated from below, with the interaction of deep currents with topography driving high mixing rates well up into the water column. We show from a buoyancy budget that mixing rates are high in all the deep waters of the Southern Ocean. Between the surface and 2000 m depth, water is upwelled by a residual meridional overturning that is directly linked to buoyancy fluxes through the ocean surface. Combined with the rapid deep mixing, this upwelling serves to return deep water to the surface on a short time scale. We propose two new mechanisms by which, in glacial time, the deep Southern Ocean may have been more isolated from the surface. Firstly, the deep ocean appears to have been more stratified because of denser bottom water resulting from intense sea ice formation near Antarctica. The greater stratification would have slowed the deep mixing. Secondly, subzero atmospheric temperatures may have meant that the present-day buoyancy flux from the atmosphere to the ocean surface was reduced or reversed. This in turn would have reduced or eliminated the upwelling (contrary to a common assumption, upwelling is not solely a function of the wind stress but is coupled to the air/sea buoyancy flux too). The observed very close link between Antarctic temperatures and atmospheric CO 2 could then be explained as a natural consequence of the connection between the air/sea buoyancy flux and upwelling in the Southern Ocean, if slower ventilation of the Southern Ocean led to lower atmospheric CO 2 . Here we use a box model, similar to those of previous authors, to show that weaker mixing and reduced upwelling in the Southern Ocean can explain the low glacial atmospheric CO 2 in such a formulation

  5. Climatological Distributions of pH, pCO2, Total CO2, Alkalinity, and CaCO3 Saturation in the Global Surface Ocean (NCEI accession 01645680) (NCEI Accession 0164568)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Climatological mean monthly distributions of pH in the total H+ scale, total CO2 concentration (TCO2), and the degree of CaCO3 saturation for the global surface...

  6. Model-Based Assessment of the CO2 Sequestration Potential of Coastal Ocean Alkalinization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, E. Y.; Koeve, W.; Keller, D. P.; Oschlies, A.

    2017-12-01

    The potential of coastal ocean alkalinization (COA), a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) climate engineering strategy that chemically increases ocean carbon uptake and storage, is investigated with an Earth system model of intermediate complexity. The CDR potential and possible environmental side effects are estimated for various COA deployment scenarios, assuming olivine as the alkalinity source in ice-free coastal waters (about 8.6% of the global ocean's surface area), with dissolution rates being a function of grain size, ambient seawater temperature, and pH. Our results indicate that for a large-enough olivine deployment of small-enough grain sizes (10 µm), atmospheric CO2 could be reduced by more than 800 GtC by the year 2100. However, COA with coarse olivine grains (1000 µm) has little CO2 sequestration potential on this time scale. Ambitious CDR with fine olivine grains would increase coastal aragonite saturation Ω to levels well beyond those that are currently observed. When imposing upper limits for aragonite saturation levels (Ωlim) in the grid boxes subject to COA (Ωlim = 3.4 and 9 chosen as examples), COA still has the potential to reduce atmospheric CO2 by 265 GtC (Ωlim = 3.4) to 790 GtC (Ωlim = 9) and increase ocean carbon storage by 290 Gt (Ωlim = 3.4) to 913 Gt (Ωlim = 9) by year 2100.

  7. Scaling laws for perturbations in the ocean-atmosphere system following large CO2 emissions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Towles, N.; Olson, P.; Gnanadesikan, A.

    2015-07-01

    Scaling relationships are found for perturbations to atmosphere and ocean variables from large transient CO2 emissions. Using the Long-term Ocean-atmosphere-Sediment CArbon cycle Reservoir (LOSCAR) model (Zeebe et al., 2009; Zeebe, 2012b), we calculate perturbations to atmosphere temperature, total carbon, ocean temperature, total ocean carbon, pH, alkalinity, marine-sediment carbon, and carbon-13 isotope anomalies in the ocean and atmosphere resulting from idealized CO2 emission events. The peak perturbations in the atmosphere and ocean variables are then fit to power law functions of the form of γ DαEβ, where D is the event duration, E is its total carbon emission, and γ is a coefficient. Good power law fits are obtained for most system variables for E up to 50 000 PgC and D up to 100 kyr. Although all of the peak perturbations increase with emission rate E/D, we find no evidence of emission-rate-only scaling, α + β = 0. Instead, our scaling yields α + β ≃ 1 for total ocean and atmosphere carbon and 0 < α + β < 1 for most of the other system variables.

  8. Effect of ocean acidification on growth and otolith condition of juvenile scup, Stenotomus chrysops.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perry, Dean M; Redman, Dylan H; Widman, James C; Meseck, Shannon; King, Andrew; Pereira, Jose J

    2015-09-01

    Increasing amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) from human industrial activities are causing changes in global ocean carbonate chemistry, resulting in a reduction in pH, a process termed "ocean acidification." It is important to determine which species are sensitive to elevated levels of CO2 because of potential impacts to ecosystems, marine resources, biodiversity, food webs, populations, and effects on economies. Previous studies with marine fish have documented that exposure to elevated levels of CO2 caused increased growth and larger otoliths in some species. This study was conducted to determine whether the elevated partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) would have an effect on growth, otolith (ear bone) condition, survival, or the skeleton of juvenile scup, Stenotomus chrysops, a species that supports both important commercial and recreational fisheries. Elevated levels of pCO2 (1200-2600 μatm) had no statistically significant effect on growth, survival, or otolith condition after 8 weeks of rearing. Field data show that in Long Island Sound, where scup spawn, in situ levels of pCO2 are already at levels ranging from 689 to 1828 μatm due to primary productivity, microbial activity, and anthropogenic inputs. These results demonstrate that ocean acidification is not likely to cause adverse effects on the growth and survivability of every species of marine fish. X-ray analysis of the fish revealed a slightly higher incidence of hyperossification in the vertebrae of a few scup from the highest treatments compared to fish from the control treatments. Our results show that juvenile scup are tolerant to increases in seawater pCO2, possibly due to conditions this species encounters in their naturally variable environment and their well-developed pH control mechanisms.

  9. Ocean acidification: The little-known impact of CO2 emissions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Madsen, Michael Amdi

    2015-01-01

    Ocean acidification, like global warming, is a serious consequence of rising carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions and a growing threat to coastal communities. Scientists and economists alike are calling for ocean acidification mitigation and adaptation plans to be included in any future international climate change agreement, arguing that doing so would make any such agreement stronger and facilitate its implementation. The IAEA uses nuclear techniques to measure ocean acidification and has been providing objective information to scientists, economists, and policymakers to make informed decisions. “Recognizing that billions of people are dependent on a healthy ocean for their wellbeing and economic development is the first step,” said Alexandre Magnan of the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations in Paris at an IAEA workshop this year. Acknowledging in the legal text of a climate deal the threats facing the oceans could open the door for coastal communities affected by ocean acidification to benefit from financing available under a climate change agreement, he said. This would enable them to adapt to changing social and economic circumstances, improve understanding of the ecological and biophysical changes expected, and pressure further concrete actions by governments, he added.

  10. Ocean acidification: The little-known impact of CO_2 emissions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Madsen, Michael Amdi

    2015-01-01

    Ocean acidification, like global warming, is a serious consequence of rising carbon dioxide (CO_2) emissions and a growing threat to coastal communities. Scientists and economists alike are calling for ocean acidification mitigation and adaptation plans to be included in any future international climate change agreement, arguing that doing so would make any such agreement stronger and facilitate its implementation. The IAEA uses nuclear techniques to measure ocean acidification and has been providing objective information to scientists, economists, and policymakers to make informed decisions. “Recognizing that billions of people are dependent on a healthy ocean for their wellbeing and economic development is the first step,” said Alexandre Magnan of the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations in Paris at an IAEA workshop this year. Acknowledging in the legal text of a climate deal the threats facing the oceans could open the door for coastal communities affected by ocean acidification to benefit from financing available under a climate change agreement, he said. This would enable them to adapt to changing social and economic circumstances, improve understanding of the ecological and biophysical changes expected, and pressure further concrete actions by governments, he added.

  11. Carbonate chemistry of an in-situ free-ocean CO2 enrichment experiment (antFOCE) in comparison to short term variation in Antarctic coastal waters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stark, J S; Roden, N P; Johnstone, G J; Milnes, M; Black, J G; Whiteside, S; Kirkwood, W; Newbery, K; Stark, S; van Ooijen, E; Tilbrook, B; Peltzer, E T; Berry, K; Roberts, D

    2018-02-12

    Free-ocean CO 2 enrichment (FOCE) experiments have been deployed in marine ecosystems to manipulate carbonate system conditions to those predicted in future oceans. We investigated whether the pH/carbonate chemistry of extremely cold polar waters can be manipulated in an ecologically relevant way, to represent conditions under future atmospheric CO 2 levels, in an in-situ FOCE experiment in Antarctica. We examined spatial and temporal variation in local ambient carbonate chemistry at hourly intervals at two sites between December and February and compared these with experimental conditions. We successfully maintained a mean pH offset in acidified benthic chambers of -0.38 (±0.07) from ambient for approximately 8 weeks. Local diel and seasonal fluctuations in ambient pH were duplicated in the FOCE system. Large temporal variability in acidified chambers resulted from system stoppages. The mean pH, Ω arag and fCO 2 values in the acidified chambers were 7.688 ± 0.079, 0.62 ± 0.13 and 912 ± 150 µatm, respectively. Variation in ambient pH appeared to be mainly driven by salinity and biological production and ranged from 8.019 to 8.192 with significant spatio-temporal variation. This experiment demonstrates the utility of FOCE systems to create conditions expected in future oceans that represent ecologically relevant variation, even under polar conditions.

  12. Odor tracking in sharks is reduced under future ocean acidification conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dixson, Danielle L; Jennings, Ashley R; Atema, Jelle; Munday, Philip L

    2015-04-01

    Recent studies show that ocean acidification impairs sensory functions and alters the behavior of teleost fishes. If sharks and other elasmobranchs are similarly affected, this could have significant consequences for marine ecosystems globally. Here, we show that projected future CO2 levels impair odor tracking behavior of the smooth dogfish (Mustelus canis). Adult M. canis were held for 5 days in a current-day control (405 ± 26 μatm) and mid (741 ± 22 μatm) or high CO2 (1064 ± 17 μatm) treatments consistent with the projections for the year 2100 on a 'business as usual' scenario. Both control and mid CO2 -treated individuals maintained normal odor tracking behavior, whereas high CO2 -treated sharks significantly avoided the odor cues indicative of food. Control sharks spent >60% of their time in the water stream containing the food stimulus, but this value fell below 15% in high CO2 -treated sharks. In addition, sharks treated under mid and high CO2 conditions reduced attack behavior compared to the control individuals. Our findings show that shark feeding could be affected by changes in seawater chemistry projected for the end of this century. Understanding the effects of ocean acidification on critical behaviors, such as prey tracking in large predators, can help determine the potential impacts of future ocean acidification on ecosystem function. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. The seasonal cycle of pCO2 and CO2 fluxes in the Southern Ocean: diagnosing anomalies in CMIP5 Earth system models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Precious Mongwe, N.; Vichi, Marcello; Monteiro, Pedro M. S.

    2018-05-01

    The Southern Ocean forms an important component of the Earth system as a major sink of CO2 and heat. Recent studies based on the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project version 5 (CMIP5) Earth system models (ESMs) show that CMIP5 models disagree on the phasing of the seasonal cycle of the CO2 flux (FCO2) and compare poorly with available observation products for the Southern Ocean. Because the seasonal cycle is the dominant mode of CO2 variability in the Southern Ocean, its simulation is a rigorous test for models and their long-term projections. Here we examine the competing roles of temperature and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) as drivers of the seasonal cycle of pCO2 in the Southern Ocean to explain the mechanistic basis for the seasonal biases in CMIP5 models. We find that despite significant differences in the spatial characteristics of the mean annual fluxes, the intra-model homogeneity in the seasonal cycle of FCO2 is greater than observational products. FCO2 biases in CMIP5 models can be grouped into two main categories, i.e., group-SST and group-DIC. Group-SST models show an exaggeration of the seasonal rates of change of sea surface temperature (SST) in autumn and spring during the cooling and warming peaks. These higher-than-observed rates of change of SST tip the control of the seasonal cycle of pCO2 and FCO2 towards SST and result in a divergence between the observed and modeled seasonal cycles, particularly in the Sub-Antarctic Zone. While almost all analyzed models (9 out of 10) show these SST-driven biases, 3 out of 10 (namely NorESM1-ME, HadGEM-ES and MPI-ESM, collectively the group-DIC models) compensate for the solubility bias because of their overly exaggerated primary production, such that biologically driven DIC changes mainly regulate the seasonal cycle of FCO2.

  14. Regional impacts of climate change and atmospheric CO2 on future ocean carbon uptake: a multi model linear feedback analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roy, Tilla; Bopp, Laurent; Gehlen, Marion; Cadule, Patricia; Schneider, Birgit; Frolicher, Thomas L.; Segschneider, Joachim; Tjiputra, Jerry; Heinze, Christoph; Joos, Fortunat

    2011-01-01

    The increase in atmospheric CO 2 over this century depends on the evolution of the oceanic air-sea CO 2 uptake, which will be driven by the combined response to rising atmospheric CO 2 itself and climate change. Here, the future oceanic CO 2 uptake is simulated using an ensemble of coupled climate-carbon cycle models. The models are driven by CO 2 emissions from historical data and the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) A2 high-emission scenario. A linear feedback analysis successfully separates the regional future (2010-2100) oceanic CO 2 uptake into a CO 2 -induced component, due to rising atmospheric CO 2 concentrations, and a climate-induced component, due to global warming. The models capture the observation based magnitude and distribution of anthropogenic CO 2 uptake. The distributions of the climate-induced component are broadly consistent between the models, with reduced CO 2 uptake in the sub polar Southern Ocean and the equatorial regions, owing to decreased CO 2 solubility; and reduced CO 2 uptake in the mid-latitudes, owing to decreased CO 2 solubility and increased vertical stratification. The magnitude of the climate-induced component is sensitive to local warming in the southern extra-tropics, to large freshwater fluxes in the extra-tropical North Atlantic Ocean, and to small changes in the CO 2 solubility in the equatorial regions. In key anthropogenic CO 2 uptake regions, the climate-induced component offsets the CO 2 - induced component at a constant proportion up until the end of this century. This amounts to approximately 50% in the northern extra-tropics and 25% in the southern extra-tropics and equatorial regions. Consequently, the detection of climate change impacts on anthropogenic CO 2 uptake may be difficult without monitoring additional tracers, such as oxygen. (authors)

  15. Regional impacts of climate change and atmospheric CO2 on future ocean carbon uptake: a multi model linear feedback analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roy, Tilla; Bopp, Laurent; Gehlen, Marion; Cadule, Patricia

    2011-01-01

    The increase in atmospheric CO 2 over this century depends on the evolution of the oceanic air-sea CO 2 uptake, which will be driven by the combined response to rising atmospheric CO 2 itself and climate change. Here, the future oceanic CO 2 uptake is simulated using an ensemble of coupled climate-carbon cycle models. The models are driven by CO 2 emissions from historical data and the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) A2 high-emission scenario. A linear feedback analysis successfully separates the regional future (2010-2100) oceanic CO 2 uptake into a CO 2 -induced component, due to rising atmospheric CO 2 concentrations, and a climate-induced component, due to global warming. The models capture the observation based magnitude and distribution of anthropogenic CO 2 uptake. The distributions of the climate-induced component are broadly consistent between the models, with reduced CO 2 uptake in the sub-polar Southern Ocean and the equatorial regions, owing to decreased CO 2 solubility; and reduced CO 2 uptake in the mid latitudes, owing to decreased CO 2 solubility and increased vertical stratification. The magnitude of the climate-induced component is sensitive to local warming in the southern extra tropics, to large freshwater fluxes in the extra tropical North Atlantic Ocean, and to small changes in the CO 2 solubility in the equatorial regions. In key anthropogenic CO 2 uptake regions, the climate-induced component offsets the CO 2 - induced component at a constant proportion up until the end of this century. This amounts to approximately 50% in the northern extra tropics and 25% in the southern extra tropics and equatorial regions. Consequently, the detection of climate change impacts on anthropogenic CO 2 uptake may be difficult without monitoring additional tracers, such as oxygen. (authors)

  16. Atmospheric inversion of the surface CO2 flux with 13CO2 constraint

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, J. M.; Mo, G.; Deng, F.

    2013-10-01

    Observations of 13CO2 at 73 sites compiled in the GLOBALVIEW database are used for an additional constraint in a global atmospheric inversion of the surface CO2 flux using CO2 observations at 210 sites for the 2002-2004 period for 39 land regions and 11 ocean regions. This constraint is implemented using the 13CO2/CO2 flux ratio modeled with a terrestrial ecosystem model and an ocean model. These models simulate 13CO2 discrimination rates of terrestrial photosynthesis and respiration and ocean-atmosphere diffusion processes. In both models, the 13CO2 disequilibrium between fluxes to and from the atmosphere is considered due to the historical change in atmospheric 13CO2 concentration. For the 2002-2004 period, the 13CO2 constraint on the inversion increases the total land carbon sink from 3.40 to 3.70 Pg C yr-1 and decreases the total oceanic carbon sink from 1.48 to 1.12 Pg C yr-1. The largest changes occur in tropical areas: a considerable decrease in the carbon source in the Amazon forest, and this decrease is mostly compensated by increases in the ocean region immediately west of the Amazon and the southeast Asian land region. Our further investigation through different treatments of the 13CO2/CO2 flux ratio used in the inversion suggests that variable spatial distributions of the 13CO2 isotopic discrimination rate simulated by the models over land and ocean have considerable impacts on the spatial distribution of the inverted CO2 flux over land and the inversion results are not sensitive to errors in the estimated disequilibria over land and ocean.

  17. FINAL TECHNICAL REPORT-THE ECOLOGY AND GENOMICS OF CO2 FIXATIION IN OCEANIC RIVER PLUMES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    PAUL, JOHN H

    2013-06-21

    Oceanic river plumes represent some of the most productive environments on Earth. As major conduits for freshwater and nutrients into the coastal ocean, their impact on water column ecosystems extend for up to a thousand km into oligotrophic oceans. Upon entry into the oceans rivers are tremendous sources of CO2 and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). Yet owing to increased light transmissivity from sediment deposition coupled with the influx of nutrients, dramatic CO2 drawdown occurs, and plumes rapidly become sinks for CO2. Using state-of-the-art gene expression technology, we have examined the molecular biodiversity of CO2 fixation in the Mississippi River Plume (MRP; two research cruises) and the Orinoco River Plume (ORP; one cruise). When the MRP extends far into the Gulf because of entrainment with the Loop Current, MRP production (carbon fixation) can account for up to 41% of the surface production in the Gulf of Mexico. Nearer-shore plume stations (“high plume,” salinity< 32 ppt) had tremendous CO2 drawdown that was correlated to heterokont (principally diatom) carbon fixation gene expression. The principal form of nitrogen for this production based upon 15N studies was urea, believed to be from anthropogenic origin (fertilizer) from the MRP watershed. Intermediate plume environments (salinity 34 ppt) were characterized by high levels of Synechococcuus carbon fixation that was fueled by regenerated ammonium. Non-plume stations were characterized by high light Prochlorococcus carbon fixation gene expression that was positively correlated with dissolved CO2 concentrations. Although data from the ORP cruise is still being analyzed, some similarities and striking differences were found between the ORP and MRP. High levels of heterokont carbon fixation gene expression that correlated with CO2 drawdown were observed in the high plume, yet the magnitude of this phenomenon was far below that of the MRP, most likely due to the lower levels of anthropogenic

  18. NEOTEC: Negative-CO2-Emissions Marine Energy With Direct Mitigation of Global Warming, Sea-Level Rise and Ocean Acidification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rau, G. H.; Baird, J.; Noland, G.

    2016-12-01

    The vertical thermal energy potential in the ocean is a massive renewable energy resource that is growing due to anthropogenic warming of the surface and near-surface ocean. The conversion of this thermal energy to useful forms via Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) has been demonstrated over the past century, albeit at small scales. Because OTEC removes heat from the surface ocean, this could help directly counter ongoing, deleterious ocean/atmosphere warming. The only other climate intervention that could do this is solar radiation "geoengineering". Conventional OTEC requires energy intensive, vertical movement of seawater resulting in ocean and atmospheric chemistry alteration, but this can be avoided via more energy efficient, vertical closed-cycle heating and cooling of working fluid like CO2 or NH3. An energy carrier such as H2 is required to transport energy optimally extracted far offshore, and methods of electrochemically generating H2 while also consuming CO2 and converting it to ocean alkalinity have been demonstrated. The addition of such alkalinity to the ocean would provide vast, stable, carbon storage, while also helping chemically counter the effects of ocean acidification. The process might currently be profitable given the >$100/tonne CO2 credit offered by California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard for transportation fuels like H2. Negative-Emissions OTEC, NEOTEC, thus can potentially provide constant, cost effective, high capacity, negative-emissions energy while: a) reducing surface ocean heat load, b) reducing thermal ocean expansion and sea-level rise, c) utilizing a very large, natural marine carbon storage reservoir, and d) helping mitigate ocean acidification. The technology also avoids the biophysical and land use limitations posed by negative emissions methods that rely on terrestrial biology, such as afforestation and BECCS. NEOTEC and other marine-based, renewable energy and CO2 removal approaches could therefore greatly increase the

  19. Characteristics of Atmosphere-Ocean CO2 Exchange due to Typhoon Activities over the East Asian Region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, G.; Cho, C. H.; Lim, D. H.; Sun, M.; Lee, J.; Byun, Y. H.; Lee, J.

    2014-12-01

    Although the oceans are generally known as a net carbon sink in global sense, it is expected that CO₂release from oceans can occur locally depending on specific weather. This study addresses investigation of change in CO2 exchange between atmosphere and ocean due to typhoon activities, using "Carbon Tracker-Asia (CTA)". The CTA has constructed and managed at National Institute of Meteorological Research(NIMR) based on Carbon Tracker developed by NOAA. In order to examine effect of typhoon on change in air-sea CO2 exchange, we selected several cases which typhoon approached to Korean peninsula in the summertime and their tracks are similar to each other. Also, we analyzed difference between CO2 flux along typhoon tracks and other adjacent region not to be directly affected by typhoon in these cases. There is a difference in ocean fluxes around 15 gC/m²yr over strong typhoon areas compared to other areas. This difference varied with the wind speeds, the correlation coefficient between the ocean and the wind flux was found 0.7. Changes in carbon flux to affect the concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere near surface instantly.

  20. Prediction of CO2 leakage during sequestration into marine sedimentary strata

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Qi; Wu Zhishen; Li Xiaochun

    2009-01-01

    Deep ocean storage of CO 2 could help reduce the atmospheric level of greenhouse gas as part of a climate change mitigation strategy. In this paper, a multiphase flow model of CO 2 sequestration into deep ocean sediments was designed associated with the formation of CO 2 hydrates. A simplified assumption was proposed to predict the critical time of CO 2 leakage from marine sedimentary strata into seawater. Moreover, some principal parameters, which include the permeability, anisotropy, total injection amount, and length of the injection part of wellbores, were investigated by numerical simulations. The numerical estimates are used to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of CO 2 storage in deep ocean sediments. Accurately predicting the actual fate of liquid CO 2 sequestered into the marine sedimentary strata at depths greater than 500 m is complicated by uncertainties associated with not only the chemical-physical behavior of CO 2 under such conditions but also the geo-environment of disposal sites. Modeling results have shown some implications that the effectiveness of CO 2 ocean sequestration depends mainly on the injection conditions (such as injection rate, total injection amount, and the depth of injection), the site geology (such as permeability and anisotropy of disposal formations), and the chemical-physical behavior of CO 2 in marine environment

  1. Radiocarbon constraints on the glacial ocean circulation and its impact on atmospheric CO2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skinner, L. C.; Primeau, F.; Freeman, E.; de la Fuente, M.; Goodwin, P. A.; Gottschalk, J.; Huang, E.; McCave, I. N.; Noble, T. L.; Scrivner, A. E.

    2017-01-01

    While the ocean’s large-scale overturning circulation is thought to have been significantly different under the climatic conditions of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the exact nature of the glacial circulation and its implications for global carbon cycling continue to be debated. Here we use a global array of ocean–atmosphere radiocarbon disequilibrium estimates to demonstrate a ∼689±53 14C-yr increase in the average residence time of carbon in the deep ocean at the LGM. A predominantly southern-sourced abyssal overturning limb that was more isolated from its shallower northern counterparts is interpreted to have extended from the Southern Ocean, producing a widespread radiocarbon age maximum at mid-depths and depriving the deep ocean of a fast escape route for accumulating respired carbon. While the exact magnitude of the resulting carbon cycle impacts remains to be confirmed, the radiocarbon data suggest an increase in the efficiency of the biological carbon pump that could have accounted for as much as half of the glacial–interglacial CO2 change. PMID:28703126

  2. Increased Ocean Heat Convergence Into the High Latitudes With CO 2 Doubling Enhances Polar-Amplified Warming: OCEAN HEAT AND POLAR WARMING

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Singh, H. A. [Atmospheric Science and Global Change Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, U.S. DOE Office of Science, Richland WA USA; Rasch, P. J. [Atmospheric Science and Global Change Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, U.S. DOE Office of Science, Richland WA USA; Rose, B. E. J. [Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany NY USA

    2017-10-18

    We isolate the role of the ocean in polar climate change by directly evaluating how changes in ocean dynamics with quasi-equilibrium CO2-doubling impact high-latitude climate. With CO2-doubling, the ocean heat flux convergence (OHFC) shifts poleward in winter in both hemispheres. Imposing this pattern of perturbed OHFC in a global climate model results in a poleward shift in ocean-to-atmosphere turbulent heat fluxes (both sensible and latent) and sea ice retreat; the high-latitudes warm while the midlatitudes cool, thereby amplifying polar warming. Furthermore, midlatitude cooling is propagated to the polar mid-troposphere on isentropic surfaces, augmenting the (positive) lapse rate feedback at high latitudes. These results highlight the key role played by the partitioning of meridional energy transport changes between the atmosphere and ocean in high-latitude climate change.

  3. Response to ''Isotopic versus micrometeorologic ocean CO2 fluxes: An order of magnitude conflict'' by W. Broecker et al

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wesely, M.L.

    1986-01-01

    Measurements of short-term, local air-sea exchange of CO 2 by eddy correlation in the atmosphere from surface towers have shown that the transfer (piston) velocities in coastal areas are very large in comparison to long-term oceanic estimates from radioisotope studies. The latter agree with radon evasion and laboratory investigations involving nonreactive gases. Horizontal atmospheric advection seems to be the most likely source of significant error in the eddy correlation estimates but is probably not the cause of the large transfer velocities because they were measured in a wide range of conditions by independent investigators. Furthermore, extrapolation of the large transfer velocities measured by the eddy correlation measurements to world average air-sea exchange rates does not provide a realistic basis on which to evaluate the validity of the local eddy flux measurements in coastal areas. Important chemical and physical phenomena affecting CO 2 exchange rates may be quite different in coastal as opposed to open-ocean conditions, and further research is needed in both cases

  4. Calcification persists with CO2-induced ocean acidification but decreases with warming for the Caribbean coral Siderastrea siderea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castillo, K. D.; Ries, J. B.; Westfield, I. T.; Weiss, J. M.; Bruno, J. F.

    2012-12-01

    Atmospheric carbon dioxide (pCO2) induced ocean acidification and rising seawater temperatures are identified as two of the greatest threats to modern coral reefs. Within this century, surface seawater pH is expected to decrease by at least 0.3 units, and sea surface temperature is predicted to rise by 1 to 3 °C. However, uncertainty remains as to whether ocean acidification or ocean warming will have a more deleterious impact on coral reefs by the end of the century. Here, we present results of 95-day laboratory experiments in which we investigated the impact of CO2-induced ocean acidification and temperature on the calcification rate of the tropical reef-building zooxanthellate scleractinian coral Siderastrea siderea. We found that calcification rates for S. siderea, estimated from buoyant weighing, increased as pCO2 increased from a pre-industrial value of 324 ppm to a near-present-day value of 477 ppm, remained unchanged as pCO2 increased from 477 ppm to the predicted end-of-century value of 604 ppm, and only declined at 6-times the modern pCO2 value of 2553 ppm. Corals reared at average pCO2 of 488 ppm and at temperatures of 25 and 32 °C, approximately the lower and upper temperature extremes for this species, calcified at lower rates relative to corals reared at 28 °C under equivalent pCO2. These results support the existing evidence that scleractinian corals such as S. siderea are able to manipulate the carbonate chemistry at their calcification site, enabling them to maintain their calcification rates under elevated pCO2 levels predicted for the end of this century. However, exposure of S. siderea corals to sea surface temperatures predicted for tropical waters for the end of this century grossly impaired their rate of calcification. These findings suggest that ocean warming poses a more immediate threat to the coral S. siderea than does ocean acidification, at least under scenarios (B1, A1T, and B2) predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate

  5. Comparative CO2 flux measurements by eddy covariance technique using open- and closed-path gas analysers over the equatorial Pacific Ocean

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fumiyoshi Kondo

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Direct comparison of air–sea CO2 fluxes by open-path eddy covariance (OPEC and closed-path eddy covariance (CPEC techniques was carried out over the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Previous studies over oceans have shown that the CO2 flux by OPEC was larger than the bulk CO2 flux using the gas transfer velocity estimated by the mass balance technique, while the CO2 flux by CPEC agreed with the bulk CO2 flux. We investigated a traditional conflict between the CO2 flux by the eddy covariance technique and the bulk CO2 flux, and whether the CO2 fluctuation attenuated using the closed-path analyser can be measured with sufficient time responses to resolve small CO2 flux over oceans. Our results showed that the closed-path analyser using a short sampling tube and a high volume air pump can be used to measure the small CO2 fluctuation over the ocean. Further, the underestimated CO2 flux by CPEC due to the attenuated fluctuation can be corrected by the bandpass covariance method; its contribution was almost identical to that of H2O flux. The CO2 flux by CPEC agreed with the total CO2 flux by OPEC with density correction; however, both of them are one order of magnitude larger than the bulk CO2 flux.

  6. Giant Clams and Rising CO2: Light May Ameliorate Effects of Ocean Acidification on a Solar-Powered Animal.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sue-Ann Watson

    Full Text Available Global climate change and ocean acidification pose a serious threat to marine life. Marine invertebrates are particularly susceptible to ocean acidification, especially highly calcareous taxa such as molluscs, echinoderms and corals. The largest of all bivalve molluscs, giant clams, are already threatened by a variety of local pressures, including overharvesting, and are in decline worldwide. Several giant clam species are listed as 'Vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and now climate change and ocean acidification pose an additional threat to their conservation. Unlike most other molluscs, giant clams are 'solar-powered' animals containing photosynthetic algal symbionts suggesting that light could influence the effects of ocean acidification on these vulnerable animals. In this study, juvenile fluted giant clams Tridacna squamosa were exposed to three levels of carbon dioxide (CO2 (control ~400, mid ~650 and high ~950 μatm and light (photosynthetically active radiation 35, 65 and 304 μmol photons m-2 s-1. Elevated CO2 projected for the end of this century (~650 and ~950 μatm reduced giant clam survival and growth at mid-light levels. However, effects of CO2 on survival were absent at high-light, with 100% survival across all CO2 levels. Effects of CO2 on growth of surviving clams were lessened, but not removed, at high-light levels. Shell growth and total animal mass gain were still reduced at high-CO2. This study demonstrates the potential for light to alleviate effects of ocean acidification on survival and growth in a threatened calcareous marine invertebrate. Managing water quality (e.g. turbidity and sedimentation in coastal areas to maintain water clarity may help ameliorate some negative effects of ocean acidification on giant clams and potentially other solar-powered calcifiers, such as hard corals.

  7. Giant Clams and Rising CO2: Light May Ameliorate Effects of Ocean Acidification on a Solar-Powered Animal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watson, Sue-Ann

    2015-01-01

    Global climate change and ocean acidification pose a serious threat to marine life. Marine invertebrates are particularly susceptible to ocean acidification, especially highly calcareous taxa such as molluscs, echinoderms and corals. The largest of all bivalve molluscs, giant clams, are already threatened by a variety of local pressures, including overharvesting, and are in decline worldwide. Several giant clam species are listed as 'Vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and now climate change and ocean acidification pose an additional threat to their conservation. Unlike most other molluscs, giant clams are 'solar-powered' animals containing photosynthetic algal symbionts suggesting that light could influence the effects of ocean acidification on these vulnerable animals. In this study, juvenile fluted giant clams Tridacna squamosa were exposed to three levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) (control ~400, mid ~650 and high ~950 μatm) and light (photosynthetically active radiation 35, 65 and 304 μmol photons m-2 s-1). Elevated CO2 projected for the end of this century (~650 and ~950 μatm) reduced giant clam survival and growth at mid-light levels. However, effects of CO2 on survival were absent at high-light, with 100% survival across all CO2 levels. Effects of CO2 on growth of surviving clams were lessened, but not removed, at high-light levels. Shell growth and total animal mass gain were still reduced at high-CO2. This study demonstrates the potential for light to alleviate effects of ocean acidification on survival and growth in a threatened calcareous marine invertebrate. Managing water quality (e.g. turbidity and sedimentation) in coastal areas to maintain water clarity may help ameliorate some negative effects of ocean acidification on giant clams and potentially other solar-powered calcifiers, such as hard corals.

  8. Regional impacts of climate change and atmospheric CO2 on future ocean carbon uptake: A multi-model linear feedback analysis

    OpenAIRE

    Roy Tilla; Bopp Laurent; Gehlen Marion; Schneider Birgitt; Cadule Patricia; Frölicher Thomas; Segschneider Jochen; Tijputra Jerry; Heinze Christoph; Joos Fortunat

    2011-01-01

    The increase in atmospheric CO2 over this century depends on the evolution of the oceanic air–sea CO2 uptake which will be driven by the combined response to rising atmospheric CO2 itself and climate change. Here the future oceanic CO2 uptake is simulated using an ensemble of coupled climate–carbon cycle models. The models are driven by CO2 emissions from historical data and the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) A2 high emission scenario. A linear feedback analysis successfully sep...

  9. The fate of pelagic CaCO3 production in a high CO2 ocean: a model study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Ethe

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available This model study addresses the change in pelagic calcium carbonate production (CaCO3, as calcite in the model and dissolution in response to rising atmospheric CO2. The parameterization of CaCO3 production includes a dependency on the saturation state of seawater with respect to calcite. It was derived from laboratory and mesocosm studies on particulate organic and inorganic carbon production in Emiliania huxleyi as a function of pCO2. The model predicts values of CaCO3 production and dissolution in line with recent estimates. The effect of rising pCO2 on CaCO3 production and dissolution was quantified by means of model simulations forced with atmospheric CO2 increasing at a rate of 1% per year from 286 ppm to 1144 ppm over a 140 year time-period. The simulation predicts a decrease of CaCO3 production by 27%. The combined change in production and dissolution of CaCO3 yields an excess uptake of CO2 from the atmosphere by the ocean of 5.9 GtC over the period of 140 years.

  10. Oceanic uptake of CO2 re-estimated through δ13C in WOCE samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lerperger, Michael; McNichol, A.P.; Peden, J.; Gagnon, A.R.; Elder, K.L.; Kutschera, W.; Rom, W.; Steier, P.

    2000-01-01

    In addition to 14 C, a large set of δ 13 C data was produced at NOSAMS as part of the World ocean circulation experiment (WOCE). In this paper, a subset of 973 δ 13 C results from 63 stations in the Pacific Ocean was compared to a total number of 219 corresponding results from 12 stations sampled during oceanographic programs in the early 1970s. The data were analyzed in light of recent work to estimate the uptake of CO 2 derived from fossil fuel and biomass burning in the oceans by quantifying the δ 13 C Suess effect in the oceans. In principle, the δ 13 C value of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) allows a quantitative estimate of how much of the anthropogenic CO 2 released into the atmosphere is taken up by the oceans, because the δ 13 C of CO 2 derived from organic matter (∼2.7 percent) is significantly different from that of the atmosphere (∼0.8 percent). Our new analysis indicates an apparent discrepancy between the old and the new data sets, possibly caused by a constant offset in δ 13 C values in a subset of the data. A similar offset was reported in an earlier work by Paul Quay et al. for one station that was not included in their final analysis. We present an estimate for this assumed offset based on data from water depths below which little or no change in δ 13 C over time would be expected. Such a correction leads to a significantly reduced estimate of the CO 2 uptake, possibly as low as one half of the amount of 2.1 GtC yr -1 (gigatons carbon per year) estimated previously. The present conclusion is based on a comparison with a relatively small data set from the 70s in the Pacific Ocean. The larger data set collected during the GEOSECS program was not used because of problems reported with the data. This work suggests there may also be problems in comparing non-GEOSECS data from the 1970s to the current data. The calculation of significantly lower uptake estimates based on an offset-related problem appears valid, but the exact figures are

  11. Empirical methods for the estimation of Southern Ocean CO2: support vector and random forest regression

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Gregor, Luke

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available understanding with spatially integrated air–sea flux estimates (Fay and McKinley, 2014). Conversely, ocean biogeochemical process models are good tools for mechanis- tic understanding, but fail to represent the seasonality of CO2 fluxes in the Southern Ocean... of including coordinate variables as proxies of 1pCO2 in the empirical methods. In the inter- comparison study by Rödenbeck et al. (2015) proxies typi- cally include, but are not limited to, sea surface temperature (SST), chlorophyll a (Chl a), mixed layer...

  12. Regional contributions of ocean iron fertilization to atmospheric CO2 changes during the last glacial termination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Opazo, N. E.; Lambert, F.

    2017-12-01

    Mineral dust aerosols affect climate directly by changing the radiative balance of the Earth, and indirectly by acting as cloud condensation nuclei and by affecting biogeochemical cycles. The impact on marine biogeochemical cycles is primarily through the supply of micronutrients such as iron to nutrient-limited regions of the oceans. Iron fertilization of High Nutrient Low Chlorophyll (HNLC) regions of the oceans is thought to have significantly affected the carbon cycle on glacial-interglacial scales and contributed about one fourth of the 80-100 ppm lowering of glacial atmospheric CO2 concentrations.In this study, we quantify the effect of global dust fluxes on atmospheric CO2 using the cGENIE model, an Earth System Model of Intermediate Complexity with emphasis on the carbon cycle. Global Holocene and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) dust flux fields were obtained from both dust model simulations and reconstructions based on observational data. The analysis was performed in two stages. In the first instance, we produced 8 global intermediate dust flux fields between Holocene and LGM and simulated the atmospheric CO2 drawdown due to these 10 dust levels. In the second stage, we only changed dust flux levels in specific HNLC regions to isolate the effect of these ocean basins. We thus quantify the contribution of the South Atlantic, the South Pacific, the North Pacific, and the Central Pacific HNLC regions to the total atmospheric CO2 difference due to iron fertilization of the Earth's oceans.

  13. South African integrated carbon observation network (SA-ICON): CO2 measurements on land, atmosphere and ocean

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Feig, Gregor T

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available It has become essential to accurately estimate the emission and uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO(sub2)) around the globe. Atmospheric CO(sub2) plays a central role in the Earth’s atmospheric, ocean and terrestrial systems and it has been...

  14. Response of bacterioplankton community structure to an artificial gradient of pCO2 in the Arctic Ocean

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Zhang

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available In order to test the influences of ocean acidification on the ocean pelagic ecosystem, so far the largest CO2 manipulation mesocosm study (European Project on Ocean Acidification, EPOCA was performed in Kings Bay (Kongsfjorden, Spitsbergen. During a 30 day incubation, bacterial diversity was investigated using DNA fingerprinting and clone library analysis of bacterioplankton samples. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP analysis of the PCR amplicons of the 16S rRNA genes revealed that general bacterial diversity, taxonomic richness and community structure were influenced by the variation of productivity during the time of incubation, but not the degree of ocean acidification. A BIOENV analysis suggested a complex control of bacterial community structure by various biological and chemical environmental parameters. The maximum apparent diversity of bacterioplankton (i.e., the number of T-RFs in high and low pCO2 treatments differed significantly. A negative relationship between the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and pCO2 levels was observed for samples at the end of the experiment by the combination of T-RFLP and clone library analysis. Our study suggests that ocean acidification affects the development of bacterial assemblages and potentially impacts the ecological function of the bacterioplankton in the marine ecosystem.

  15. Response of bacterioplankton community structure to an artificial gradient of pCO2 in the Arctic Ocean

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, R.; Xia, X.; Lau, S. C. K.; Motegi, C.; Weinbauer, M. G.; Jiao, N.

    2013-06-01

    In order to test the influences of ocean acidification on the ocean pelagic ecosystem, so far the largest CO2 manipulation mesocosm study (European Project on Ocean Acidification, EPOCA) was performed in Kings Bay (Kongsfjorden), Spitsbergen. During a 30 day incubation, bacterial diversity was investigated using DNA fingerprinting and clone library analysis of bacterioplankton samples. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of the PCR amplicons of the 16S rRNA genes revealed that general bacterial diversity, taxonomic richness and community structure were influenced by the variation of productivity during the time of incubation, but not the degree of ocean acidification. A BIOENV analysis suggested a complex control of bacterial community structure by various biological and chemical environmental parameters. The maximum apparent diversity of bacterioplankton (i.e., the number of T-RFs) in high and low pCO2 treatments differed significantly. A negative relationship between the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and pCO2 levels was observed for samples at the end of the experiment by the combination of T-RFLP and clone library analysis. Our study suggests that ocean acidification affects the development of bacterial assemblages and potentially impacts the ecological function of the bacterioplankton in the marine ecosystem.

  16. Comparative CO{sub 2} flux measurements by eddy covariance technique using open- and closed-path gas analysers over the equatorial Pacific Ocean

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kondo, Fumiyoshi (Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama Univ., Okayama (Japan); Atmosphere and Ocean Research Inst., Univ. of Tokyo, Tokyo (Japan)), Email: fkondo@aori.u-tokyo.ac.jp; Tsukamoto, Osamu (Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama Univ., Okayama (Japan))

    2012-04-15

    Direct comparison of airsea CO{sub 2} fluxes by open-path eddy covariance (OPEC) and closed-path eddy covariance (CPEC) techniques was carried out over the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Previous studies over oceans have shown that the CO{sub 2} flux by OPEC was larger than the bulk CO{sub 2} flux using the gas transfer velocity estimated by the mass balance technique, while the CO{sub 2} flux by CPEC agreed with the bulk CO{sub 2} flux. We investigated a traditional conflict between the CO{sub 2} flux by the eddy covariance technique and the bulk CO{sub 2} flux, and whether the CO{sub 2} fluctuation attenuated using the closed-path analyser can be measured with sufficient time responses to resolve small CO{sub 2} flux over oceans. Our results showed that the closed-path analyser using a short sampling tube and a high volume air pump can be used to measure the small CO{sub 2} fluctuation over the ocean. Further, the underestimated CO{sub 2} flux by CPEC due to the attenuated fluctuation can be corrected by the bandpass covariance method; its contribution was almost identical to that of H{sub 2}O flux. The CO{sub 2} flux by CPEC agreed with the total CO{sub 2} flux by OPEC with density correction; however, both of them are one order of magnitude larger than the bulk CO{sub 2} flux

  17. Acute physiological impacts of CO2 ocean sequestration on marine animals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishimatsu, A.; Hayashi, M.; Lee, K.S.; Murata, K.; Kumagai, E.

    2005-01-01

    The biological impacts of ocean carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) sequestration must be carefully considered before it is implemented as a mitigation strategy. This paper presented details of a study investigating the effects of high CO 2 concentrations on marine fish, lobster, and octopus. The influence of water temperature on the physiological effects of CO 2 was also discussed. In the first part of the study, eggs and larvae of red seabream were exposed to both CO 2 and HCI-acidified seawater at identical pH levels. Seabream in the CO 2 group showed a much higher mortality rate than fish in the HCI group. Other tests showed that Japanese Flounder died after complete recovery of pH in seawater equilibrated with 5 per cent CO 2 . Cardiac output was rapidly depressed in Yellowtail fish without significant changes in blood oxygen concentrations. Lower temperatures resulted in higher mortality and delayed pH recovery during hypercapnia in all fish. Western rock lobsters were the most tolerant to CO 2 among all species tested. The recovery of hemolymph pH was complete at exposure to CO 2 concentrations of 1 per cent. Changes in hemolymph bicarbonate concentrations indicated that acid-based regulatory mechanisms differed between fish and lobsters. Mortality rates for octopus were significant at CO 2 concentrations of 1 per cent. The results of all tests showed that aquatic animals are more susceptible to increases in ambient CO 2 levels than terrestrial animals. It was concluded that even slight elevations in CO 2 concentration levels adversely affected physiological functioning in the tested species. It was concluded that CO 2 sequestration in deeper, colder waters will have a more pronounced effect on aquatic animals due to the interactions between CO 2 and lower temperatures, as well as the fact that most deep-sea fish are less tolerant to environmental perturbations. 3 refs., 1 tab., 3 figs

  18. Possible impacts of CO2 storage on the marine environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poremski, H.J.

    2005-01-01

    This study examined the potential impacts of deep-sea carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) sequestration on the marine environment. The upper layers of oceans are currently saturated with CO 2 , while deeper ocean waters remain undersaturated. Arctic and Antarctic waters have higher uptake rates of CO 2 due to their lower temperatures. CO 2 deposited in Arctic and Antarctic waters sinks to the bottom of the ocean, and is then transported to equatorial latitudes, where stored amounts of CO 2 that are not fixed by biochemical processes will be released and enter the atmosphere again after a period of approximately 1000 years. Nearly 50 per cent of CO 2 fixation occurs as a result of phytoplankton growth, which is dependent on the availability of a range of nutrients, essential trace metals, and optimal physical conditions. Fertilization-induced CO 2 fixation in the sediments of southern oceans will result in nutrient depletion of bottom layers, which will in turn result in lower primary production levels at equatorial latitudes. Current modelling approaches to CO 2 injection assume that the injected CO 2 will dissolve in a plume extending 100 m around a riser. Retention times of several hundred years are anticipated. However, further research is needed to investigate the efficacy of CO 2 deep ocean storage technologies. Increased CO 2 uptake can also increase the formation of bicarbonate (HCO 3 ) acidification, decrease pH values, and inhibit the formation of biomass in addition to impacting on the calcification of many organisms. It was concluded that ocean storage by injection or deep storage is an untenable option at present due to the fact that the effects of excessive CO 2 in marine environments are not fully understood. 22 refs., 2 tabs

  19. Ocean acidification and responses to predators: can sensory redundancy reduce the apparent impacts of elevated CO2 on fish?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lönnstedt, Oona M; Munday, Philip L; McCormick, Mark I; Ferrari, Maud C O; Chivers, Douglas P

    2013-09-01

    Carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere and surface ocean are rising at an unprecedented rate due to sustained and accelerating anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Previous studies have documented that exposure to elevated CO2 causes impaired antipredator behavior by coral reef fish in response to chemical cues associated with predation. However, whether ocean acidification will impair visual recognition of common predators is currently unknown. This study examined whether sensory compensation in the presence of multiple sensory cues could reduce the impacts of ocean acidification on antipredator responses. When exposed to seawater enriched with levels of CO2 predicted for the end of this century (880 μatm CO2), prey fish completely lost their response to conspecific alarm cues. While the visual response to a predator was also affected by high CO2, it was not entirely lost. Fish exposed to elevated CO2, spent less time in shelter than current-day controls and did not exhibit antipredator signaling behavior (bobbing) when multiple predator cues were present. They did, however, reduce feeding rate and activity levels to the same level as controls. The results suggest that the response of fish to visual cues may partially compensate for the lack of response to chemical cues. Fish subjected to elevated CO2 levels, and exposed to chemical and visual predation cues simultaneously, responded with the same intensity as controls exposed to visual cues alone. However, these responses were still less than control fish simultaneously exposed to chemical and visual predation cues. Consequently, visual cues improve antipredator behavior of CO2 exposed fish, but do not fully compensate for the loss of response to chemical cues. The reduced ability to correctly respond to a predator will have ramifications for survival in encounters with predators in the field, which could have repercussions for population replenishment in acidified oceans.

  20. Aridity under conditions of increased CO2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greve, Peter; Roderick, Micheal L.; Seneviratne, Sonia I.

    2016-04-01

    A string of recent of studies led to the wide-held assumption that aridity will increase under conditions of increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations and associated global warming. Such results generally build upon analyses of changes in the 'aridity index' (the ratio of potential evaporation to precipitation) and can be described as a direct thermodynamic effect on atmospheric water demand due to increasing temperatures. However, there is widespread evidence that contradicts the 'warmer is more arid' interpretation, leading to the 'global aridity paradox' (Roderick et al. 2015, WRR). Here we provide a comprehensive assessment of modeled changes in a broad set of dryness metrics (primarily based on a range of measures of water availability) over a large range of realistic atmospheric CO2 concentrations. We use an ensemble of simulations from of state-of-the-art climate models to analyse both equilibrium climate experiments and transient historical simulations and future projections. Our results show that dryness is, under conditions of increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations and related global warming, generally decreasing at global scales. At regional scales we do, however, identify areas that undergo changes towards drier conditions, located primarily in subtropical climate regions and the Amazon Basin. Nonetheless, the majority of regions, especially in tropical and mid- to northern high latitudes areas, display wetting conditions in a warming world. Our results contradict previous findings and highlight the need to comprehensively assess all aspects of changes in hydroclimatological conditions at the land surface. Roderick, M. L., P. Greve, and G. D. Farquhar (2015), On the assessment of aridity with changes in atmospheric CO2, Water Resour. Res., 51, 5450-5463

  1. Temperature dependence of CO2-enhanced primary production in the European Arctic Ocean

    KAUST Repository

    Holding, J. M.; Duarte, Carlos M.; Sanz-Martí n, M.; Mesa, E.; Arrieta, J M; Chierici, M.; Hendriks, I.  E.; Garcí a-Corral, L. S.; Regaudie-de-Gioux, A.; Delgado, A.; Reigstad, M.; Wassmann, P.; Agusti, Susana

    2015-01-01

    production (GPP) may be temperature dependent, using data from several oceanographic cruises and experiments from both spring and summer in the European sector of the Arctic Ocean. Results confirm that CO2 enhances GPP (by a factor of up to ten) over a range

  2. Shell condition and survival of Puget Sound pteropods are impaired by ocean acidification conditions.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D Shallin Busch

    Full Text Available We tested whether the thecosome pteropod Limacina helicina from Puget Sound, an urbanized estuary in the northwest continental US, experiences shell dissolution and altered mortality rates when exposed to the high CO2, low aragonite saturation state (Ωa conditions that occur in Puget Sound and the northeast Pacific Ocean. Five, week-long experiments were conducted in which we incubated pteropods collected from Puget Sound in four carbon chemistry conditions: current summer surface (∼460-500 µatm CO2, Ωa≈1.59, current deep water or surface conditions during upwelling (∼760 and ∼1600-1700 µatm CO2, Ωa≈1.17 and 0.56, and future deep water or surface conditions during upwelling (∼2800-3400 µatm CO2, Ωa≈0.28. We measured shell condition using a scoring regime of five shell characteristics that capture different aspects of shell dissolution. We characterized carbon chemistry conditions in statistical analyses with Ωa, and conducted analyses considering Ωa both as a continuous dataset and as discrete treatments. Shell dissolution increased linearly as aragonite saturation state decreased. Discrete treatment comparisons indicate that shell dissolution was greater in undersaturated treatments compared to oversaturated treatments. Survival increased linearly with aragonite saturation state, though discrete treatment comparisons indicated that survival was similar in all but the lowest saturation state treatment. These results indicate that, under starvation conditions, pteropod survival may not be greatly affected by current and expected near-future aragonite saturation state in the NE Pacific, but shell dissolution may. Given that subsurface waters in Puget Sound's main basin are undersaturated with respect to aragonite in the winter and can be undersaturated in the summer, the condition and persistence of the species in this estuary warrants further study.

  3. Shell condition and survival of Puget Sound pteropods are impaired by ocean acidification conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Busch, D Shallin; Maher, Michael; Thibodeau, Patricia; McElhany, Paul

    2014-01-01

    We tested whether the thecosome pteropod Limacina helicina from Puget Sound, an urbanized estuary in the northwest continental US, experiences shell dissolution and altered mortality rates when exposed to the high CO2, low aragonite saturation state (Ωa) conditions that occur in Puget Sound and the northeast Pacific Ocean. Five, week-long experiments were conducted in which we incubated pteropods collected from Puget Sound in four carbon chemistry conditions: current summer surface (∼460-500 µatm CO2, Ωa≈1.59), current deep water or surface conditions during upwelling (∼760 and ∼1600-1700 µatm CO2, Ωa≈1.17 and 0.56), and future deep water or surface conditions during upwelling (∼2800-3400 µatm CO2, Ωa≈0.28). We measured shell condition using a scoring regime of five shell characteristics that capture different aspects of shell dissolution. We characterized carbon chemistry conditions in statistical analyses with Ωa, and conducted analyses considering Ωa both as a continuous dataset and as discrete treatments. Shell dissolution increased linearly as aragonite saturation state decreased. Discrete treatment comparisons indicate that shell dissolution was greater in undersaturated treatments compared to oversaturated treatments. Survival increased linearly with aragonite saturation state, though discrete treatment comparisons indicated that survival was similar in all but the lowest saturation state treatment. These results indicate that, under starvation conditions, pteropod survival may not be greatly affected by current and expected near-future aragonite saturation state in the NE Pacific, but shell dissolution may. Given that subsurface waters in Puget Sound's main basin are undersaturated with respect to aragonite in the winter and can be undersaturated in the summer, the condition and persistence of the species in this estuary warrants further study.

  4. Ocean acidification effects on calcification in Caribbean scleractinian coral exposed to elevated pCO2: a potential for acclimation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hankins, C.

    2016-02-01

    Ocean acidification (OA) is projected to increase the acidity of coral reef habitats 2-3 times that of present day pCO2 levels. Many studies have shown the adverse effects on scleractinian calcification when exposed to elevated pCO2 levels, however, no such effects were seen in this study whereby corals were exposed for three months to elevated pCO2 levels. In this study, all corals were kept in culture for one year prior to being used in experimental trials. Data from culture systems shows coral experience a range of pCO2 from 300-600 µatm over the course of a day. This range is attributed to respiration and photosynthesis which also naturally occurs in a reef habitat. Montastrea cavernosa, Orbicella faveolata, and Pseudodiploria clivosa were exposed to their ambient culture conditions (control) or to elevated pCO2 levels of 1000 µatm (IPCC A1F1 scenario). By combining photographic analysis of live tissue area or exposed skeleton with the buoyant weight technique, an area density of each coral fragment was obtained to infer rates of calcification or erosion of skeleton. After three months of experimental exposure, preliminary results suggest that there is no significant difference in calcification or erosion in any of the species tested. Acclimation in the elevated pCO2 culture environment may have conditioned the coral to better withstand high pCO2 levels. Long acclimation periods of coral to near term future pCO2 levels may more accurately predict calcification responses in corals of the future.

  5. Abiotic and seasonal control of soil-produced CO2 efflux in karstic ecosystems located in Oceanic and Mediterranean climates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia-Anton, Elena; Cuezva, Soledad; Fernandez-Cortes, Angel; Alvarez-Gallego, Miriam; Pla, Concepcion; Benavente, David; Cañaveras, Juan Carlos; Sanchez-Moral, Sergio

    2017-09-01

    This study characterizes the processes involved in seasonal CO2 exchange between soils and shallow underground systems and explores the contribution of the different biotic and abiotic sources as a function of changing weather conditions. We spatially and temporally investigated five karstic caves across the Iberian Peninsula, which presented different microclimatic, geologic and geomorphologic features. The locations present Mediterranean and Oceanic climates. Spot air sampling of CO2 (g) and δ13CO2 in the caves, soils and outside atmospheric air was periodically conducted. The isotopic ratio of the source contribution enhancing the CO2 concentration was calculated using the Keeling model. We compared the isotopic ratio of the source in the soil (δ13Cs-soil) with that in the soil-underground system (δ13Cs-system). Although the studied field sites have different features, we found common seasonal trends in their values, which suggests a climatic control over the soil air CO2 and the δ13CO2 of the sources of CO2 in the soil (δ13Cs-soil) and the system (δ13Cs-system). The roots respiration and soil organic matter degradation are the main source of CO2 in underground environments, and the inlet of the gas is mainly driven by diffusion and advection. Drier and warmer conditions enhance soil-exterior CO2 interchange, reducing the CO2 concentration and increasing the δ13CO2 of the soil air. Moreover, the isotopic ratio of the source of CO2 in both the soil and the system tends to heavier values throughout the dry and warm season. We conclude that seasonal variations of soil CO2 concentration and its 13C/12C isotopic ratio are mainly regulated by thermo-hygrometric conditions. In cold and wet seasons, the increase of soil moisture reduces soil diffusivity and allows the storage of CO2 in the subsoil. During dry and warm seasons, the evaporation of soil water favours diffusive and advective transport of soil-derived CO2 to the atmosphere. The soil CO2 diffusion is

  6. 1.5 My benthic foraminiferal B/Ca record of carbonate chemistry in the deep Atlantic: Implications for ocean alkalinity and atmospheric CO2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenthal, Y.; Sosdian, S. M.; Toggweiler, J. R.

    2017-12-01

    Most hypotheses to explain glacial-interglacial changes in atmospheric CO2 invoke shifts in ocean alkalinity explain roughly half the reduction in glacial CO2 via CaCO3 compensatory mechanism. It follows that changes in CaCO3 burial occur in response to an increase in deep ocean respired carbon content. To date our understanding of this process comes from benthic carbon isotope and %CaCO3 records. However, to understand the nature of the ocean's buffering capacity and its role in modulating pCO2, orbitally resolved reconstructions of the deep ocean carbonate system parameters are necessary. Here we present a 1.5 Myr orbitally resolved deep ocean calcite saturation record (ΔCO32-) derived from benthic foraminiferal B/Ca ratios in the North Atlantic. Glacial B/Ca values decline across the mid-Pleistocene transition (MPT) suggesting increased sequestration of carbon in the deep Atlantic. The magnitude, timing, and structure of deep Atlantic Ocean ΔCO32- and %CaCO3 cycles contrast with the small amplitude, anti-phased swings in IndoPacific ΔCO32- and %CaCO3 during the mid-to-late Pleistocene. Increasing corrosivity of the deep Atlantic causes the locus of CaCO3 burial to shift into the equatorial Pacific where the flux of CaCO3 to the seafloor is high enough to establish and maintain a new "hot spot". We propose that the CO32- in the deep IndoPacific rises in response to the same mechanism that keeps the CO32- in the deep Atlantic low and the atmospheric CO2 low. The increase in interglacial atmospheric pCO2 levels following the Mid-Brunhes event ( 400ka) are associated with increased G/IG ΔCO3 amplitude, expressed by a decrease in the glacial ΔCO32- values. We propose the low persistent ΔCO32- levels at Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 12 set the stage for the high pCO2 levels at MIS 11 via an increase in whole ocean alkalinity followed by enhanced CaCO3 preservation. Based on this, we suggest that the development of classic (`anticorrelated') CaCO3 patterns was

  7. Interactive effects of ocean acidification and warming on coral reef associated epilithic algal communities under past, present-day and future ocean conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogel, N.; Cantin, N. E.; Strahl, J.; Kaniewska, P.; Bay, L.; Wild, C.; Uthicke, S.

    2016-06-01

    Epilithic algal communities play critical ecological roles on coral reefs, but their response to individual and interactive effects of ocean warming (OW) and ocean acidification (OA) is still largely unknown. We investigated growth, photosynthesis and calcification of early epilithic algal community assemblages exposed for 6 months to four temperature profiles (-1.1, ±0.0, +0.9, +1.6 °C) that were crossed with four carbon dioxide partial pressure (pCO2) levels (360, 440, 650, 940 µatm), under flow-through conditions and natural light regimes. Additionally, we compared the cover of heavily calcified crustose coralline algae (CCA) and lightly calcified red algae of the genus Peyssonnelia among treatments. Increase in cover of epilithic communities showed optima under moderately elevated temperatures and present pCO2, while cover strongly decreased under high temperatures and high-pCO2 conditions, particularly due to decreasing cover of CCA. Similarly, community calcification rates were strongly decreased at high pCO2 under both measured temperatures. While final cover of CCA decreased under high temperature and pCO2 (additive negative effects), cover of Peyssonnelia spp. increased at high compared to annual average and moderately elevated temperatures. Thus, cover of Peyssonnelia spp. increased in treatment combinations with less CCA, which was supported by a significant negative correlation between organism groups. The different susceptibility to stressors most likely derived from a different calcification intensity and/or mineral. Notably, growth of the epilithic communities and final cover of CCA were strongly decreased under reduced-pCO2 conditions compared to the present. Thus, CCA may have acclimatized from past to present-day pCO2 conditions, and changes in carbonate chemistry, regardless in which direction, negatively affect them. However, if epilithic organisms cannot further acclimatize to OW and OA, the interacting effects of both factors may change

  8. Conditions for oceans on Earth-like planets orbiting within the habitable zone: importance of volcanic CO2 degassing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kadoya, S.; Tajika, E.

    2014-01-01

    Earth-like planets in the habitable zone (HZ) have been considered to have warm climates and liquid water on their surfaces if the carbonate-silicate geochemical cycle is working as on Earth. However, it is known that even the present Earth may be globally ice-covered when the rate of CO 2 degassing via volcanism becomes low. Here we discuss the climates of Earth-like planets in which the carbonate-silicate geochemical cycle is working, with focusing particularly on insolation and the CO 2 degassing rate. The climate of Earth-like planets within the HZ can be classified into three climate modes (hot, warm, and snowball climate modes). We found that the conditions for the existence of liquid water should be largely restricted even when the planet is orbiting within the HZ and the carbonate-silicate geochemical cycle is working. We show that these conditions should depend strongly on the rate of CO 2 degassing via volcanism. It is, therefore, suggested that thermal evolution of the planetary interiors will be a controlling factor for Earth-like planets to have liquid water on their surface.

  9. Chloride cells as an index of the impacts of CO{sub 2} ocean sequestration on marine fish

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hayashi, M.; Ishimatsu, A. [Nagasaki Univ., Nagasaki (Japan). Marine Research Inst.; Kikkawa, T. [Nagasaki Univ., Nagasaki (Japan). Marine Research Inst.]|[Marine Ecology Research Inst., Onjuku, Chiba (Japan). Central Laboratory

    2005-07-01

    Carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) ocean sequestration has been proposed as a potential measure to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. However, the impacts of CO{sub 2} ocean sequestration on marine organisms must be examined in discussing the feasibility of this mitigation measure. This study examined the changes in the morphology of chloride cells (CCs) and activity of Na{sup +}, K{sup +} -ATPase of the Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus during aquatic hypercapnia. The apical openings area increased 1.3 and 4.1 times in 24 hour exposures to 1 per cent and 5 per cent CO{sub 2}, respectively, while the CCs area or density did not change at both concentrations. Gill Na{sup +}, K{sup +} -ATPase activity more than doubled at 72 hours and then decreased at 1 per cent CO{sub 2}, whereas it increased to 170 per cent at 24 hours during exposure to 5 per cent CO{sub 2} . These results suggest that branchial CCs are involved in acid-base regulation in marine fish under environmental hypercapnia. 4 refs., 2 figs.

  10. Effects of ocean acidification on the shells of four Mediterranean gastropod species near a CO2 seep.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duquette, Ashley; McClintock, James B; Amsler, Charles D; Pérez-Huerta, Alberto; Milazzo, Marco; Hall-Spencer, Jason M

    2017-11-30

    Marine CO 2 seeps allow the study of the long-term effects of elevated pCO 2 (ocean acidification) on marine invertebrate biomineralization. We investigated the effects of ocean acidification on shell composition and structure in four ecologically important species of Mediterranean gastropods (two limpets, a top-shell snail, and a whelk). Individuals were sampled from three sites near a volcanic CO 2 seep off Vulcano Island, Italy. The three sites represented ambient (8.15pH), moderate (8.03pH) and low (7.73pH) seawater mean pH. Shell mineralogy, microstructure, and mechanical strength were examined in all four species. We found that the calcite/aragonite ratio could vary and increased significantly with reduced pH in shells of one of the two limpet species. Moreover, each of the four gastropods displayed reductions in either inner shell toughness or elasticity at the Low pH site. These results suggest that near-future ocean acidification could alter shell biomineralization and structure in these common gastropods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Calculations from the Hadley Centre: The ocean is rising even with stable CO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Groenaas, Sigbjoern

    2000-01-01

    The article presents calculations and forecasts for the atmospheric CO 2 level changes in the period of 2000 to 2350. Correlations between the levels and the average global temperature and the sea level are studied for the period of 1850 to 2200. The main conclusion is that the sea level will continue to rise for several hundred years even with a stable atmospheric CO 2 concentration in the next century due to the slow response of oceans to global warming

  12. Transcriptomics reveal transgenerational effects in purple sea urchin embryos: Adult acclimation to upwelling conditions alters the response of their progeny to differential pCO2 levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Juliet M; Johnson, Kevin M; Kelly, Morgan W; Hofmann, Gretchen E

    2018-03-01

    Understanding the mechanisms with which organisms can respond to a rapidly changing ocean is an important research priority in marine sciences, especially in the light of recent predictions regarding the pace of ocean change in the coming decades. Transgenerational effects, in which the experience of the parental generation can shape the phenotype of their offspring, may serve as such a mechanism. In this study, adult purple sea urchins, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, were conditioned to regionally and ecologically relevant pCO 2 levels and temperatures representative of upwelling (colder temperature and high pCO 2 ) and nonupwelling (average temperature and low pCO 2 ) conditions typical of coastal upwelling regions in the California Current System. Following 4.5 months of conditioning, adults were spawned and offspring were raised under either high or low pCO 2 levels, to examine the role of maternal effects. Using RNA-seq and comparative transcriptomics, our results indicate that differential conditioning of the adults had an effect on the gene expression patterns of the progeny during the gastrula stage of early development. For example, maternal conditioning under upwelling conditions intensified the transcriptomic response of the progeny when they were raised under high versus low pCO 2 conditions. Additionally, mothers that experienced upwelling conditions produced larger progeny. The overall findings of this study are complex, but do suggest that transgenerational plasticity in situ could act as an important mechanism by which populations might keep pace with rapid environmental change. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Modeling long-term carbon residue in the ocean-atmosphere system following large CO2 emissions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Towles, N. J.; Olson, P.; Gnanadesikan, A.

    2013-12-01

    We use the LOSCAR carbon cycle model (Zeebe et al., 2009; Zeebe, 2012) to calculate the residual carbon in the ocean and atmosphere following large CO2 emissions. We consider the system response to CO2 emissions ranging from 100 to 20000 PgC, and emission durations from 100 yr to 100 kyr, subject to a wide range of system parameters such as the strengths of silicate weathering and the oceanic biological carbon pump. We define the carbon gain factor as the ratio of residual carbon in the ocean-atmosphere to the total emitted carbon. For moderate sized emissions shorter than about 50 kyr, we find that the carbon gain factor grows during the emission and peaks at about 1.7, primarily due to the erosion of carbonate marine sediments. In contrast, for longer emissions, the carbon gain factor peaks at a smaller value, and for very large emissions (more than 5000 PgC), the gain factor decreases with emission size due to carbonate sediment exhaustion. This gain factor is sensitive to model parameters such as low latitude efficiency of the biological pump. The timescale for removal of the residual carbon (reducing the carbon gain factor to zero) depends strongly on the assumed sensitivity of silicate weathering to atmospheric pCO2, and ranges from less than one million years to several million years.

  14. Deglacial upwelling, productivity and CO2 outgassing in the North Pacific Ocean

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gray, William R.; Rae, James W. B.; Wills, Robert C. J.; Shevenell, Amelia E.; Taylor, Ben; Burke, Andrea; Foster, Gavin L.; Lear, Caroline H.

    2018-05-01

    The interplay between ocean circulation and biological productivity affects atmospheric CO2 levels and marine oxygen concentrations. During the warming of the last deglaciation, the North Pacific experienced a peak in productivity and widespread hypoxia, with changes in circulation, iron supply and light limitation all proposed as potential drivers. Here we use the boron-isotope composition of planktic foraminifera from a sediment core in the western North Pacific to reconstruct pH and dissolved CO2 concentrations from 24,000 to 8,000 years ago. We find that the productivity peak during the Bølling-Allerød warm interval, 14,700 to 12,900 years ago, was associated with a decrease in near-surface pH and an increase in pCO2, and must therefore have been driven by increased supply of nutrient- and CO2-rich waters. In a climate model ensemble (PMIP3), the presence of large ice sheets over North America results in high rates of wind-driven upwelling within the subpolar North Pacific. We suggest that this process, combined with collapse of North Pacific Intermediate Water formation at the onset of the Bølling-Allerød, led to high rates of upwelling of water rich in nutrients and CO2, and supported the peak in productivity. The respiration of this organic matter, along with poor ventilation, probably caused the regional hypoxia. We suggest that CO2 outgassing from the North Pacific helped to maintain high atmospheric CO2 concentrations during the Bølling-Allerød and contributed to the deglacial CO2 rise.

  15. Decadal changes in the CaCO3 saturation state along 179°E in the Pacific Ocean

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murata, Akihiko; Saito, Shu

    2012-06-01

    To assess degrees of ocean acidification, we mainly investigated decadal changes in the saturation state of seawater with respect to aragonite (Ωarg), which is a more vulnerable mineral form of CaCO3, along the 179°E meridian (WOCE P14N) in the Pacific Ocean. We found a maximum decrease of Ωarg of -0.48 (-0.034 a-1) at 200-300 dbar (isopycnal surfaces of 24.0-25.8 kg m-3) at 20°N. Between 1993 and 2007, the saturation horizon rose by 17 dbar (1.2 dbar a-1) at latitudes 10°N-50°N. Although ΔΩarg mostly reflected changes in normalized dissolved inorganic carbon (ΔnCT), it was larger than could be explained by anthropogenic CO2 storage alone. Decomposition of ΔnCT revealed that ΔΩarg was enhanced by approximately 50% by a non-anthropogenic CO2 contribution represented by changes in apparent oxygen utilization. Our results suggest that ocean acidification can be temporarily accelerated by temporal changes in oceanic conditions.

  16. Studies on CO2 removal and reduction. CO2 taisaku kenkyu no genjo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shindo, Y [National Institute of Materials and Chemical Research, Tsukuba (Japan)

    1993-02-01

    This paper summarizes study trends mainly in CO2 fixing processes. Underground CO2 storage is a most promising method because it can fix a huge amount of CO2 and has low effects on ecological systems. Storing CO2 in ocean includes such methods as storing it in deep oceans; storing it in deep ocean beds; dissolving it into sea water; neutralizing it with calcium carbonates; and precipitating it as dry ice. Japan, disposing CO2 in these ways, may create international problems. Separation of CO2 may use a chemical absorption process as a superior method. Other processes discussed include a physical adsorption method and a membrane separation method. A useful method for CO2 fixation using marine organisms is fixation using coral reefs. This process will require an overall study including circulation of phosphorus and nitrogen. Marine organisms may include planktons and algae. CO2 fixation using land plants may be able to fix one trillion and 8 hundred billion tons of CO2 as converted to carbon. This process would require forest protection, prevention of desertification, and tree planting. Discussions are being given also on improving power generation cycles, recovering CO2 from automotive exhausts, and backfilling carbons into ground by means of photosynthesis. 23 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab.

  17. Ocean acidification exerts negative effects during warming conditions in a developing Antarctic fish.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flynn, Erin E; Bjelde, Brittany E; Miller, Nathan A; Todgham, Anne E

    2015-01-01

    Anthropogenic CO2 is rapidly causing oceans to become warmer and more acidic, challenging marine ectotherms to respond to simultaneous changes in their environment. While recent work has highlighted that marine fishes, particularly during early development, can be vulnerable to ocean acidification, we lack an understanding of how life-history strategies, ecosystems and concurrent ocean warming interplay with interspecific susceptibility. To address the effects of multiple ocean changes on cold-adapted, slowly developing fishes, we investigated the interactive effects of elevated partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) and temperature on the embryonic physiology of an Antarctic dragonfish (Gymnodraco acuticeps), with protracted embryogenesis (∼10 months). Using an integrative, experimental approach, our research examined the impacts of near-future warming [-1 (ambient) and 2°C (+3°C)] and ocean acidification [420 (ambient), 650 (moderate) and 1000 μatm pCO2 (high)] on survival, development and metabolic processes over the course of 3 weeks in early development. In the presence of increased pCO2 alone, embryonic mortality did not increase, with greatest overall survival at the highest pCO2. Furthermore, embryos were significantly more likely to be at a later developmental stage at high pCO2 by 3 weeks relative to ambient pCO2. However, in combined warming and ocean acidification scenarios, dragonfish embryos experienced a dose-dependent, synergistic decrease in survival and developed more slowly. We also found significant interactions between temperature, pCO2 and time in aerobic enzyme activity (citrate synthase). Increased temperature alone increased whole-organism metabolic rate (O2 consumption) and developmental rate and slightly decreased osmolality at the cost of increased mortality. Our findings suggest that developing dragonfish are more sensitive to ocean warming and may experience negative physiological effects of ocean acidification only in

  18. Acute physiological impacts of CO{sub 2} ocean sequestration on marine animals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ishimatsu, A.; Hayashi, M.; Lee, K.S.; Murata, K.; Kumagai, E. [Nagasaki Univ., Nagasaki (Japan). Marine Research Inst.; Kikkawa, T. [Marine Ecology Research Inst., Chiba (Japan). Central Laboratory; Kita, J. [Research Inst. of Innovative Technology for the Earth, Kyoto (Japan)

    2005-07-01

    The biological impacts of ocean carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) sequestration must be carefully considered before it is implemented as a mitigation strategy. This paper presented details of a study investigating the effects of high CO{sub 2} concentrations on marine fish, lobster, and octopus. The influence of water temperature on the physiological effects of CO{sub 2} was also discussed. In the first part of the study, eggs and larvae of red seabream were exposed to both CO{sub 2} and HCI-acidified seawater at identical pH levels. Seabream in the CO{sub 2} group showed a much higher mortality rate than fish in the HCI group. Other tests showed that Japanese Flounder died after complete recovery of pH in seawater equilibrated with 5 per cent CO{sub 2}. Cardiac output was rapidly depressed in Yellowtail fish without significant changes in blood oxygen concentrations. Lower temperatures resulted in higher mortality and delayed pH recovery during hypercapnia in all fish. Western rock lobsters were the most tolerant to CO{sub 2} among all species tested. The recovery of hemolymph pH was complete at exposure to CO{sub 2} concentrations of 1 per cent. Changes in hemolymph bicarbonate concentrations indicated that acid-based regulatory mechanisms differed between fish and lobsters. Mortality rates for octopus were significant at CO{sub 2} concentrations of 1 per cent. The results of all tests showed that aquatic animals are more susceptible to increases in ambient CO{sub 2} levels than terrestrial animals. It was concluded that even slight elevations in CO{sub 2} concentration levels adversely affected physiological functioning in the tested species. It was concluded that CO{sub 2} sequestration in deeper, colder waters will have a more pronounced effect on aquatic animals due to the interactions between CO{sub 2} and lower temperatures, as well as the fact that most deep-sea fish are less tolerant to environmental perturbations. 3 refs., 1 tab., 3 figs.

  19. Contrasting impacts of ocean acidification and warming on the molecular responses of CO2-resilient oysters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goncalves, Priscila; Thompson, Emma L; Raftos, David A

    2017-06-02

    This study characterises the molecular processes altered by both elevated CO 2 and increasing temperature in oysters. Differences in resilience of marine organisms against the environmental stressors associated with climate change will have significant implications for the sustainability of coastal ecosystems worldwide. Some evidence suggests that climate change resilience can differ between populations within a species. B2 oysters represent a unique genetic resource because of their capacity to better withstand the impacts of elevated CO 2 at the physiological level, compared to non-selected oysters from the same species (Saccostrea glomerata). Here, we used proteomic and transcriptomic analysis of gill tissue to evaluate whether the differential response of B2 oysters to elevated CO 2 also extends to increased temperature. Substantial and distinctive effects on protein concentrations and gene expression were evident among B2 oysters responding to elevated CO 2 or elevated temperature. The combination of both stressors also altered oyster gill proteomes and gene expression. However, the impacts of elevated CO 2 and temperature were not additive or synergistic, and may be antagonistic. The data suggest that the simultaneous exposure of CO 2 -resilient oysters to near-future projected ocean pH and temperature results in complex changes in molecular processes in order to prevent stress-induced cellular damage. The differential response of B2 oysters to the combined stressors also indicates that the addition of thermal stress may impair the resilience of these oysters to decreased pH. Overall, this study reveals the intracellular mechanisms that might enable marine calcifiers to endure the emergent, adverse seawater conditions resulting from climate change.

  20. Late winter under ice pelagic microbial communities in the high Arctic Ocean and the impact of short-term exposure to elevated CO2 levels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adam eMonier

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Polar Oceans are natural CO2 sinks because of the enhanced solubility of CO2 in cold water. The Arctic Ocean is at additional risk of accelerated ocean acidification (OA because of freshwater inputs from sea ice and rivers, which influence the carbonate system. Winter conditions in the Arctic are of interest because of both cold temperatures and limited CO2 venting to the atmosphere when sea ice is present. Earlier OA experiments on Arctic microbial communities conducted in the absence of ice cover, hinted at shifts in taxa dominance and diversity under lowered pH. The Catlin Arctic Survey provided an opportunity to conduct in situ, under-ice, OA experiments during late Arctic winter. Seawater was collected from under the sea ice off Ellef Ringnes Island, and communities were exposed to three CO2 levels for 6 days. Phylogenetic diversity was greater in the attached fraction compared to the free-living fraction in situ, in the controls and in the treatments. The dominant taxa in all cases were Gammaproteobacteria but acidification had little effect compared to the effects of containment. Phylogenetic net relatedness indices suggested that acidification may have decreased the diversity within some bacterial orders, but overall there was no clear trend. Within the experimental communities, alkalinity best explained the variance among samples and replicates, suggesting subtle changes in the carbonate system need to be considered in such experiments. We conclude that under ice communities have the capacity to respond either by selection or phenotypic plasticity to heightened CO2 levels over the short term.

  1. Measurements of the total CO2 concentration and partial pressure of CO2 in seawater during WOCE expeditions in the South Pacific Ocean

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takahashi, T.; Goddard, J.G.; Chipman, D.W.; Rubin, S.I.

    1993-01-01

    During the first year of the grant, we participated in three WOCE expeditions (a total of 152 days at sea) in the South Pacific Ocean, and the field phase of the proposed investigation has been successfully completed. The total CO 2 concentration and pCO 2 were determined at sea in 4419 water samples collected at 422 stations. On the basis of the shipboard analyses of SIO Reference Solutions for CO, and a comparison with the results of previous expeditions, the overall precision of our total CO 2 determinations is estimated to be about ±2 uM/kg. The deep water data indicate that there is a CO 2 maximum centered about 2600 meters deep. This appears to represent a southward return flow from the North Pacific. The magnitude and distribution of the CO, maximum observed along the 135.0 degrees W meridian differ from those observed along the 150.5 degrees W meridian due to Tuamotu Archipelago, a topographic high which interferes with the southward return flow. The surface water pCO 2 data indicate that the South Pacific sub-tropical gyre water located between about 15 degrees S and 50 degrees S is a sink for atmospheric CO 2

  2. Responses of the tropical gorgonian coral Eunicea fusca to ocean acidification conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gómez, C. E.; Paul, V. J.; Ritson-Williams, R.; Muehllehner, N.; Langdon, C.; Sánchez, J. A.

    2015-06-01

    Ocean acidification can have negative repercussions from the organism to ecosystem levels. Octocorals deposit high-magnesium calcite in their skeletons, and according to different models, they could be more susceptible to the depletion of carbonate ions than either calcite or aragonite-depositing organisms. This study investigated the response of the gorgonian coral Eunicea fusca to a range of CO2 concentrations from 285 to 4,568 ppm (pH range 8.1-7.1) over a 4-week period. Gorgonian growth and calcification were measured at each level of CO2 as linear extension rate and percent change in buoyant weight and calcein incorporation in individual sclerites, respectively. There was a significant negative relationship for calcification and CO2 concentration that was well explained by a linear model regression analysis for both buoyant weight and calcein staining. In general, growth and calcification did not stop in any of the concentrations of pCO2; however, some of the octocoral fragments experienced negative calcification at undersaturated levels of calcium carbonate (>4,500 ppm) suggesting possible dissolution effects. These results highlight the susceptibility of the gorgonian coral E. fusca to elevated levels of carbon dioxide but suggest that E. fusca could still survive well in mid-term ocean acidification conditions expected by the end of this century, which provides important information on the effects of ocean acidification on the dynamics of coral reef communities. Gorgonian corals can be expected to diversify and thrive in the Atlantic-Eastern Pacific; as scleractinian corals decline, it is likely to expect a shift in these reef communities from scleractinian coral dominated to octocoral/soft coral dominated under a "business as usual" scenario of CO2 emissions.

  3. Do Continental Shelves Act as an Atmospheric CO2 Sink?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, W.

    2003-12-01

    Recent air-to-sea CO2 flux measurements at several major continental shelves (European Atlantic Shelves, East China Sea and U.S. Middle Atlantic Bight) suggest that shelves may act as a one-way pump and absorb atmospheric CO2 into the ocean. These observations also favor the argument that continental shelves are autotrophic (i.e., net production of organic carbon, OC). The U.S. South Atlantic Bight (SAB) contrasts these findings in that it acts as a strong source of CO2 to the atmosphere while simultaneously exporting dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) to the open ocean. We report pCO2, DIC, and alkalinity data from the SAB collected in 8 cruises along a transect from the shore to the shelf break in the central SAB. The shelf-wide net heterotrophy and carbon exports in the SAB are subsidized by the export of OC from the abundant intertidal marshes, which are a sink for atmospheric CO2. It is proposed here that the SAB represents a marsh-dominated heterotrophic ocean margin as opposed to river-dominated autotrophic margins. To further investigate why margins may behave differently in term of CO2 sink/source, the physical and biological conditions of several western boundary current margins are compared. Based on this and other studies, DIC export flux from margins to the open ocean must be significant in the overall global ocean carbon budget.

  4. Conditions for oceans on Earth-like planets orbiting within the habitable zone: importance of volcanic CO{sub 2} degassing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kadoya, S. [Department of Earth and Planetary Science, The University of Tokyo, Kiban Bldg. 408, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8561 (Japan); Tajika, E., E-mail: kadoya@astrobio.k.u-tokyo.ac.jp, E-mail: tajika@astrobio.k.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Kiban Bldg. 409, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8561 (Japan)

    2014-08-01

    Earth-like planets in the habitable zone (HZ) have been considered to have warm climates and liquid water on their surfaces if the carbonate-silicate geochemical cycle is working as on Earth. However, it is known that even the present Earth may be globally ice-covered when the rate of CO{sub 2} degassing via volcanism becomes low. Here we discuss the climates of Earth-like planets in which the carbonate-silicate geochemical cycle is working, with focusing particularly on insolation and the CO{sub 2} degassing rate. The climate of Earth-like planets within the HZ can be classified into three climate modes (hot, warm, and snowball climate modes). We found that the conditions for the existence of liquid water should be largely restricted even when the planet is orbiting within the HZ and the carbonate-silicate geochemical cycle is working. We show that these conditions should depend strongly on the rate of CO{sub 2} degassing via volcanism. It is, therefore, suggested that thermal evolution of the planetary interiors will be a controlling factor for Earth-like planets to have liquid water on their surface.

  5. Investigating the Impact of Past and Future CO2 Emissions on the Distribution of Radiocarbon in the Ocean

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khatiwala, S.; Payne, S.; Graven, H. D.; Heimbach, P.

    2015-12-01

    The ocean is a significant sink for carbon dioxide from fossil fuel burning, absorbing roughly a third of human CO2 emitted over the industrial period. This has implications not only for climate but also for the chemical and isotopic composition of the ocean. Human activities have increased the ocean radiocarbon content through nuclear bomb tests in the 1950s-60s, which released a large amount of radiocarbon (14C) into the atmosphere, but fossil fuel emissions are decreasing the radiocarbon content through the release of 14C-depleted CO2. Here, we use the ECCO-v4 ocean state estimate to examine the changing nature of the air-sea flux of radiocarbon and its spatial distribution in the ocean in response to past and future CO2 emissions, the latter taken from the the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) database used in IPCC simulations. In line with previous studies we find that the large air-sea gradient of 14C induced by nuclear bomb testing led to rapid accumulation of radiocarbon in the surface ocean. Surface fluxes of 14C have considerably weakened over the past several decades and in some areas 14C is being returned to the atmosphere. As fossil fuel emissions continue to reduce the atmospheric 14C/C ratio (Δ14C), in most RCP scenarios the total ocean 14C inventory starts decreasing by 2030. With strong emissions, the Δ14C of surface waters is driven to increasingly negative values and in RCP 8.5 by 2100 much of the surface ocean has apparent radiocarbon ages in excess of 2000 years, with subtropical gyres more depleted in 14C than the Southern Ocean. Surface waters become significantly more negative in Δ14C than underlying waters. As a result, turning conventional tracer oceanography on its head, recently ventilated waters are characterized by more negative Δ14C values. Similar patterns can be expected for CFCs in the ocean as atmospheric concentrations decrease over the next several decades. Our results have a number of implications, notably for

  6. A joint global carbon inversion system using both CO2 and 13CO2 atmospheric concentration data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jing M.; Mo, Gang; Deng, Feng

    2017-03-01

    Observations of 13CO2 at 73 sites compiled in the GLOBALVIEW database are used for an additional constraint in a global atmospheric inversion of the surface CO2 flux using CO2 observations at 210 sites (62 collocated with 13CO2 sites) for the 2002-2004 period for 39 land regions and 11 ocean regions. This constraint is implemented using prior CO2 fluxes estimated with a terrestrial ecosystem model and an ocean model. These models simulate 13CO2 discrimination rates of terrestrial photosynthesis and ocean-atmosphere diffusion processes. In both models, the 13CO2 disequilibrium between fluxes to and from the atmosphere is considered due to the historical change in atmospheric 13CO2 concentration. This joint inversion system using both13CO2 and CO2 observations is effectively a double deconvolution system with consideration of the spatial variations of isotopic discrimination and disequilibrium. Compared to the CO2-only inversion, this 13CO2 constraint on the inversion considerably reduces the total land carbon sink from 3.40 ± 0.84 to 2.53 ± 0.93 Pg C year-1 but increases the total oceanic carbon sink from 1.48 ± 0.40 to 2.36 ± 0.49 Pg C year-1. This constraint also changes the spatial distribution of the carbon sink. The largest sink increase occurs in the Amazon, while the largest source increases are in southern Africa, and Asia, where CO2 data are sparse. Through a case study, in which the spatial distribution of the annual 13CO2 discrimination rate over land is ignored by treating it as a constant at the global average of -14. 1 ‰, the spatial distribution of the inverted CO2 flux over land was found to be significantly modified (up to 15 % for some regions). The uncertainties in our disequilibrium flux estimation are 8.0 and 12.7 Pg C year-1 ‰ for land and ocean, respectively. These uncertainties induced the unpredictability of 0.47 and 0.54 Pg C year-1 in the inverted CO2 fluxes for land and ocean, respectively. Our joint inversion system is therefore

  7. A direct CO2 control system for ocean acidification experiments: testing effects on the coralline red algae Phymatolithon lusitanicum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Sordo

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Most ocean acidification (OA experimental systems rely on pH as an indirect way to control CO2. However, accurate pH measurements are difficult to obtain and shifts in temperature and/or salinity alter the relationship between pH and pCO2. Here we describe a system in which the target pCO2 is controlled via direct analysis of pCO2 in seawater. This direct type of control accommodates potential temperature and salinity shifts, as the target variable is directly measured instead of being estimated. Water in a header tank is permanently re-circulated through an air-water equilibrator. The equilibrated air is then routed to an infrared gas analyzer (IRGA that measures pCO2 and conveys this value to a Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID controller. The controller commands a solenoid valve that opens and closes the CO2 flush that is bubbled into the header tank. This low-cost control system allows the maintenance of stabilized levels of pCO2 for extended periods of time ensuring accurate experimental conditions. This system was used to study the long term effect of OA on the coralline red algae Phymatolithon lusitanicum. We found that after 11 months of high CO2 exposure, photosynthesis increased with CO2 as opposed to respiration, which was positively affected by temperature. Results showed that this system is adequate to run long-term OA experiments and can be easily adapted to test other relevant variables simultaneously with CO2, such as temperature, irradiance and nutrients.

  8. Effects of Supercritical CO 2 Conditioning on Cross-Linked Polyimide Membranes

    KAUST Repository

    Kratochvil, Adam M.

    2010-05-25

    The effects of supercritical CO2 (scCO2) conditioning on high-performance cross-linked polyimide membranes is examined through gas permeation and sorption experiments. Under supercritical conditions, the cross-linked polymers do not exhibit a structural reorganization of the polymer matrix that was observed in the non-cross-linkable, free acid polymer. Pure gas permeation isotherms and mixed gas permeabilities and selectivities show the cross-linked polymers to be much more stable to scCO2 conditioning than the free acid polymer. In fact, following scCO2 conditioning, the mixed gas CO2 permeabilities of the cross-linked polymers increased while the CO2/CH4 separation factors remained relatively unchanged. This response highlights the stability and high performance of these cross-linked membranes in aggressive environments. In addition, this response reveals the potential for the preconditioning of cross-linked polymer membranes to enhance productivity without sacrificing efficiency in practical applications which, in effect, provides another tool to \\'tune\\' membrane properties for a given separation. Finally, the dual mode model accurately describes the sorption and dilation characteristics of the cross-linked polymers. The changes in the dual mode sorption model parameters before and after the scCO2 exposure also provide insights into the alterations in the different glassy samples due to the cross-linking and scCO2 exposure. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

  9. FY 2000 report on the results of the R and D of the prediction technology for environmental effects of CO2 ocean sequestration. Ocean survey and development of the assessment technology for capacity of CO2 sequestration; 2000 nendo nisanka tanso no kaiyo kakuri ni tomonau kankyo eikyo yosoku gijutsu kenkyu kaihatsu seika hokokusho. Kaiyo chosa oyobi CO2 kakuri noryoku hyoka gijutsu no kaihatsu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2001-03-01

    Assuming the dissolution/sequestration of CO2 at the medium-depth sea area around Japan (depth: 1,000-2,000m), the development was being proceeded with of the assessment technology for capacity of CO2 ocean sequestration and the prediction technology of environmental effects at the point of CO2 discharge. In FY 2000, conducted were the ocean survey and the development of assessment technology for CO2 sequestration capacity. In the investigational study, the following three were carried out: 1) survey/observation of the flow field on the line of 165 degrees of east longitude, and acquisition of various data such as the distribution of carbonic acid base substances and the speed of carbon transport; 2) study of the amount of existence of organisms and kind/composition of the medium-depth plankton at the typical observation points; 3) test/experiment actually conducted in the sea area for the experimental equipment for CaCO3 dissolution experimental equipment for studying interactions between the CO2 and CaCO3 dissolved into the medium-depth sea. As to the development of the assessment technology, carried out were the heightening of accuracy of medium-depth ocean circulation models using the inverse method already developed and the estimation of the flow field using the observation data. At the same time, the estimation of the flow field, etc. were conducted using large circulation ocean models. (NEDO)

  10. Simulation of CO2–water–rock interactions on geologic CO2 sequestration under geological conditions of China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Tianye; Wang, Huaiyuan; Zhang, Fengjun; Xu, Tianfu

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • We determined the feasibilities of geologic CO 2 sequestration in China. • We determined the formation of gibbsite suggested CO 2 can be captured by rocks. • We suggested the mechanisms of CO 2 –water–rock interactions. • We found the corrosion and dissolution of the rock increased as temperature rose. -- Abstract: The main purpose of this study focused on the feasibility of geologic CO 2 sequestration within the actual geological conditions of the first Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project in China. This study investigated CO 2 –water–rock interactions under simulated hydrothermal conditions via physicochemical analyses and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Mass loss measurement and SEM showed that corrosion of feldspars, silica, and clay minerals increased with increasing temperature. Corrosion of sandstone samples in the CO 2 -containing fluid showed a positive correlation with temperature. During reaction at 70 °C, 85 °C, and 100 °C, gibbsite (an intermediate mineral product) formed on the sample surface. This demonstrated mineral capture of CO 2 and supported the feasibility of geologic CO 2 sequestration. Chemical analyses suggested a dissolution–reprecipitation mechanism underlying the CO 2 –water–rock interactions. The results of this study suggested that mineral dissolution, new mineral precipitation, and carbonic acid formation-dissociation are closely interrelated in CO 2 –water–rock interactions

  11. The dynamics of CO2 fixation in the Southern Ocean as indicated by carboxylase activities and organic carbon isotopic ratios

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fontugne, M.

    1991-01-01

    Recent studies have suggested a direct relationship between the dissolved CO 2 concentration and carbon isotopic composition of phytoplankton in surface ocean. Thus, measurement of δ 13 C of planktonic organic matter in deep-sea ocean cores can potentially yield a record of the past atmospheric CO 2 variations. However, results are presented from 3 cruises in Indian and Atlantic sectors of the Southern Ocean (between 40-66degS) in which biochemical and physiological factors associated with photosynthetic processes lead to carbon isotopic fractionation by phytoplankton which cannot be directly related to variations within the mineral carbon pool. Simultaneous measurements of the carboxylase activities in the 13 C/ 12 C ratio of particulate organic carbon show that there is a large variability in phytoplankton carbon metabolism, especially on a seasonal scale, in spite of a relative uniformity of the environmental conditions. Phytoplankton carbon metabolism is clearly a main factor governing variations in the stable isotopic composition of organic matter in the euphotic layer. Interrelationships between light, Rubiso activity and δ 13 C are clearly shown by the data. Heterotrophic processes may also influence the carbon isotope mass balance, especially during the break-up of the ice pack. In addition to the influence of photosynthetic metabolism, the effect of the meridoneal temperature gradient is also verified by the data set. (author). 24 refs.; 5 figs

  12. Final Progress Report: Direct Experiments on the Ocean Disposal of Fossil Fuel CO2.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    James P. Barry; Peter G. Brewer

    2004-05-25

    OAK-B135 This report summarizes activities and results of investigations of the potential environmental consequences of direct injection of carbon dioxide into the deep-sea as a carbon sequestration method. Results of field experiments using small scale in situ releases of liquid CO2 are described in detail. The major conclusions of these experiments are that mortality rates of deep sea biota will vary depending on the concentrations of CO2 in deep ocean waters that result from a carbon sequestration project. Large changes in seawater acidity and carbon dioxide content near CO2 release sites will likely cause significant harm to deep-sea marine life. Smaller changes in seawater chemistry at greater distances from release sites will be less harmful, but may result in significant ecosystem changes.

  13. Seaweed fails to prevent ocean acidification impact on foraminifera along a shallow-water CO2 gradient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pettit, Laura R; Smart, Christopher W; Hart, Malcolm B; Milazzo, Marco; Hall-Spencer, Jason M

    2015-05-01

    Ocean acidification causes biodiversity loss, alters ecosystems, and may impact food security, as shells of small organisms dissolve easily in corrosive waters. There is a suggestion that photosynthetic organisms could mitigate ocean acidification on a local scale, through seagrass protection or seaweed cultivation, as net ecosystem organic production raises the saturation state of calcium carbonate making seawater less corrosive. Here, we used a natural gradient in calcium carbonate saturation, caused by shallow-water CO2 seeps in the Mediterranean Sea, to assess whether seaweed that is resistant to acidification (Padina pavonica) could prevent adverse effects of acidification on epiphytic foraminifera. We found a reduction in the number of species of foraminifera as calcium carbonate saturation state fell and that the assemblage shifted from one dominated by calcareous species at reference sites (pH ∼8.19) to one dominated by agglutinated foraminifera at elevated levels of CO2 (pH ∼7.71). It is expected that ocean acidification will result in changes in foraminiferal assemblage composition and agglutinated forms may become more prevalent. Although Padina did not prevent adverse effects of ocean acidification, high biomass stands of seagrass or seaweed farms might be more successful in protecting epiphytic foraminifera.

  14. Concentrations and (delta)13C values of atmospheric CO2 from oceanic atmosphere through time: polluted and non-polluted areas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Longinelli, Antonio; Selmo, Enrico; Lenaz, Renzo; Ori, Carlo

    2005-01-01

    CO 2 is one of the primary agents of global climate changes. The increase of atmospheric CO 2 concentration is essentially related to human-induced emissions and, particularly, to the burning of fossil fuel whose (delta) 13 C values are quite negative. Consequently, an increase of the CO 2 concentration in the atmosphere should be paralleled by a decrease of its (delta) 13 C. Continuous and/or spot measurements of CO 2 concentrations were repeatedly carried out during the last decade and in the same period of the year along hemispheric courses from Italy to Antarctica on a vessel of the Italian National Research Program in Antarctica. During these expeditions, discrete air samples were also collected in 4-l Pyrex flasks in order to carry out precise carbon isotope analyses on atmospheric CO 2 from different areas, including theoretically 'clean' open ocean areas, with the main purpose of comparing these open ocean results with the results obtained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/World Meteorological Organization (NOAA/WMO) at land-based stations. According to the data obtained for these two variables, a relatively large atmospheric pollution is apparent in the Mediterranean area where the CO 2 concentration has reached the value of 384 ppmv while quite negative (delta) 13 C values have been measured only occasionally. In this area, southerly winds probably help to reduce the effect of atmospheric pollution even though, despite a large variability of CO 2 concentrations, these values are consistently higher than those measured in open ocean areas by a few ppmv to about 10 ppmv. A marked, though non-continuous, pollution is apparent in the area of the Bab-el-Mandeb strait where (delta) 13 C values considerably more negative than in the Central and Southern Red Sea were measured. The concentration of atmospheric CO 2 over the Central Indian Ocean increased from about 361 ppmv at the end of 1996 to about 373 ppmv at the end of 2003 (mean growth

  15. Effects of Supercritical CO 2 Conditioning on Cross-Linked Polyimide Membranes

    KAUST Repository

    Kratochvil, Adam M.; Koros, William J.

    2010-01-01

    The effects of supercritical CO2 (scCO2) conditioning on high-performance cross-linked polyimide membranes is examined through gas permeation and sorption experiments. Under supercritical conditions, the cross-linked polymers do not exhibit a

  16. Acid-base physiology, neurobiology and behaviour in relation to CO2-induced ocean acidification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tresguerres, Martin; Hamilton, Trevor J

    2017-06-15

    Experimental exposure to ocean and freshwater acidification affects the behaviour of multiple aquatic organisms in laboratory tests. One proposed cause involves an imbalance in plasma chloride and bicarbonate ion concentrations as a result of acid-base regulation, causing the reversal of ionic fluxes through GABA A receptors, which leads to altered neuronal function. This model is exclusively based on differential effects of the GABA A receptor antagonist gabazine on control animals and those exposed to elevated CO 2 However, direct measurements of actual chloride and bicarbonate concentrations in neurons and their extracellular fluids and of GABA A receptor properties in aquatic organisms are largely lacking. Similarly, very little is known about potential compensatory mechanisms, and about alternative mechanisms that might lead to ocean acidification-induced behavioural changes. This article reviews the current knowledge on acid-base physiology, neurobiology, pharmacology and behaviour in relation to marine CO 2 -induced acidification, and identifies important topics for future research that will help us to understand the potential effects of predicted levels of aquatic acidification on organisms. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  17. Calcification in Caribbean reef-building corals at high pCO2 levels in a recirculating ocean acidification exposure system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Projected increases in ocean pCO2 levels are anticipated to affect calcifying organisms more rapidly and to a greater extent than other marine organisms. The effects of ocean acidification (OA) have been documented in numerous species of corals in laboratory studies, largely test...

  18. Geoengineering impact of open ocean dissolution of olivine on atmospheric CO2, surface ocean pH and marine biology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Köhler, Peter; Abrams, Jesse F; Völker, Christoph; Hauck, Judith; Wolf-Gladrow, Dieter A

    2013-01-01

    Ongoing global warming induced by anthropogenic emissions has opened the debate as to whether geoengineering is a ‘quick fix’ option. Here we analyse the intended and unintended effects of one specific geoengineering approach, which is enhanced weathering via the open ocean dissolution of the silicate-containing mineral olivine. This approach would not only reduce atmospheric CO 2 and oppose surface ocean acidification, but would also impact on marine biology. If dissolved in the surface ocean, olivine sequesters 0.28 g carbon per g of olivine dissolved, similar to land-based enhanced weathering. Silicic acid input, a byproduct of the olivine dissolution, alters marine biology because silicate is in certain areas the limiting nutrient for diatoms. As a consequence, our model predicts a shift in phytoplankton species composition towards diatoms, altering the biological carbon pumps. Enhanced olivine dissolution, both on land and in the ocean, therefore needs to be considered as ocean fertilization. From dissolution kinetics we calculate that only olivine particles with a grain size of the order of 1 μm sink slowly enough to enable a nearly complete dissolution. The energy consumption for grinding to this small size might reduce the carbon sequestration efficiency by ∼30%. (letter)

  19. Co-ordination Action on Ocean Energy (CA-OE)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tedd, James; Frigaard, Peter

    In October 2004, the Co-ordination Action on Ocean Energy (CA-OE) was launched, co-financed by the European Commission, under the Renewable Energy Technologies priority within the 6th Framework programme, contract number 502701, chaired by Kim Nielsen, Rambøll, Denmark. The project involves 41...... partners. In general the public is not aware of the development of ocean energy and its exploitation. There is a need to make a united effort from the developers and research community to present the various principles and results in a coordinated manner with public appeal. The main objectives of the Co......-ordination Action on Ocean Energy are: To develop a common knowledge base necessary for coherent research and development policiesTo bring a co-ordinated approach within key areas of ocean energy research and development.To provide a forum for the longer term marketing of promising research developments...

  20. Radiation processing of organics and biological materials exposed to ocean world surface conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hand, K. P.; Carlson, R. W.

    2017-12-01

    Assessing the habitability of ocean worlds, such as Europa and Enceladus, motivates a search for endogenous carbon compounds that could be indicative of a habitable, or even inhabited, subsurface liquid water environment. We have examined the role of destruction and synthesis of organic compounds via 10 keV electron bombardment of ices generated under temperature and pressure conditions comparable to Europa and Enceladus. Short-chain organics and ammonia, in combination with water, were exposed to Mrad to Grad doses and observed to evolve to a `lost' carbon fraction (CO and CO2) and a `retained' carbon fraction (consisting of a highly refractory `ocean world tholin' populated by highly radiation resistant carbonyl, aldehyde, and nitrile components). The retained fraction is of key importance as this likely represents the observable fraction for future spacecraft investigations. We also irradiated microbial spores (B. pumilis) to approximately 2 Grad and have found persistence of biomolecule fractions derived from proteins and nucleic acids.

  1. Optimizing Ocean Space: Co-siting Open Ocean Aquaculture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cobb, B. L.; Wickliffe, L. C.; Morris, J. A., Jr.

    2016-12-01

    In January of 2016, NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service released the Gulf Aquaculture Plan (GAP) to manage the development of environmentally sound and economically sustainable open ocean finfish aquaculture in the Gulf of Mexico (inside the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone [EEZ]). The GAP provides the first regulatory framework for aquaculture in federal waters with estimated production of 64 million pounds of finfish, and an estimated economic impact of $264 million annually. The Gulf of Mexico is one of the most industrialized ocean basins in the world, with many existing ocean uses including oil and natural gas production, shipping and commerce, commercial fishing operations, and many protected areas to ensure conservation of valuable ecosystem resources and services. NOAA utilized spatial planning procedures and tools identifying suitable sites for establishing aquaculture through exclusion analyses using authoritative federal and state data housed in a centralized geodatabase. Through a highly collaborative, multi-agency effort a mock permitting exercise was conducted to illustrate the regulatory decision-making process for the Gulf. Further decision-making occurred through exploring co-siting opportunities with oil and natural gas platforms. Logistical co-siting was conducted to reduce overall operational costs by looking at distance to major port and commodity tonnage at each port. Importantly, the process of co-siting allows aquaculture to be coupled with other benefits, including the availability of previously established infrastructure and the reduction of environmental impacts.

  2. CO2 interfacial properties: application to multiphase flow at reservoir conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chalbaud, C.

    2007-07-01

    In this work we deal with the interfacial properties of CO 2 at reservoir conditions with a special interest on deep saline aquifers. Each chapter of this dissertation represents a different physical scale studied with different experimental devices and simulation tools. The results obtained in the first part of this study represent a complete data set of brine-CO 2 interfacial tension at reservoir conditions. A semi-analytical equation is proposed in order to facilitate the work of reservoir engineers. The second deals with the interfacial properties at the pore scale using glass micro-models at different wettability conditions. This part shows the wetting behavior of CO 2 on hydrophobic or oil-wet solid surfaces. A pore network model was used for the interpretation and exploitation of these results. The third part corresponds to two different experimental approaches at the core scale at different wettability conditions associated to a modelling at flue Darcy scale. This part is a significant contribution to the validation of COORES compositional reservoir simulator developed by IFP. It has also allow us to estimate multiphase properties, Pc and kr, for brine-CO 2 systems at reservoir conditions. This study presents the necessary scales to model CO 2 storage in deep saline aquifers. (author)

  3. A Stratification Boomerang: Nonlinear Dependence of Deep Southern Ocean Ventilation on PCO2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galbraith, E. D.; Merlis, T. M.

    2014-12-01

    Strong correlations between atmospheric CO2, Antarctic temperatures, and marine proxy records have hinted that ventilation of the deep Southern Ocean may have played a central role in the variations of CO2 over glacial-interglacial cycles. One proposition is that, in general, the Southern Ocean ventilates the deep more strongly under higher CO2, due to a change in winds and/or the dominance of thermal stratification in a warm ocean, which weakens ocean biological carbon storage. Here, we explore this idea with a suite of multi-millennial simulations using the GFDL CM2Mc global coupled model. The results are, indeed, consistent with increasing ventilation of the Southern Ocean as pCO2 increases above modern. However, they reveal a surprising twist under low pCO2: increased salinity of the Southern Ocean, due in part to weakening atmospheric moisture transport, actually increases ventilation rate of the deep ocean under low pCO2 as well. This implies that a nadir of Southern Ocean ventilation occurs at intermediate pCO2, which the model estimates as being close to that of the present-day. This is at odds with the interpretation that weak ventilation of the deep Southern Ocean was the unifying coupled mechanism for the glacial pCO2 cycles. Rather, it suggests that factors other than the ventilation rate of the deep Southern Ocean, such as iron fertilization, ecosystem changes, water mass distributions, and sea ice cover, were key players in the glacial-interglacial CO2 changes.

  4. The effect of nitrate and phosphate availability on Emiliania huxleyi (NZEH physiology under different CO2 scenarios

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mónica eRouco

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Growth and calcification of the marine coccolithophorid Emiliania huxleyi is affected by ocean acidification and macronutrients limitation and its response varies between strains. Here we investigated the physiological performance of a highly calcified E. huxleyi strain, NZEH, in a multiparametric experiment. Cells were exposed to different CO2 levels (ranging from 250 to 1314 µatm under three nutrient conditions [nutrient replete (R, nitrate limited (-N and phosphate limited (-P]. We focused on calcite and organic carbon quotas and on nitrate and phosphate utilization by analyzing the activity of nitrate reductase (NRase and alkaline phosphatase (APase, respectively. Particulate inorganic (PIC and organic (POC carbon quotas increased with increasing CO2 under R conditions but a different pattern was observed under nutrient limitation. The PIC:POC ratio decreased with increasing CO2 in nutrient limited cultures. Coccolith length increased with CO2 under all nutrient conditions but the coccosphere volume varied depending on the nutrient treatment. Maximum APase activity was found at 561 µatm of CO2 (pH 7.92 in -P cultures and in R conditions, NRase activity increased linearly with CO2. These results suggest that E. huxleyi’s competitive ability for nutrient uptake might be altered in future high-CO2 oceans. The combined dataset will be useful in model parameterizations of the carbon cycle and ocean acidification.

  5. The effect of nitrate and phosphate availability on Emiliania huxleyi (NZEH) physiology under different CO2 scenarios.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rouco, Mónica; Branson, Oscar; Lebrato, Mario; Iglesias-Rodríguez, M Débora

    2013-01-01

    Growth and calcification of the marine coccolithophorid Emiliania huxleyi is affected by ocean acidification and macronutrients limitation and its response varies between strains. Here we investigated the physiological performance of a highly calcified E. huxleyi strain, NZEH, in a multiparametric experiment. Cells were exposed to different CO2 levels (ranging from 250 to 1314 μatm) under three nutrient conditions [nutrient replete (R), nitrate limited (-N), and phosphate limited (-P)]. We focused on calcite and organic carbon quotas and on nitrate and phosphate utilization by analyzing the activity of nitrate reductase (NRase) and alkaline phosphatase (APase), respectively. Particulate inorganic (PIC) and organic (POC) carbon quotas increased with increasing CO2 under R conditions but a different pattern was observed under nutrient limitation. The PIC:POC ratio decreased with increasing CO2 in nutrient limited cultures. Coccolith length increased with CO2 under all nutrient conditions but the coccosphere volume varied depending on the nutrient treatment. Maximum APase activity was found at 561 μatm of CO2 (pH 7.92) in -P cultures and in R conditions, NRase activity increased linearly with CO2. These results suggest that E. huxleyi's competitive ability for nutrient uptake might be altered in future high-CO2 oceans. The combined dataset will be useful in model parameterizations of the carbon cycle and ocean acidification.

  6. Application of a nonparametric approach to analyze delta-pCO2 data from the Southern Ocean

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Pretorius, WB

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available NONPARAMETRIC APPROACH TO ANALYZE ?pCO2 DATA FROM THE SOUTHERN OCEAN Wesley B. Pretorius*1, Sonali Das2 and Paul J. Mostert1 *1 Cell: 0722897595, Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602...(9-10):1601-1622. Tans, P.P., Fung, I. Y. & Takahashi, T. 1990 Observational constraints on the global atmospheric CO2-budget. Science, 247:1431-1438. Telszewski, M., Chazottes, A., Schuster, U., Watson, A.J., Moulin, C., Bakker, D.C.E., Gonzalez-Davila, M...

  7. Seagrass habitat metabolism increases short-term extremes and long-term offset of CO2 under future ocean acidification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pacella, Stephen R; Brown, Cheryl A; Waldbusser, George G; Labiosa, Rochelle G; Hales, Burke

    2018-04-10

    The role of rising atmospheric CO 2 in modulating estuarine carbonate system dynamics remains poorly characterized, likely due to myriad processes driving the complex chemistry in these habitats. We reconstructed the full carbonate system of an estuarine seagrass habitat for a summer period of 2.5 months utilizing a combination of time-series observations and mechanistic modeling, and quantified the roles of aerobic metabolism, mixing, and gas exchange in the observed dynamics. The anthropogenic CO 2 burden in the habitat was estimated for the years 1765-2100 to quantify changes in observed high-frequency carbonate chemistry dynamics. The addition of anthropogenic CO 2 alters the thermodynamic buffer factors (e.g., the Revelle factor) of the carbonate system, decreasing the seagrass habitat's ability to buffer natural carbonate system fluctuations. As a result, the most harmful carbonate system indices for many estuarine organisms [minimum pH T , minimum Ω arag , and maximum pCO 2(s.w.) ] change up to 1.8×, 2.3×, and 1.5× more rapidly than the medians for each parameter, respectively. In this system, the relative benefits of the seagrass habitat in locally mitigating ocean acidification increase with the higher atmospheric CO 2 levels predicted toward 2100. Presently, however, these mitigating effects are mixed due to intense diel cycling of CO 2 driven by aerobic metabolism. This study provides estimates of how high-frequency pH T , Ω arag , and pCO 2(s.w.) dynamics are altered by rising atmospheric CO 2 in an estuarine habitat, and highlights nonlinear responses of coastal carbonate parameters to ocean acidification relevant for water quality management.

  8. Seagrass habitat metabolism increases short-term extremes and long-term offset of CO2 under future ocean acidification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pacella, Stephen R.; Brown, Cheryl A.; Waldbusser, George G.; Labiosa, Rochelle G.; Hales, Burke

    2018-04-01

    The role of rising atmospheric CO2 in modulating estuarine carbonate system dynamics remains poorly characterized, likely due to myriad processes driving the complex chemistry in these habitats. We reconstructed the full carbonate system of an estuarine seagrass habitat for a summer period of 2.5 months utilizing a combination of time-series observations and mechanistic modeling, and quantified the roles of aerobic metabolism, mixing, and gas exchange in the observed dynamics. The anthropogenic CO2 burden in the habitat was estimated for the years 1765–2100 to quantify changes in observed high-frequency carbonate chemistry dynamics. The addition of anthropogenic CO2 alters the thermodynamic buffer factors (e.g., the Revelle factor) of the carbonate system, decreasing the seagrass habitat’s ability to buffer natural carbonate system fluctuations. As a result, the most harmful carbonate system indices for many estuarine organisms [minimum pHT, minimum Ωarag, and maximum pCO2(s.w.)] change up to 1.8×, 2.3×, and 1.5× more rapidly than the medians for each parameter, respectively. In this system, the relative benefits of the seagrass habitat in locally mitigating ocean acidification increase with the higher atmospheric CO2 levels predicted toward 2100. Presently, however, these mitigating effects are mixed due to intense diel cycling of CO2 driven by aerobic metabolism. This study provides estimates of how high-frequency pHT, Ωarag, and pCO2(s.w.) dynamics are altered by rising atmospheric CO2 in an estuarine habitat, and highlights nonlinear responses of coastal carbonate parameters to ocean acidification relevant for water quality management.

  9. Painted Goby Larvae under High-CO2 Fail to Recognize Reef Sounds.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joana M Castro

    Full Text Available Atmospheric CO2 levels have been increasing at an unprecedented rate due to anthropogenic activity. Consequently, ocean pCO2 is increasing and pH decreasing, affecting marine life, including fish. For many coastal marine fishes, selection of the adult habitat occurs at the end of the pelagic larval phase. Fish larvae use a range of sensory cues, including sound, for locating settlement habitat. This study tested the effect of elevated CO2 on the ability of settlement-stage temperate fish to use auditory cues from adult coastal reef habitats. Wild late larval stages of painted goby (Pomatoschistus pictus were exposed to control pCO2 (532 μatm, pH 8.06 and high pCO2 (1503 μatm, pH 7.66 conditions, likely to occur in nearshore regions subjected to upwelling events by the end of the century, and tested in an auditory choice chamber for their preference or avoidance to nighttime reef recordings. Fish reared in control pCO2 conditions discriminated reef soundscapes and were attracted by reef recordings. This behaviour changed in fish reared in the high CO2 conditions, with settlement-stage larvae strongly avoiding reef recordings. This study provides evidence that ocean acidification might affect the auditory responses of larval stages of temperate reef fish species, with potentially significant impacts on their survival.

  10. A physiological approach to oceanic processes and glacial-interglacial changes in atmospheric CO2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Josep L. Pelegrí

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available One possible path for exploring the Earth’s far-from-equilibrium homeostasis is to assume that it results from the organisation of optimal pulsating systems, analogous to that in complex living beings. Under this premise it becomes natural to examine the Earth’s organisation using physiological-like variables. Here we identify some of these main variables for the ocean’s circulatory system: pump rate, stroke volume, carbon and nutrient arterial-venous differences, inorganic nutrients and carbon supply, and metabolic rate. The stroke volume is proportional to the water transported into the thermocline and deep oceans, and the arterial-venous differences occur between recently-upwelled deep waters and very productive high-latitudes waters, with atmospheric CO2 being an indicator of the arterial-venous inorganic carbon difference. The metabolic rate is the internal-energy flux (here expressed as flux of inorganic carbon in the upper ocean required by the system’s machinery, i.e. community respiration. We propose that the pump rate is set externally by the annual cycle, at one beat per year per hemisphere, and that the autotrophic ocean adjusts its stroke volume and arterial-venous differences to modify the internal-energy demand, triggered by long-period astronomical insolation cycles (external-energy supply. With this perspective we may conceive that the Earth’s interglacial-glacial cycle responds to an internal organisation analogous to that occurring in living beings during an exercise-recovery cycle. We use an idealised double-state metabolic model of the upper ocean (with the inorganic carbon/nutrients supply specified through the overturning rate and the steady-state inorganic carbon/nutrients concentrations to obtain the temporal evolution of its inorganic carbon concentration, which mimics the glacial-interglacial atmospheric CO2 pattern.

  11. 14CO2 measurements in maritime air over the Northern Indian Ocean

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dutta, K.; Bhushan, R.; Somayajulu, B.L.K.

    2002-01-01

    14 C in the carbon dioxide of air overlying the Northern Indian Ocean was measured during the spring of 1993 to 1995 and 1997 to 1999. Considerable variations of 14 C over this region have been observed during this period, which reflect both regional and interannual variations. The interannual variations of 14 C of the tropospheric CO 2 over this region is found to correlate with the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events, with positive excursions of 14 C before the onset of warm phase of ENSO. (author)

  12. The impact on atmospheric CO2 of iron fertilization induced changes in the ocean's biological pump

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, X.; Gruber, N.; Frenzel, H.; Doney, S. C.; McWilliams, J. C.

    2008-03-01

    Using numerical simulations, we quantify the impact of changes in the ocean's biological pump on the air-sea balance of CO2 by fertilizing a small surface patch in the high-nutrient, low-chlorophyll region of the eastern tropical Pacific with iron. Decade-long fertilization experiments are conducted in a basin-scale, eddy-permitting coupled physical/biogeochemical/ecological model. In contrast to previous studies, we find that most of the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) removed from the euphotic zone by the enhanced biological export is replaced by uptake of CO2 from the atmosphere. Atmospheric uptake efficiencies, the ratio of the perturbation in air-sea CO2 flux to the perturbation in export flux across 100 m, integrated over 10 years, are 0.75 to 0.93 in our patch size-scale experiments. The atmospheric uptake efficiency is insensitive to the duration of the experiment. The primary factor controlling the atmospheric uptake efficiency is the vertical distribution of the enhanced biological production and export. Iron fertilization at the surface tends to induce production anomalies primarily near the surface, leading to high efficiencies. In contrast, mechanisms that induce deep production anomalies (e.g. altered light availability) tend to have a low uptake efficiency, since most of the removed DIC is replaced by lateral and vertical transport and mixing. Despite high atmospheric uptake efficiencies, patch-scale iron fertilization of the ocean's biological pump tends to remove little CO2 from the atmosphere over the decadal timescale considered here.

  13. Program Developed for CO2 System Calculations (Program files: CO2SYS_calc_DOS_v1.05; CO2SYS_calc_XLS_v2.3; CO2SYS_calc_MAC_WIN; CO2SYS_calc_MATLAB_v1.1) (NCEI Accession 0164485)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The program CO2SYS performs calculations relating parameters of the carbon dioxide (CO2) system in seawater and freshwater. The program uses two of the four...

  14. CO2 impulse response curves for GWP calculations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jain, A.K.; Wuebbles, D.J.

    1993-01-01

    The primary purpose of Global Warming Potential (GWP) is to compare the effectiveness of emission strategies for various greenhouse gases to those for CO 2 , GWPs are quite sensitive to the amount of CO 2 . Unlike all other gases emitted in the atmosphere, CO 2 does not have a chemical or photochemical sink within the atmosphere. Removal of CO 2 is therefore dependent on exchanges with other carbon reservoirs, namely, ocean and terrestrial biosphere. The climatic-induced changes in ocean circulation or marine biological productivity could significantly alter the atmospheric CO 2 lifetime. Moreover, continuing forest destruction, nutrient limitations or temperature induced increases of respiration could also dramatically change the lifetime of CO 2 in the atmosphere. Determination of the current CO 2 sinks, and how these sinks are likely to change with increasing CO 2 emissions, is crucial to the calculations of GWPs. It is interesting to note that the impulse response function is sensitive to the initial state of the ocean-atmosphere system into which CO 2 is emitted. This is due to the fact that in our model the CO 2 flux from the atmosphere to the mixed layer is a nonlinear function of ocean surface total carbon

  15. Ocean acidification impacts bacteria – phytoplankton coupling at low-nutrient conditions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hornick, T.; Bach, L.T.; Crawfurd, K.J.; Spilling, K.; Achterberg, E.P.; Woodhouse, J.N.; Schulz, K.G.; Brussaard, C.P.D.; Riebesell, U.; Grossart, H.-P.

    2017-01-01

    The oceans absorb about a quarter of the annuallyproduced anthropogenic atmospheric carbon dioxide(CO2/, resulting in a decrease in surface water pH, aprocess termed ocean acidification (OA). Surprisingly littleis known about how OA affects the physiology of heterotrophicbacteria or the coupling of

  16. The impact on atmospheric CO2 of iron fertilization induced changes in the ocean's biological pump

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. C. McWilliams

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available Using numerical simulations, we quantify the impact of changes in the ocean's biological pump on the air-sea balance of CO2 by fertilizing a small surface patch in the high-nutrient, low-chlorophyll region of the eastern tropical Pacific with iron. Decade-long fertilization experiments are conducted in a basin-scale, eddy-permitting coupled physical/biogeochemical/ecological model. In contrast to previous studies, we find that most of the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC removed from the euphotic zone by the enhanced biological export is replaced by uptake of CO2 from the atmosphere. Atmospheric uptake efficiencies, the ratio of the perturbation in air-sea CO2 flux to the perturbation in export flux across 100 m, integrated over 10 years, are 0.75 to 0.93 in our patch size-scale experiments. The atmospheric uptake efficiency is insensitive to the duration of the experiment. The primary factor controlling the atmospheric uptake efficiency is the vertical distribution of the enhanced biological production and export. Iron fertilization at the surface tends to induce production anomalies primarily near the surface, leading to high efficiencies. In contrast, mechanisms that induce deep production anomalies (e.g. altered light availability tend to have a low uptake efficiency, since most of the removed DIC is replaced by lateral and vertical transport and mixing. Despite high atmospheric uptake efficiencies, patch-scale iron fertilization of the ocean's biological pump tends to remove little CO2 from the atmosphere over the decadal timescale considered here.

  17. Restricted Inter-ocean Exchange and Attenuated Biological Export Caused Enhanced Carbonate Preservation in the PETM Ocean

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Y.; Boudreau, B. P.; Dickens, G. R.; Sluijs, A.; Middelburg, J. J.

    2015-12-01

    Carbon dioxide (CO2) release during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM, 55.8 Myr BP) acidified the oceans, causing a decrease in calcium carbonate (CaCO3) preservation. During the subsequent recovery from this acidification, the sediment CaCO3 content came to exceed pre-PETM values, known as over-deepening or over-shooting. Past studies claim to explain these trends, but have failed to reproduce quantitatively the time series of CaCO3 preservation. We employ a simple biogeochemical model to recreate the CaCO3 records preserved at Walvis Ridge of the Atlantic Ocean. Replication of the observed changes, both shallowing and the subsequent over-deepening, requires two conditions not previously considered: (1) limited deep-water exchange between the Indo-Atlantic and Pacific oceans and (2) a ~50% reduction in the export of CaCO3 to the deep sea during acidification. Contrary to past theories that attributed over-deepening to increased riverine alkalinity input, we find that over-deepening is an emergent property, generated at constant riverine input when attenuation of CaCO3 export causes an unbalanced alkalinity input to the deep oceans (alkalinization) and the development of deep super-saturation. Restoration of CaCO3 export, particularly in the super-saturated deep Indo-Atlantic ocean, later in the PETM leads to greater accumulation of carbonates, ergo over-shooting, which returns the ocean to pre-PETM conditions over a time scale greater than 200 kyr. While this feedback between carbonate export and the riverine input has not previously been considered, it appears to constitute an important modification of the classic carbonate compensation concept used to explain oceanic response to acidification.

  18. The upper to uppermost Cenomanian oceanic anoxic event: a review and an interpretation involving a seawater stratification by the CO{sub 2} of mantle origin; L`evenement oceanique anoxique du Cenomanien superieur-terminal: une revue et une interpretation mettant en jeu une stratification des eaux marines par le CO{sub 2} mantellique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Busson, G; Cornee, A [Laboratoire de Geologie du Museum, 75 - Paris (France)

    1997-12-31

    Oil exploration data have revealed the exceptional richness of the middle Cretaceous in source rocks worldwide. Oceanic drillings have shown the existence of oceanic anoxic events (OAE) well defined in time. This study analyzes the OAE 2 event dated from the upper Cenomanian-lower Turonian. This event has been recognized in numerous sites from the northern, central and southern Atlantic and punctually in the Pacific and Indian oceans. It occurs in both numerous deep oceanic sites and orogenic zones, and stable platforms covered by epeiric seas. It coincides with a sea level rise which is one of the most sudden and highest in Phanerozoic times and it stands out as a remarkable episode of massive faunal extinction which led to the deposition of organic matter of marine planktonic dominant nature. The first part of the study recalls the previous interpretations of this event (oceanic stratification, euxinic conditions, spreading of an oxygen minimum zone, greenhouse climate effect, sluggish atmospheric and oceanic circulations, high planktonic production, great oceanic overturns, marginal or general upwellings, marine transgressions on epeiric areas etc..). The second part gives the basis of the new hypothesis: connection between separated seas due to the transgression, retreat of evaporite facies, high sea-floor spreading rates, intense volcanic activity and high mantle outgassing with huge CO{sub 2} influxes. The last part describes the proposed interpretation: CO{sub 2} accumulation in deep and intermediate waters and sea overflows on marginal and continental areas which led to a rise of the CO{sub 2}-rich hypolimnion. (J.S.) 236 refs.

  19. The upper to uppermost Cenomanian oceanic anoxic event: a review and an interpretation involving a seawater stratification by the CO{sub 2} of mantle origin; L`evenement oceanique anoxique du Cenomanien superieur-terminal: une revue et une interpretation mettant en jeu une stratification des eaux marines par le CO{sub 2} mantellique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Busson, G.; Cornee, A. [Laboratoire de Geologie du Museum, 75 - Paris (France)

    1996-12-31

    Oil exploration data have revealed the exceptional richness of the middle Cretaceous in source rocks worldwide. Oceanic drillings have shown the existence of oceanic anoxic events (OAE) well defined in time. This study analyzes the OAE 2 event dated from the upper Cenomanian-lower Turonian. This event has been recognized in numerous sites from the northern, central and southern Atlantic and punctually in the Pacific and Indian oceans. It occurs in both numerous deep oceanic sites and orogenic zones, and stable platforms covered by epeiric seas. It coincides with a sea level rise which is one of the most sudden and highest in Phanerozoic times and it stands out as a remarkable episode of massive faunal extinction which led to the deposition of organic matter of marine planktonic dominant nature. The first part of the study recalls the previous interpretations of this event (oceanic stratification, euxinic conditions, spreading of an oxygen minimum zone, greenhouse climate effect, sluggish atmospheric and oceanic circulations, high planktonic production, great oceanic overturns, marginal or general upwellings, marine transgressions on epeiric areas etc..). The second part gives the basis of the new hypothesis: connection between separated seas due to the transgression, retreat of evaporite facies, high sea-floor spreading rates, intense volcanic activity and high mantle outgassing with huge CO{sub 2} influxes. The last part describes the proposed interpretation: CO{sub 2} accumulation in deep and intermediate waters and sea overflows on marginal and continental areas which led to a rise of the CO{sub 2}-rich hypolimnion. (J.S.) 236 refs.

  20. Feeding enhances skeletal growth and energetic stores of an Atlantic coral under significantly elevated CO2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drenkard, L.; Cohen, A. L.; McCorkle, D. C.; dePutron, S.; Zicht, A.

    2011-12-01

    Many corals living under the relatively acidic conditions of naturally high-CO2 reefs are calcifying as fast or faster than their conspecifics on naturally low CO2 reefs. These observations are inconsistent with most experimental work that shows a negative impact of ocean acidification on coral calcification. We investigated the link between coral nutritional (energetic) status and the calcification response to significantly elevated CO2. Juveniles of the Atlantic brooding coral, Favia fragum were reared for three weeks under fully crossed CO2 and feeding conditions: ambient (μar =1.6+-0.2) and high CO2 (μar =3.7+-0.3); fed and unfed. In most measured parameters, the effect of feeding is much stronger than the effect of CO2. Nutritionally enhanced (fed) corals, regardless of CO2 condition, have higher concentrations of total lipid and their skeletons are both significantly larger and more developmentally advanced than those of corals relying solely on autotrophy. In measurements of corallite weight, where the impact of CO2 is most apparent, no statistical difference is observed between unfed corals under ambient CO2 conditions and fed corals reared under 1600 ppm CO2. Our results suggest that coral energetic status, which can be enhanced by heterotrophic feeding but depleted by stressors such as bleaching, will play a key role in the coral response to ocean acidification and thus, in the resilience of reef ecosystems under climate change.

  1. Global Ocean Surface Water Partial Pressure of CO2 Database: Measurements Performed During 1957-2016 (LDEO Database Version 2016) (NCEI Accession 0160492)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Approximately 10.8 million measurements of surface water pCO2 made over the global oceans during 1957-2016 have been processed to make a uniform data file in this...

  2. CO2-induced seawater acidification affects physiological performance of the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    U. Riebesell

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available CO2/pH perturbation experiments were carried out under two different pCO2 levels (39.3 and 101.3 Pa to evaluate effects of CO2-induced ocean acidification on the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. After acclimation (>20 generations to ambient and elevated CO2 conditions (with corresponding pH values of 8.15 and 7.80, respectively, growth and photosynthetic carbon fixation rates of high CO2 grown cells were enhanced by 5% and 12%, respectively, and dark respiration stimulated by 34% compared to cells grown at ambient CO2. The half saturation constant (Km for carbon fixation (dissolved inorganic carbon, DIC increased by 20% under the low pH and high CO2 condition, reflecting a decreased affinity for HCO3– or/and CO2 and down-regulated carbon concentrating mechanism (CCM. In the high CO2 grown cells, the electron transport rate from photosystem II (PSII was photoinhibited to a greater extent at high levels of photosynthetically active radiation, while non-photochemical quenching was reduced compared to low CO2 grown cells. This was probably due to the down-regulation of CCM, which serves as a sink for excessive energy. The balance between these positive and negative effects on diatom productivity will be a key factor in determining the net effect of rising atmospheric CO2 on ocean primary production.

  3. Numerical simulation of CO2 leakage from a geologic disposal reservoir, including transitions from super- to sub-critical conditions, and boiling of liquid of CO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pruess, Karsten

    2003-01-01

    The critical point of CO 2 is at temperature and pressure conditions of T crit = 31.04 C, P crit = 73.82 bar. At lower (subcritical) temperatures and/or pressures, CO 2 can exist in two different phase states, a liquid and a gaseous state, as well as in two-phase mixtures of these states. Disposal of CO 2 into brine formations would be made at supercritical pressures. However, CO 2 escaping from the storage reservoir may migrate upwards towards regions with lower temperatures and pressures, where CO 2 would be in subcritical conditions. An assessment of the fate of leaking CO 2 requires a capability to model not only supercritical but also subcritical CO 2 , as well as phase changes between liquid and gaseous CO 2 in sub-critical conditions. We have developed a methodology for numerically simulating the behavior of water-CO 2 mixtures in permeable media under conditions that may include liquid, gaseous, and supercritical CO 2 . This has been applied to simulations of leakage from a deep storage reservoir in which a rising CO 2 plume undergoes transitions from supercritical to subcritical conditions. We find strong cooling effects when liquid CO 2 rises to elevations where it begins to boil and evolve a gaseous CO 2 phase. A three-phase zone forms (aqueous - liquid - gas), which over time becomes several hundred meters thick as decreasing temperatures permit liquid CO 2 to advance to shallower elevations. Fluid mobilities are reduced in the three-phase region from phase interference effects. This impedes CO 2 upflow, causes the plume to spread out laterally, and gives rise to dispersed CO 2 discharge at the land surface. Our simulation suggests that temperatures along a CO 2 leakage path may decline to levels low enough so that solid water ice and CO 2 hydrate phases may be formed

  4. Design of experimental system for supercritical CO2 fracturing under confining pressure conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, H.; Lu, Q.; Li, X.; Yang, B.; Zheng, Y.; Shi, L.; Shi, X.

    2018-03-01

    Supercritical CO2 has the characteristics of low viscosity, high diffusion and zero surface tension, and it is considered as a new fluid for non-polluting and non-aqueous fracturing which can be used for shale gas development. Fracturing refers to a method of utilizing the high-pressure fluid to generate fractures in the rock formation so as to improve the oil and gas flow conditions and increase the oil and gas production. In this article, a new type of experimental system for supercritical CO2 fracturing under confining pressure conditions is designed, which is based on characteristics of supercritical CO2, shale reservoir and down-hole environment. The experimental system consists of three sub-systems, including supercritical CO2 generation system, supercritical CO2 fracturing system and data analysis system. It can be used to simulate supercritical CO2 fracturing under geo-stress conditions, thus to study the rock initiation pressure, the formation of the rock fractures, fractured surface morphology and so on. The experimental system has successfully carried out a series of supercritical CO2 fracturing experiments. The experimental results confirm the feasibility of the experimental system and the high efficiency of supercritical CO2 in fracturing tight rocks.

  5. Glacial-interglacial atmospheric CO2 change: a possible

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. C. Skinner

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available So far, the exploration of possible mechanisms for glacial atmospheric CO2 drawdown and marine carbon sequestration has tended to focus on dynamic or kinetic processes (i.e. variable mixing-, equilibration- or export rates. Here an attempt is made to underline instead the possible importance of changes in the standing volumes of intra-oceanic carbon reservoirs (i.e. different water-masses in influencing the total marine carbon inventory. By way of illustration, a simple mechanism is proposed for enhancing the marine carbon inventory via an increase in the volume of relatively cold and carbon-enriched deep water, analogous to modern Lower Circumpolar Deep Water (LCDW, filling the ocean basins. A set of simple box-model experiments confirm the expectation that a deep sea dominated by an expanded LCDW-like watermass holds more CO2, without any pre-imposed changes in ocean overturning rate, biological export or ocean-atmosphere exchange. The magnitude of this "standing volume effect" (which operates by boosting the solubility- and biological pumps might be as large as the contributions that have previously been attributed to carbonate compensation, terrestrial biosphere reduction or ocean fertilisation for example. By providing a means of not only enhancing but also driving changes in the efficiency of the biological- and solubility pumps, this standing volume mechanism may help to reduce the amount of glacial-interglacial CO2 change that remains to be explained by other mechanisms that are difficult to assess in the geological archive, such as reduced mass transport or mixing rates in particular. This in turn could help narrow the search for forcing conditions capable of pushing the global carbon cycle between glacial and interglacial modes.

  6. Calcification rates of the Caribbean reef-building coral Siderastrea siderea adversely affected by both seawater warming and CO2-induced ocean acidification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horvath, K. M.; Connolly, B. D.; Westfield, I. T.; Chow, E.; Castillo, K. D.; Ries, J. B.

    2013-05-01

    The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that atmospheric pCO2 will increase to ca. 550-950 ppm by the end of the century, primarily due to the anthropogenic combustion of fossil fuels, deforestation, and cement production. This is predicted to cause SST to increase by 1-3 °C and seawater pH to decrease by 0.1-0.3 units. Laboratory studies have shown that warming depresses calcification rates of scleractinian corals and that acidification yields mixed effects on coral calcification. With both warming and ocean acidification predicted for the next century, we must constrain the interactive effects of these two CO2-induced stressors on scleractinian coral calcification. Here, we present the results of experiments designed to assess the response of the scleractinian coral Siderastrea siderea to both ocean warming and acidification. Coral fragments (12/tank) were reared for 60 days under three temperatures (25.1± 0.02 °C, 28.0± 0.02 °C, 31.8± 0.02 °C) at near modern pCO2 (436 ± 7) and near the highest IPCC estimate for atmospheric pCO2 for the year 2100 AD (883 ± 16). Each temperature and pCO2 treatment was executed in triplicate and contained similarly sized S. Siderea fragments obtained from the same suite of coral colonies equitably distributed amongst the nearshore, backreef, and forereef zones of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System off the coast of southern Belize. Individual coral fragments were hand fed Artemia sp. to satiation twice weekly. Weekly seawater samples (250 ml) were collected and analyzed for dissolved inorganic carbon via coulometry and total alkalinity via closed-cell potentiometric titration. Seawater pCO2, pH, carbonate ion concentration, bicarbonate ion concentration, aqueous CO2, and aragonite saturation state (ΩA) were calculated with the program CO2SYS. Under near-modern atmospheric pCO2 of ca. 436 ± 7 ppm, seawater warming from 25 to 28 to 32°C caused coral calcification rates (estimated from change in

  7. The fluid flow consequences of CO2 migration from 1000 to 600 metres upon passing the critical conditions of CO2

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Meer, L.G.H.; Hofstee, C.; Orlic, B.

    2009-01-01

    The minimum injection depth for the storage of CO2 is normally set at 800 metres. At and beyond this depth in the subsurface conditions exist where CO2 is in a so-called critical state. The supercritical CO2 has a viscosity comparable to that of a normal gas and a liquid-like density, Due to the

  8. Global Ocean Surface Water Partial Pressure of CO2 Database: Measurements Performed During 1968-2007 (Version 2007)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kozyr, Alex [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center

    2008-09-30

    More than 4.1 million measurements of surface water partial pressure of CO2 obtained over the global oceans during 1968-2007 are listed in the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) database, which includes open ocean and coastal water measurements. The data assembled include only those measured by equilibrator-CO2 analyzer systems and have been quality-controlled based on the stability of the system performance, the reliability of calibrations for CO2 analysis, and the internal consistency of data. To allow re-examination of the data in the future, a number of measured parameters relevant to pCO2 measurements are listed. The overall uncertainty for the pCO2 values listed is estimated to be ± 2.5 µatm on the average. For simplicity and for ease of reference, this version is referred to as 2007, meaning that data collected through 31 December 2007 has been included. It is our intention to update this database annually. There are 37 new cruise/ship files in this update. In addition, some editing has been performed on existing files so this should be considered a V2007 file. Also we have added a column reporting the partial pressure of CO2 in seawater in units of Pascals. The data presented in this database include the analyses of partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2), sea surface temperature (SST), sea surface salinity (SSS), pressure of the equilibration, and barometric pressure in the outside air from the ship’s observation system. The global pCO2 data set is available free of charge as a numeric data package (NDP) from the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC). The NDP consists of the oceanographic data files and this printed documentation, which describes the procedures and methods used to obtain the data.

  9. Coral energy reserves and calcification in a high-CO2 world at two temperatures.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Verena Schoepf

    Full Text Available Rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations threaten coral reefs globally by causing ocean acidification (OA and warming. Yet, the combined effects of elevated pCO2 and temperature on coral physiology and resilience remain poorly understood. While coral calcification and energy reserves are important health indicators, no studies to date have measured energy reserve pools (i.e., lipid, protein, and carbohydrate together with calcification under OA conditions under different temperature scenarios. Four coral species, Acropora millepora, Montipora monasteriata, Pocillopora damicornis, Turbinaria reniformis, were reared under a total of six conditions for 3.5 weeks, representing three pCO2 levels (382, 607, 741 µatm, and two temperature regimes (26.5, 29.0 °C within each pCO2 level. After one month under experimental conditions, only A. millepora decreased calcification (-53% in response to seawater pCO2 expected by the end of this century, whereas the other three species maintained calcification rates even when both pCO2 and temperature were elevated. Coral energy reserves showed mixed responses to elevated pCO2 and temperature, and were either unaffected or displayed nonlinear responses with both the lowest and highest concentrations often observed at the mid-pCO2 level of 607 µatm. Biweekly feeding may have helped corals maintain calcification rates and energy reserves under these conditions. Temperature often modulated the response of many aspects of coral physiology to OA, and both mitigated and worsened pCO2 effects. This demonstrates for the first time that coral energy reserves are generally not metabolized to sustain calcification under OA, which has important implications for coral health and bleaching resilience in a high-CO2 world. Overall, these findings suggest that some corals could be more resistant to simultaneously warming and acidifying oceans than previously expected.

  10. Processes governing transient responses of the deep ocean buoyancy budget to a doubling of CO2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palter, J. B.; Griffies, S. M.; Hunter Samuels, B. L.; Galbraith, E. D.; Gnanadesikan, A.

    2012-12-01

    Recent observational analyses suggest there is a temporal trend and high-frequency variability in deep ocean buoyancy in the last twenty years, a phenomenon reproduced even in low-mixing models. Here we use an earth system model (GFDL's ESM2M) to evaluate physical processes that influence buoyancy (and thus steric sea level) budget of the deep ocean in quasi-steady state and under a doubling of CO2. A new suite of model diagnostics allows us to quantitatively assess every process that influences the buoyancy budget and its temporal evolution, revealing surprising dynamics governing both the equilibrium budget and its transient response to climate change. The results suggest that the temporal evolution of the deep ocean contribution to sea level rise is due to a diversity of processes at high latitudes, whose net effect is then advected in the Eulerian mean flow to mid and low latitudes. In the Southern Ocean, a slowdown in convection and spin up of the residual mean advection are approximately equal players in the deep steric sea level rise. In the North Atlantic, the region of greatest deep steric sea level variability in our simulations, a decrease in mixing of cold, dense waters from the marginal seas and a reduction in open ocean convection causes an accumulation of buoyancy in the deep subpolar gyre, which is then advected equatorward.

  11. Dynamic ikaite production and dissolution in sea ice - control by temperature, salinity and pCO2 conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rysgaard, S.; Wang, F.; Galley, R. J.; Grimm, R.; Lemes, M.; Geilfus, N.-X.; Chaulk, A.; Hare, A. A.; Crabeck, O.; Else, B. G. T.; Campbell, K.; Papakyriakou, T.; Sørensen, L. L.; Sievers, J.; Notz, D.

    2013-12-01

    Ikaite is a hydrous calcium carbonate mineral (CaCO3 · 6H2O). It is only found in a metastable state, and decomposes rapidly once removed from near-freezing water. Recently, ikaite crystals have been found in sea ice and it has been suggested that their precipitation may play an important role in air-sea CO2 exchange in ice-covered seas. Little is known, however, of the spatial and temporal dynamics of ikaite in sea ice. Here we present evidence for highly dynamic ikaite precipitation and dissolution in sea ice grown at an out-door pool of the Sea-ice Environmental Research Facility (SERF). During the experiment, ikaite precipitated in sea ice with temperatures below -3 °C, creating three distinct zones of ikaite concentrations: (1) a mm to cm thin surface layer containing frost flowers and brine skim with bulk concentrations of > 2000 μmol kg-1, (2) an internal layer with concentrations of 200-400 μmol kg-1 and (3) a~bottom layer with concentrations of ikaite crystals under acidic conditions. Manual removal of the snow cover allowed the sea ice to cool and brine salinities to increase, resulting in rapid ikaite precipitation. The modeled (FREZCHEM) ikaite concentrations were in the same order of magnitude as observations and suggest that ikaite concentration in sea ice increase with decreasing temperatures. Thus, varying snow conditions may play a key role in ikaite precipitation and dissolution in sea ice. This will have implications for CO2 exchange with the atmosphere and ocean.

  12. Re-evaluating the 1940s CO2 plateau

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bastos, Ana; Ciais, Philippe; Barichivich, Jonathan; Bopp, Laurent; Brovkin, Victor; Gasser, Thomas; Peng, Shushi; Pongratz, Julia; Viovy, Nicolas; Trudinger, Cathy M.

    2016-09-01

    The high-resolution CO2 record from Law Dome ice core reveals that atmospheric CO2 concentration stalled during the 1940s (so-called CO2 plateau). Since the fossil-fuel emissions did not decrease during the period, this stalling implies the persistence of a strong sink, perhaps sustained for as long as a decade or more. Double-deconvolution analyses have attributed this sink to the ocean, conceivably as a response to the very strong El Niño event in 1940-1942. However, this explanation is questionable, as recent ocean CO2 data indicate that the range of variability in the ocean sink has been rather modest in recent decades, and El Niño events have generally led to higher growth rates of atmospheric CO2 due to the offsetting terrestrial response. Here, we use the most up-to-date information on the different terms of the carbon budget: fossil-fuel emissions, four estimates of land-use change (LUC) emissions, ocean uptake from two different reconstructions, and the terrestrial sink modelled by the TRENDY project to identify the most likely causes of the 1940s plateau. We find that they greatly overestimate atmospheric CO2 growth rate during the plateau period, as well as in the 1960s, in spite of giving a plausible explanation for most of the 20th century carbon budget, especially from 1970 onwards. The mismatch between reconstructions and observations during the CO2 plateau epoch of 1940-1950 ranges between 0.9 and 2.0 Pg C yr-1, depending on the LUC dataset considered. This mismatch may be explained by (i) decadal variability in the ocean carbon sink not accounted for in the reconstructions we used, (ii) a further terrestrial sink currently missing in the estimates by land-surface models, or (iii) LUC processes not included in the current datasets. Ocean carbon models from CMIP5 indicate that natural variability in the ocean carbon sink could explain an additional 0.5 Pg C yr-1 uptake, but it is unlikely to be higher. The impact of the 1940-1942 El Niño on the

  13. Biomass co-firing under oxy-fuel conditions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Álvarez, L.; Yin, Chungen; Riaza, J.

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents an experimental and numerical study on co-firing olive waste (0, 10%, 20% on mass basis) with two coals in an entrained flow reactor under three oxy-fuel conditions (21%O2/79%CO2, 30%O2/70%CO2 and 35%O2/65%CO2) and air–fuel condition. Co-firing biomass with coal was found...... to have favourable synergy effects in all the cases: it significantly improves the burnout and remarkably lowers NOx emissions. The reduced peak temperatures during co-firing can also help to mitigate deposition formation in real furnaces. Co-firing CO2-neutral biomass with coals under oxy-fuel conditions...... the model can be used to aid in design and optimization of large-scale biomass co-firing under oxy-fuel conditions....

  14. Uranium isotope evidence for two episodes of deoxygenation during Oceanic Anoxic Event 2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clarkson, Matthew O.; Stirling, Claudine H.; Jenkyns, Hugh C.; Dickson, Alexander J.; Porcelli, Don; Moy, Christopher M.; Pogge von Strandmann, Philip A. E.; Cooke, Ilsa R.; Lenton, Timothy M.

    2018-03-01

    Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE 2), occurring ˜94 million years ago, was one of the most extreme carbon cycle and climatic perturbations of the Phanerozoic Eon. It was typified by a rapid rise in atmospheric CO2, global warming, and marine anoxia, leading to the widespread devastation of marine ecosystems. However, the precise timing and extent to which oceanic anoxic conditions expanded during OAE 2 remains unresolved. We present a record of global ocean redox changes during OAE 2 using a combined geochemical and carbon cycle modeling approach. We utilize a continuous, high-resolution record of uranium isotopes in pelagic and platform carbonate sediments to quantify the global extent of seafloor anoxia during OAE 2. This dataset is then compared with a dynamic model of the coupled global carbon, phosphorus, and uranium cycles to test hypotheses for OAE 2 initiation. This unique approach highlights an intra-OAE complexity that has previously been underconstrained, characterized by two expansions of anoxia separated by an episode of globally significant reoxygenation coincident with the “Plenus Cold Event.” Each anoxic expansion event was likely driven by rapid atmospheric CO2 injections from multiphase Large Igneous Province activity.

  15. Physiological responses to ocean acidification and warming synergistically reduce condition of the common cockle Cerastoderma edule.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ong, E Z; Briffa, M; Moens, T; Van Colen, C

    2017-09-01

    The combined effect of ocean acidification and warming on the common cockle Cerastoderma edule was investigated in a fully crossed laboratory experiment. Survival of the examined adult organisms remained high and was not affected by elevated temperature (+3 °C) or lowered pH (-0.3 units). However, the morphometric condition index of the cockles incubated under high pCO 2 conditions (i.e. combined warming and acidification) was significantly reduced after six weeks of incubation. Respiration rates increased significantly under low pH, with highest rates measured under combined warm and low pH conditions. Calcification decreased significantly under low pH while clearance rates increased significantly under warm conditions and were generally lower in low pH treatments. The observed physiological responses suggest that the reduced food intake under hypercapnia is insufficient to support the higher energy requirements to compensate for the higher costs for basal maintenance and growth in future high pCO 2 waters. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Role of mesoscale eddies in the global ocean uptake of anthropogenic CO{sub 2}; Role des tourbillons de meso-echelle oceaniques dans la distribution et les flux air-mer de CO{sub 2} anthropique a l'echelle globale

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zouhair, Lachkar

    2007-02-15

    Mesoscale eddies play a fundamental role in ocean dynamics particularly in the Southern Ocean. Global-scale tracer simulations are typically made at coarse resolution without explicitly modeling eddies. Here we ask what role do eddies play in ocean uptake, storage, and meridional transport of anthropogenic CO{sub 2}, CFC-11 and bomb {delta}{sup 14}C. We made global anthropogenic transient tracer simulations in coarse-resolution, ORCA2, and eddy-permitting, ORCA05 and ORCA025, versions of the ocean modelling system NEMO. We focus on the Southern Ocean where tracer air-sea fluxes are largest. Eddies have little effect on bomb {delta}{sup 14}C uptake and storage. Yet for CFC-11 and anthropogenic CO{sub 2}, increased eddy activity reduces southern extra-tropical uptake by 28% and 25% respectively, thereby providing better agreement with observations. It is shown that the discrepancies in the equilibration times between the three tracers determine their respective sensitivities to the model horizontal resolution. Applying Gent and McWilliams (1990) (GM) parameterization of eddies in the non-eddying version of the model does improve results, but not enough. An in-depth investigation of the mechanisms by which eddies affect the uptake of the transient tracers shows that including mesoscale eddies leads to an overall reduction in the Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) ventilation, and modifies substantially the spatial distribution of their source regions. This investigation reveals also that the GM parameterization still overestimates the ventilation and the subduction of AAIW in the Indian Ocean where the simulated mixed layer is particularly deep during the winter. This work suggests that most current coarse-resolution models may overestimate the ventilation of AAIW in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean. This study shows also that the use of the GM parameterization may be of limited utility where mixed layer is relatively deep and confirms the general need for a

  17. Long-term surface pCO2 trends from observations and models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tjiputra, Jerry F.; Olsen, Are; Heinze, Christoph; Bopp, Laurent; Roy, Tilla

    2014-01-01

    We estimate regional long-term surface ocean pCO 2 growth rates using all available underway and bottled biogeochemistry data collected over the past four decades. These observed regional trends are compared with those simulated by five state-of-the-art Earth system models over the historical period. Oceanic pCO 2 growth rates faster than the atmospheric growth rates indicate decreasing atmospheric CO 2 uptake, while ocean pCO 2 growth rates slower than the atmospheric growth rates indicate increasing atmospheric CO 2 uptake. Aside from the western sub-polar North Pacific and the subtropical North Atlantic, our analysis indicates that the current observation-based basin-scale trends may be underestimated, indicating that more observations are needed to determine the trends in these regions. Encouragingly, good agreement between the simulated and observed pCO 2 trends is found when the simulated fields are sub sampled with the observational coverage. In agreement with observations, we see that the simulated pCO 2 trends are primarily associated with the increase in surface dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) associated with atmospheric carbon uptake, and in part by warming of the sea surface. Under the RCP8.5 future scenario, DIC continues to be the dominant driver of pCO 2 trends, with little change in the relative contribution of SST. However, the changes in the hydrological cycle play an increasingly important role. For the contemporary (1970-2011) period, the simulated regional pCO 2 trends are lower than the atmospheric growth rate over 90% of the ocean. However, by year 2100 more than 40% of the surface ocean area has a higher oceanic pCO 2 trend than the atmosphere, implying a reduction in the atmospheric CO 2 uptake rate. The fastest pCO 2 growth rates are projected for the sub-polar North Atlantic, while the high-latitude Southern Ocean and eastern equatorial Pacific have the weakest growth rates, remaining below the atmospheric pCO 2 growth rate. Our work

  18. Long-term surface pCO2 trends from observations and models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jerry F. Tjiputra

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available We estimate regional long-term surface ocean pCO2 growth rates using all available underway and bottled biogeochemistry data collected over the past four decades. These observed regional trends are compared with those simulated by five state-of-the-art Earth system models over the historical period. Oceanic pCO2 growth rates faster than the atmospheric growth rates indicate decreasing atmospheric CO2 uptake, while ocean pCO2 growth rates slower than the atmospheric growth rates indicate increasing atmospheric CO2 uptake. Aside from the western subpolar North Pacific and the subtropical North Atlantic, our analysis indicates that the current observation-based basin-scale trends may be underestimated, indicating that more observations are needed to determine the trends in these regions. Encouragingly, good agreement between the simulated and observed pCO2 trends is found when the simulated fields are subsampled with the observational coverage. In agreement with observations, we see that the simulated pCO2 trends are primarily associated with the increase in surface dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC associated with atmospheric carbon uptake, and in part by warming of the sea surface. Under the RCP8.5 future scenario, DIC continues to be the dominant driver of pCO2 trends, with little change in the relative contribution of SST. However, the changes in the hydrological cycle play an increasingly important role. For the contemporary (1970–2011 period, the simulated regional pCO2 trends are lower than the atmospheric growth rate over 90% of the ocean. However, by year 2100 more than 40% of the surface ocean area has a higher oceanic pCO2 trend than the atmosphere, implying a reduction in the atmospheric CO2 uptake rate. The fastest pCO2 growth rates are projected for the subpolar North Atlantic, while the high-latitude Southern Ocean and eastern equatorial Pacific have the weakest growth rates, remaining below the atmospheric pCO2 growth rate. Our work

  19. Effects of ocean acidification driven by elevated CO2 on larval shell growth and abnormal rates of the venerid clam, Mactra veneriformis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jee-Hoon; Yu, Ok Hwan; Yang, Eun Jin; Kang, Sung-Ho; Kim, Won; Choy, Eun Jung

    2016-11-01

    The venerid clam ( Mactra veneriformis Reeve 1854) is one of the main cultured bivalve species in intertidal and shallow subtidal ecosystems along the west coast of Korea. To understand the effects of ocean acidification on the early life stages of Korean clams, we investigated shell growth and abnormality rates and types in the D-shaped, umbonate veliger, and pediveliger stages of the venerid clam M. veneriformis during exposure to elevated seawater pCO2. In particular, we examined abnormal types of larval shell morphology categorized as shell deformations, shell distortions, and shell fissures. Specimens were incubated in seawater equilibrated with bubbled CO2-enriched air at (400±25)×10-6 (ambient control), (800±25)×10-6 (high pCO2), or (1 200±28)×10-6 (extremely high pCO2), the atmospheric CO2 concentrations predicted for the years 2014, 2084, and 2154 (70-year intervals; two human generations), respectively, in the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 scenario. The mean shell lengths of larvae were significantly decreased in the high and extremely high pCO2 groups compared with the ambient control groups. Furthermore, under high and extremely high pCO2 conditions, the cultures exhibited significantly increased abundances of abnormal larvae and increased severity of abnormalities compared with the ambient control. In the umbonate veliger stage of the experimental larvae, the most common abnormalities were shell deformations, distortions, and fissures; on the other hand, convex hinges and mantle protuberances were absent. These results suggest that elevated CO2 exerts an additional burden on the health of M. veneriformis larvae by impairing early development.

  20. Putting prey and predator into the CO2 equation--qualitative and quantitative effects of ocean acidification on predator-prey interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferrari, Maud C O; McCormick, Mark I; Munday, Philip L; Meekan, Mark G; Dixson, Danielle L; Lonnstedt, Öona; Chivers, Douglas P

    2011-11-01

    Little is known about the impact of ocean acidification on predator-prey dynamics. Herein, we examined the effect of carbon dioxide (CO(2)) on both prey and predator by letting one predatory reef fish interact for 24 h with eight small or large juvenile damselfishes from four congeneric species. Both prey and predator were exposed to control or elevated levels of CO(2). Mortality rate and predator selectivity were compared across CO(2) treatments, prey size and species. Small juveniles of all species sustained greater mortality at high CO(2) levels, while large recruits were not affected. For large prey, the pattern of prey selectivity by predators was reversed under elevated CO(2). Our results demonstrate both quantitative and qualitative consumptive effects of CO(2) on small and larger damselfish recruits respectively, resulting from CO(2)-induced behavioural changes likely mediated by impaired neurological function. This study highlights the complexity of predicting the effects of climate change on coral reef ecosystems. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd/CNRS.

  1. Short-term pain for long-term gain: seagrass communities increase short-term extremes and long-term offset of CO2 under future ocean acidification

    Science.gov (United States)

    The impacts of ocean acidification in nearshore estuarine environments remain poorly characterized, despite these areas being some of the most ecologically, economically, and culturally important habitats in the global ocean. Here, we quantify how rising atmospheric CO2 from 1765...

  2. Estimating temporal and spatial variation of ocean surface pCO2 in the North Pacific using a self-organizing map neural network technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Nakaoka

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available This study uses a neural network technique to produce maps of the partial pressure of oceanic carbon dioxide (pCO2sea in the North Pacific on a 0.25° latitude × 0.25° longitude grid from 2002 to 2008. The pCO2sea distribution was computed using a self-organizing map (SOM originally utilized to map the pCO2sea in the North Atlantic. Four proxy parameters – sea surface temperature (SST, mixed layer depth, chlorophyll a concentration, and sea surface salinity (SSS – are used during the training phase to enable the network to resolve the nonlinear relationships between the pCO2sea distribution and biogeochemistry of the basin. The observed pCO2sea data were obtained from an extensive dataset generated by the volunteer observation ship program operated by the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES. The reconstructed pCO2sea values agreed well with the pCO2sea measurements, with the root-mean-square error ranging from 17.6 μatm (for the NIES dataset used in the SOM to 20.2 μatm (for independent dataset. We confirmed that the pCO2sea estimates could be improved by including SSS as one of the training parameters and by taking into account secular increases of pCO2sea that have tracked increases in atmospheric CO2. Estimated pCO2sea values accurately reproduced pCO2sea data at several time series locations in the North Pacific. The distributions of pCO2sea revealed by 7 yr averaged monthly pCO2sea maps were similar to Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory pCO2sea climatology, allowing, however, for a more detailed analysis of biogeochemical conditions. The distributions of pCO2sea anomalies over the North Pacific during the winter clearly showed regional contrasts between El Niño and La Niña years related to changes of SST and vertical mixing.

  3. CO{sub 2} separation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hakuta, Toshikatu [National Inst. of Materials and Chemical Research, Ibaraki (Japan)

    1993-12-31

    The climate change induced by CO{sub 2} and other greenhouse gases is probably the most serious environmental threat that mankind has ever experienced. Nowadays fossil fuels occupy the majority of the world commercial energy supply. Most nations will be dependent on fossil fuels even in the first half of the next century. Around 30 % of CO{sub 2} in the world is emitted from thermal power plants. Recovering CO{sub 2} from energy conversion processes and storing it outside the atmosphere is a promising option for the mitigation of global warming. CO{sub 2} fixation and storage include CO{sub 2} disposal into oceans and underground, and utilization of CO{sub 2}. CO{sub 2} separation process will be used in any CO{sub 2} storage system, and is estimated to consume almost half the energy of the total system. Research and development of highly efficient CO{sub 2} separation process is most important from the viewpoint of practical application of CO{sub 2} fixation system.

  4. Effective Wettability Measurements of CO2-Brine-Sandstone System at Different Reservoir Conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Menhali, Ali; Krevor, Samuel

    2014-05-01

    The wetting properties of CO2-brine-rock systems will have a major impact on the management of CO2 injection processes. The wettability of a system controls the flow and trapping efficiency during the storage of CO2 in geological formations as well as the efficiency of enhanced oil recovery operations. Despite its utility in EOR and the continued development of CCS, little is currently known about the wetting properties of the CO2-brine system on reservoir rocks, and no investigations have been performed assessing the impact of these properties on CO2 flooding for CO2 storage or EOR. The wetting properties of multiphase fluid systems in porous media have major impacts on the multiphase flow properties such as the capillary pressure and relative permeability. While recent studies have shown CO2 to generally act as a non-wetting phase in siliciclastic rocks, some observations report that the contact angle varies with pressure, temperature and water salinity. Additionally, there is a wide range of reported contact angles for this system, from strongly to weakly water-wet. In the case of some minerals, intermediate wet contact angles have been observed. Uncertainty with regard to the wetting properties of CO2-brine systems is currently one of the remaining major unresolved issues with regards to reservoir management of CO2 storage. In this study, we make semi-dynamic capillary pressure measurements of supercritical CO2 and brine at reservoir conditions to observe shifts in the wetting properties. We utilize a novel core analysis technique recently developed by Pini et al in 2012 to evaluate a core-scale effective contact angle. Carbon dioxide is injected at constant flow rate into a core that is initially fully saturated with water, while maintaining a constant outlet pressure. In this scenario, the pressure drop across the core corresponds to the capillary pressure at the inlet face of the core. When compared with mercury intrusion capillary pressure measurements

  5. Evaluating Humidity and Sea Salt Disturbances on CO2 Flux Measurements

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nilsson, Erik; Bergström, Hans; Rutgersson, Anna

    2018-01-01

    Global oceans are an important sink of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). Therefore, understanding the air–sea flux of CO2 is a vital part in describing the global carbon balance. Eddy covariance (EC) measurements are often used to study CO2 fluxes from both land and ocean. Values of CO2 are usual...

  6. Oceanic nitrogen cycling and N2O flux perturbations in the Anthropocene

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landolfi, A.; Somes, C. J.; Koeve, W.; Zamora, L. M.; Oschlies, A.

    2017-08-01

    There is currently no consensus on how humans are affecting the marine nitrogen (N) cycle, which limits marine biological production and CO2 uptake. Anthropogenic changes in ocean warming, deoxygenation, and atmospheric N deposition can all individually affect the marine N cycle and the oceanic production of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O). However, the combined effect of these perturbations on marine N cycling, ocean productivity, and marine N2O production is poorly understood. Here we use an Earth system model of intermediate complexity to investigate the combined effects of estimated 21st century CO2 atmospheric forcing and atmospheric N deposition. Our simulations suggest that anthropogenic perturbations cause only a small imbalance to the N cycle relative to preindustrial conditions (˜+5 Tg N y-1 in 2100). More N loss from water column denitrification in expanded oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) is counteracted by less benthic denitrification, due to the stratification-induced reduction in organic matter export. The larger atmospheric N load is offset by reduced N inputs by marine N2 fixation. Our model predicts a decline in oceanic N2O emissions by 2100. This is induced by the decrease in organic matter export and associated N2O production and by the anthropogenically driven changes in ocean circulation and atmospheric N2O concentrations. After comprehensively accounting for a series of complex physical-biogeochemical interactions, this study suggests that N flux imbalances are limited by biogeochemical feedbacks that help stabilize the marine N inventory against anthropogenic changes. These findings support the hypothesis that strong negative feedbacks regulate the marine N inventory on centennial time scales.

  7. Air-Sea CO2 fluxes in the Atlantic as measured during boreal spring and autumn

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. F. Ríos

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available A total of fourteen hydrographic cruises from 2000 to 2008 were conducted during the spring and autumn seasons between Spain and the Southern Ocean under the framework of the Spanish research project FICARAM. The underway measurements were processed and analysed to describe the meridional air-sea CO2 fluxes (FCO2 in the covered sector of the Atlantic Ocean. The data has been grouped into different biogeochemical oceanographic provinces based on thermohaline characteristics. The spatial and temporal distributions of FCO2 followed expected distributions and annual trends reproducing the recent climatological ΔfCO2 estimations with a mean difference of −3 ± 18 μatm (Takahashi et al., 2009. The reduction in the CO2 saturation along the meridional FICARAM cruises represented an increase of 0.02 ± 0.14 mol m−2 yr−1 in the ocean uptake of atmospheric CO2. The subtropical waters in both Hemispheres acted as a sink of atmospheric CO2 during the successive spring seasons and as a source in autumn. The coarse reduction of the ocean uptake of atmospheric CO2 observed in the North Atlantic Ocean was linked to conditions of negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation that prevailed during the FICARAM period. Surface waters in the North Equatorial Counter Current revealed a significant long-term decrease of sea surface salinity of −0.16 ± 0.01 yr−1 coinciding with a declination of −3.5 ± 0.9 μatm yr−1 in the air–sea disequilibrium of CO2 fugacity and a rise of oceanic CO2 uptake of −0.09 ± 0.03 mol m−2 yr−1. The largest CO2 source was located in the equatorial upwelling system. These tropical waters that reached emissions of 0.7 ± 0.5 and 1.0 ± 0.7 mol m−2 y−1 in spring and autumn, respectively, showed an interannual warming of 0.11 ± 0.03 °C yr−1 and a wind speed decrease of −0.58 ± 0.14 m s−1 yr−1 in spring cruises which suggest the weakening of upwelling events associated with warm El Niño – Southern

  8. The growth response of plants to elevated CO2 under non-optimal environmental conditions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Poorter, H.; Pérez-Soba, M.

    2001-01-01

    Under benign environmental conditions, plant growth is generally stimulated by elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations. When environmental conditions become sub- or supra-optimal for growth, changes in the biomass enhancement ratio (BER; total plant biomass at elevated CO2 divided by plant biomass

  9. Report on achievements in fiscal 1998. Research and development of a technology to forecast environmental effect in association with isolation of carbon dioxide in oceans. Ocean surveys and development of a technology to evaluate CO2 separation capability; 1998 nendo nisanka tanso no kaiyo kakuri ni tomonau kankyo eikyo yosoku gijutsu kenkyu kaihatsu seika hokokusho. Kaiyo chosa oyobi CO{sub 2} kakuri noryoku hyoka gijutsu no kaihatsu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1999-03-01

    Assuming that CO2 is dissolved and separated in the middle layer in a sea area around Japan, ocean surveys were carried out to acquire fundamental data required for development of a technology to evaluate CO2 separation capability of ocean, and for development of a technology to forecast environmental effect. In addition, using the western part of the Pacific Ocean as the object, development was performed on a numerical model to forecast behavior of CO2 in ocean in the scale of several ten years to several hundred years, and evaluate capability of CO2 separation from atmosphere. The research and development items for the current fiscal year are as follows: (1) ocean surveys, (2) model development, and (3) surveys and studies required for the ocean surveys and experiments. The survey voyage for item (1) was executed centering on the courses of traverse on 140 degree line of east longitude and 147 degree line of east longitude. The voyage surveyed densities of sea water, such data as chemical tracers, discharged mid-layer neutral buoys, carbonic acid based substances, marine living organisms, and sedimentary particles. For item (2), trial calculations were performed by using an inverse model to estimate structures of ocean flows, and discussions were given to enhance the accuracy. For item (3), design and fabrication were carried out on an equipment to experiment on-site dissolution of calcium carbonate, and a chamber for on-site experiments at deep sea bottom. (NEDO)

  10. Monthly dynamics of carbon dioxide exchange across the sea surface of the Arctic Ocean in response to changes in gas transfer velocity and partial pressure of CO2 in 2010

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iwona Wrobel

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The Arctic Ocean (AO is an important basin for global oceanic carbon dioxide (CO2 uptake, but the mechanisms controlling air–sea gas fluxes are not fully understood, especially over short and long timescales. The oceanic sink of CO2 is an important part of the global carbon budget. Previous studies have shown that in the AO differences in the partial pressure of CO2 (ΔpCO2 and gas transfer velocity (k both contribute significantly to interannual air–sea CO2 flux variability, but that k is unimportant for multidecadal variability. This study combined Earth Observation (EO data collected in 2010 with the in situ pCO2 dataset from Takahashi et al. (2009 (T09 using a recently developed software toolbox called FluxEngine to determine the importance of k and ΔpCO2 on CO2 budgets in two regions of the AO – the Greenland Sea (GS and the Barents Sea (BS with their continental margins. Results from the study indicate that the variability in wind speed and, hence, the gas transfer velocity, generally play a major role in determining the temporal variability of CO2 uptake, while variability in monthly ΔpCO2 plays a major role spatially, with some exceptions.

  11. Ocean climate and seal condition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Crocker Daniel E

    2005-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The condition of many marine mammals varies with fluctuations in productivity and food supply in the ocean basin where they forage. Prey is impacted by physical environmental variables such as cyclic warming trends. The weaning weight of northern elephant seal pups, Mirounga angustirostris, being closely linked to maternal condition, indirectly reflects prey availability and foraging success of pregnant females in deep waters of the northeastern Pacific. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of ocean climate on foraging success in this deep-diving marine mammal over the course of three decades, using cohort weaning weight as the principal metric of successful resource accrual. Results The mean annual weaning weight of pups declined from 1975 to the late 1990s, a period characterized by a large-scale, basin-wide warm decadal regime that included multiple strong or long-duration El Niños; and increased with a return to a cool decadal regime from about 1999 to 2004. Increased foraging effort and decreased mass gain of adult females, indicative of reduced foraging success and nutritional stress, were associated with high ocean temperatures. Conclusion Despite ranging widely and foraging deeply in cold waters beyond coastal thermoclines in the northeastern Pacific, elephant seals are impacted significantly by ocean thermal dynamics. Ocean warming redistributes prey decreasing foraging success of females, which in turn leads to lower weaning mass of pups. Annual fluctuations in weaning mass, in turn, reflect the foraging success of females during the year prior to giving birth and signals changes in ocean temperature cycles.

  12. Numerical Analysis of S-CO{sub 2} Test Loop Transient Conditions near the Critical Point of CO{sub 2}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bae, Seong Jun; Oh, Bongseong; Ahn, Yoonhan; Baik, Seongjoon; Lee, Jekyoung; Lee, Jeong Ik [KAIST, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-05-15

    It was identified that controlling CO{sub 2} compressor operation near the critical point is one of the most important issues to operate a S-CO{sub 2} Brayton cycle with a high efficiency. Despite the growing interest in the S-CO{sub 2} Brayton cycle, a few previous research on the transient analysis of the S-CO{sub 2} system has been conducted previously. Moreover, previous studies have some limitation in the modelled test facility, and the experiment was not performed to observe specific scenario. The KAIST research team has conducted S-CO{sub 2} system transient experiments with the CO{sub 2} compressing test facility called SCO{sub 2}PE (Supercritical CO{sub 2} Pressurizing Experiment) at KAIST In this study, authors use the transient analysis code GAMMA (Gas Multidimensional Multicomponent mixture Analysis) code for analyzing the experiment. Two transient scenarios were selected in this study; over cooling and under cooling situations. The selected transient situation is of particular interest since the compressor inlet conditions start to drift away from the critical point of CO{sub 2}. The results represent that the GAMMA code can simulate the S-CO{sub 2} test facility, SCO{sub 2}PE. However, as shown in the cooling water flow rate increasing scenario, the GAMMA code shows calculation error when the phase change occurs. Furthermore, although the results of the cooling water flow rate decrease case shows reasonable agreement with the experimental data, there are still some unexplained differences between the experimental data and the GAMMA code prediction.

  13. Impact of CO_2 on the Evolution of Microbial Communities Exposed to Carbon Storage Conditions, Enhanced Oil Recovery, and CO_2 Leakage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gulliver, Djuna M.; Gregory, Kelvin B.; Lowry, Gregory V.

    2016-01-01

    Geologic carbon storage (GCS) is a crucial part of a proposed mitigation strategy to reduce the anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO_2) emissions to the atmosphere. During this process, CO_2 is injected as super critical carbon dioxide (SC-CO_2) in confined deep subsurface storage units, such as saline aquifers and depleted oil reservoirs. The deposition of vast amounts of CO_2 in subsurface geologic formations could unintentionally lead to CO_2 leakage into overlying freshwater aquifers. Introduction of CO_2 into these subsurface environments will greatly increase the CO_2 concentration and will create CO_2 concentration gradients that drive changes in the microbial communities present. While it is expected that altered microbial communities will impact the biogeochemistry of the subsurface, there is no information available on how CO_2 gradients will impact these communities. The overarching goal of this project is to understand how CO_2 exposure will impact subsurface microbial communities at temperatures and pressures that are relevant to GCS and CO_2 leakage scenarios. To meet this goal, unfiltered, aqueous samples from a deep saline aquifer, a depleted oil reservoir, and a fresh water aquifer were exposed to varied concentrations of CO_2 at reservoir pressure and temperature. The microbial ecology of the samples was examined using molecular, DNA-based techniques. The results from these studies were also compared across the sites to determine any existing trends. Results reveal that increasing CO_2 leads to decreased DNA concentrations regardless of the site, suggesting that microbial processes will be significantly hindered or absent nearest the CO_2 injection/leakage plume where CO_2 concentrations are highest. At CO_2 exposures expected downgradient from the CO_2 plume, selected microorganisms emerged as dominant in the CO_2 exposed conditions. Results suggest that the altered microbial community was site specific and highly dependent on pH. The site

  14. FY 1999 report on the results of the R and D project on the industrial technology for the global environment. R and D of the prediction technology of environmental effects brought by CO2 ocean sequestration (Ocean survey and development of evaluation technology for CO2 sequestration ability); 1999 nendo chikyu kankyo sangyo gijutsu kenkyu kaihatsu jigyo NEDO seika hokokusho. Nisankatanso no kaiyo kakuri ni tomonau kankyo eikyo yosoku gijutsu kenkyu kaihatsu (Kaiyo chosa oyobi CO2 kakuri noryoku hyoka gijutsu no kaihatsu)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2000-03-01

    Assuming the melting and sequestration of CO2 at the intermediate depth of the sea area around Japan, study of evaluation technology of CO2 sequestration ability in ocean was studied, and the FY 1999 results were summed up. In the ocean survey, survey was conducted by ship (No.2 Hakurei-maru) mainly at typical observation points and traverse lines of long. 147 E and long. 155 E. In the survey, the following data were acquired: data on seawater density and chemical tracer, data on release of intermediate-depth/independent buoys, concentration distribution of carbonic acid base substances/nutrient salts/chlorophyll, data on the existing amount of marine organisms and primary production speed measurement experiment, data on experiment on CO2 on-board exposure to organisms in the intermediate depth of ocean, etc. In the measurement/analysis of the sediment particle flux amount, sediment traps were installed/recovered. Further, for the purpose of measuring the neutralizing effect of calcium carbonate, operation test on CaCO{sub 3} melting experimental equipment was conducted in the actual sea area. In the development of a model for evaluation of CO2 sequestration ability, carried out were the improvement of the model using the inverse method, study of the estimated accuracy using the ocean observation data, etc. (NEDO)

  15. The complex effects of ocean acidification on the prominent N2-fixing cyanobacterium Trichodesmium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Haizheng; Shen, Rong; Zhang, Futing; Wen, Zuozhu; Chang, Siwei; Lin, Wenfang; Kranz, Sven A; Luo, Ya-Wei; Kao, Shuh-Ji; Morel, François M M; Shi, Dalin

    2017-05-05

    Acidification of seawater caused by anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is anticipated to influence the growth of dinitrogen (N 2 )-fixing phytoplankton, which contribute a large fraction of primary production in the tropical and subtropical ocean. We found that growth and N 2 -fixation of the ubiquitous cyanobacterium Trichodesmium decreased under acidified conditions, notwithstanding a beneficial effect of high CO 2 Acidification resulted in low cytosolic pH and reduced N 2 -fixation rates despite elevated nitrogenase concentrations. Low cytosolic pH required increased proton pumping across the thylakoid membrane and elevated adenosine triphosphate production. These requirements were not satisfied under field or experimental iron-limiting conditions, which greatly amplified the negative effect of acidification. Copyright © 2017, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  16. CO2-dependent metabolic modulation in red blood cells stored under anaerobic conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dumont, Larry J.; D'Alessandro, Angelo; Szczepiorkowski, Zbigniew M.; Yoshida, Tatsuro

    2015-01-01

    Background Anaerobic RBC storage reduces oxidative damage, maintains ATP & 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (DPG) levels and has superior 24hr recovery at 6weeks compared to standard storage. This study will determine if removal of CO2 during O2 depletion by gas exchange may affect RBC during anaerobic storage. Methods This is a matched 3 arm study (n=14): control, O2&CO2 depleted with Ar (AN), O2 depleted with 95%Ar/5%CO2 (AN[CO2]). RBC in additives AS-3 or OFAS3 were evenly divided into 3 bags, and anaerobic conditions were established by gas exchange. Bags were stored 1-6°C in closed chambers under anaerobic conditions or ambient air, sampled weekly for up to 9weeks for a panel of in vitro tests. A full metabolomics screening was conducted for the first 4 weeks of storage. Results Purging with Ar (AN) results in alkalization of the RBC and increased glucose consumption. The addition of 5%CO2 to the purging gas prevented CO2 loss with an equivalent starting and final pH and lactate to control bags (p>0.5, days0-21). ATP levels are higher in AN[CO2] (p<0.0001). DPG was maintained beyond 2 weeks in the AN arm (p<0.0001). Surprisingly, DPG was lost at the same rate in both control and AN[CO2] arms (p=0.6). Conclusion Maintenance of ATP in the AN[CO2] arm demonstrates that ATP production is not solely a function of the pH effect on glycolysis. CO2 in anaerobic storage prevented the maintenance of DPG, and DPG production appears to be pH dependent. CO2 as well as O2 depletion provides metabolic advantage for stored RBC. PMID:26477888

  17. CO2 -dependent metabolic modulation in red blood cells stored under anaerobic conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dumont, Larry J; D'Alessandro, Angelo; Szczepiorkowski, Zbigniew M; Yoshida, Tatsuro

    2016-02-01

    Anaerobic red blood cell (RBC) storage reduces oxidative damage, maintains adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (DPG) levels, and has superior 24-hour recovery at 6 weeks compared to standard storage. This study will determine if removal of CO2 during O2 depletion by gas exchange may affect RBCs during anaerobic storage. This is a matched three-arm study (n = 14): control, O2 and CO2 depleted with Ar (AN), and O2 depleted with 95%Ar/5%CO2 (AN[CO2 ]). RBCs in additives AS-3 or OFAS-3 were evenly divided into three bags, and anaerobic conditions were established by gas exchange. Bags were stored at 1 to 6°C in closed chambers under anaerobic conditions or ambient air, sampled weekly for up to 9 weeks for a panel of in vitro tests. A full metabolomics screening was conducted for the first 4 weeks of storage. Purging with Ar (AN) results in alkalization of the RBC and increased glucose consumption. The addition of 5% CO2 to the purging gas prevented CO2 loss with an equivalent starting and final pH and lactate to control bags (p > 0.5, Days 0-21). ATP levels are higher in AN[CO2 ] (p < 0.0001). DPG was maintained beyond 2 weeks in the AN arm (p < 0.0001). Surprisingly, DPG was lost at the same rate in both control and AN[CO2 ] arms (p = 0.6). Maintenance of ATP in the AN[CO2 ] arm demonstrates that ATP production is not solely a function of the pH effect on glycolysis. CO2 in anaerobic storage prevented the maintenance of DPG, and DPG production appears to be pH dependent. CO2 as well as O2 depletion provides metabolic advantage for stored RBCs. © 2015 AABB.

  18. The Flux-Anomaly-Forced Model Intercomparison Project (FAFMIP contribution to CMIP6: investigation of sea-level and ocean climate change in response to CO2 forcing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. M. Gregory

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The Flux-Anomaly-Forced Model Intercomparison Project (FAFMIP aims to investigate the spread in simulations of sea-level and ocean climate change in response to CO2 forcing by atmosphere–ocean general circulation models (AOGCMs. It is particularly motivated by the uncertainties in projections of ocean heat uptake, global-mean sea-level rise due to thermal expansion and the geographical patterns of sea-level change due to ocean density and circulation change. FAFMIP has three tier-1 experiments, in which prescribed surface flux perturbations of momentum, heat and freshwater respectively are applied to the ocean in separate AOGCM simulations. All other conditions are as in the pre-industrial control. The prescribed fields are typical of pattern and magnitude of changes in these fluxes projected by AOGCMs for doubled CO2 concentration. Five groups have tested the experimental design with existing AOGCMs. Their results show diversity in the pattern and magnitude of changes, with some common qualitative features. Heat and water flux perturbation cause the dipole in sea-level change in the North Atlantic, while momentum and heat flux perturbation cause the gradient across the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC declines in response to the heat flux perturbation, and there is a strong positive feedback on this effect due to the consequent cooling of sea-surface temperature in the North Atlantic, which enhances the local heat input to the ocean. The momentum and water flux perturbations do not substantially affect the AMOC. Heat is taken up largely as a passive tracer in the Southern Ocean, which is the region of greatest heat input, while the weakening of the AMOC causes redistribution of heat towards lower latitudes. Future analysis of these and other phenomena with the wider range of CMIP6 FAFMIP AOGCMs will benefit from new diagnostics of temperature and salinity tendencies, which will enable

  19. The Flux-Anomaly-Forced Model Intercomparison Project (FAFMIP) Contribution to CMIP6: Investigation of Sea-Level and Ocean Climate Change in Response to CO2 Forcing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gregory, Jonathan M.; Bouttes, Nathaelle; Griffies, Stephen M.; Haak, Helmuth; Hurlin, William J.; Jungclaus, Johann; Kelley, Maxwell; Lee, Warren G.; Marshall, John; Romanou, Anastasia; hide

    2016-01-01

    The Flux-Anomaly-Forced Model Intercomparison Project (FAFMIP) aims to investigate the spread in simulations of sea-level and ocean climate change in response to CO2 forcing by atmosphere-ocean general circulation models (AOGCMs). It is particularly motivated by the uncertainties in projections of ocean heat uptake, global-mean sealevel rise due to thermal expansion and the geographical patterns of sea-level change due to ocean density and circulation change. FAFMIP has three tier-1 experiments, in which prescribed surface flux perturbations of momentum, heat and freshwater respectively are applied to the ocean in separate AOGCM simulations. All other conditions are as in the pre-industrial control. The prescribed fields are typical of pattern and magnitude of changes in these fluxes projected by AOGCMs for doubled CO2 concentration. Five groups have tested the experimental design with existing AOGCMs. Their results show diversity in the pattern and magnitude of changes, with some common qualitative features. Heat and water flux perturbation cause the dipole in sea-level change in the North Atlantic, while momentum and heat flux perturbation cause the gradient across the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) declines in response to the heat flux perturbation, and there is a strong positive feedback on this effect due to the consequent cooling of sea-surface temperature in the North Atlantic, which enhances the local heat input to the ocean. The momentum and water flux perturbations do not substantially affect the AMOC. Heat is taken up largely as a passive tracer in the Southern Ocean, which is the region of greatest heat input, while the weakening of the AMOC causes redistribution of heat towards lower latitudes. Future analysis of these and other phenomena with the wider range of CMIP6 FAFMIP AOGCMs will benefit from new diagnostics of temperature and salinity tendencies, which will enable investigation of the model

  20. Role of mesoscale eddies in the global ocean uptake of anthropogenic CO{sub 2}; Role des tourbillons de meso-echelle oceaniques dans la distribution et les flux air-mer de CO{sub 2} anthropique a l'echelle globale

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zouhair, Lachkar

    2007-02-15

    Mesoscale eddies play a fundamental role in ocean dynamics particularly in the Southern Ocean. Global-scale tracer simulations are typically made at coarse resolution without explicitly modeling eddies. Here we ask what role do eddies play in ocean uptake, storage, and meridional transport of anthropogenic CO{sub 2}, CFC-11 and bomb {delta}{sup 14}C. We made global anthropogenic transient tracer simulations in coarse-resolution, ORCA2, and eddy-permitting, ORCA05 and ORCA025, versions of the ocean modelling system NEMO. We focus on the Southern Ocean where tracer air-sea fluxes are largest. Eddies have little effect on bomb {delta}{sup 14}C uptake and storage. Yet for CFC-11 and anthropogenic CO{sub 2}, increased eddy activity reduces southern extra-tropical uptake by 28% and 25% respectively, thereby providing better agreement with observations. It is shown that the discrepancies in the equilibration times between the three tracers determine their respective sensitivities to the model horizontal resolution. Applying Gent and McWilliams (1990) (GM) parameterization of eddies in the non-eddying version of the model does improve results, but not enough. An in-depth investigation of the mechanisms by which eddies affect the uptake of the transient tracers shows that including mesoscale eddies leads to an overall reduction in the Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) ventilation, and modifies substantially the spatial distribution of their source regions. This investigation reveals also that the GM parameterization still overestimates the ventilation and the subduction of AAIW in the Indian Ocean where the simulated mixed layer is particularly deep during the winter. This work suggests that most current coarse-resolution models may overestimate the ventilation of AAIW in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean. This study shows also that the use of the GM parameterization may be of limited utility where mixed layer is relatively deep and confirms the general need for a

  1. CO/sub 2/ carbon cycle and climate interactions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grassl, H; Maier-Reimer, E; Degens, E T; Kempe, S; Spitzy, A

    1984-03-01

    Past and expected emissions of anthropogenic CO/sub 2/ stimulate carbon cycle and climate research. Prognoses of future CO/sub 2/ levels depend on energy scenarios and on the reaction of the biosphere and hydrosphere to elevated atmospheric CO/sub 2/ concentrations. The reaction of the reservoirs vegetation, freshwater and oceans to disturbances of the carbon cycle is reviewed. For the oceans first results of a simple carbon cycle model implanted in a three-dimensional general circulation model are presented. This model allows experiments not possible with previous box models.

  2. Biomass waste carbon materials as adsorbents for CO2 capture under post-combustion conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elisa M Calvo-Muñoz

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available A series of porous carbon materials obtained from biomass waste have been synthesized, with different morphologies and structural properties, and evaluated as potential adsorbents for CO2 capture in post-combustion conditions. These carbon materials present CO2 adsorption capacities, at 25 ºC and 101.3 kPa, comparable to those obtained by other complex carbon or inorganic materials. Furthermore, CO2 uptakes under these conditions can be well correlated to the narrow micropore volume, derived from the CO2 adsorption data at 0 ºC (VDRCO2. In contrast, CO2 adsorption capacities at 25 ºC and 15 kPa are more related to only pores of sizes lower than 0.7 nm. The capacity values obtained in column adsorption experiments were really promising. An activated carbon fiber obtained from Alcell lignin, FCL, presented a capacity value of 1.3 mmol/g (5.7 %wt. Moreover, the adsorption capacity of this carbon fiber was totally recovered in a very fast desorption cycle at the same operation temperature and total pressure and, therefore, without any additional energy requirement. Thus, these results suggest that the biomass waste used in this work could be successfully valorized as efficient CO2 adsorbent, under post-combustion conditions, showing excellent regeneration performance.

  3. Biogeochemical Reactions Under Simulated Europa Ocean Conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amashukeli, X.; Connon, S. A.; Gleeson, D. F.; Kowalczyk, R. S.; Pappalardo, R. T.

    2007-12-01

    Galileo data have demonstrated the probable presence of a liquid water ocean on Europa, and existence of salts and carbon dioxide in the satellite's surface ice (e.g., Carr et al., 1998; McCord et al., 1999, Pappalardo et al., 1999; Kivelson et al., 2000). Subsequently, the discovery of chemical signatures of extinct or extant life in Europa's ocean and on its surface became a distinct possibility. Moreover, understanding of Europa's potential habitability is now one of the major goals of the Europa Orbiter Flagship mission. It is likely, that in the early stages of Europa's ocean formation, moderately alkaline oceanic sulfate-carbonate species and a magnetite-silicate mantel could have participated in low-temperature biogeochemical sulfur, iron and carbon cycles facilitated by primitive organisms (Zolotov and Shock, 2004). If periodic supplies of fresh rock and sulfate-carbonate ions are available in Europa's ocean, then an exciting prospect exists that life may be present in Europa's ocean today. In our laboratory, we began the study of the plausible biogeochemical reactions under conditions appropriate to Europa's ocean using barophilic psychrophilic organisms that thrive under anaerobic conditions. In the near absence of abiotic synthetic pathways due to low Europa's temperatures, the biotic synthesis may present a viable opportunity for the formation of the organic and inorganic compounds under these extreme conditions. This work is independent of assumptions regarding hydrothermal vents at Europa's ocean floor or surface-derived oxidant sources. For our studies, we have fabricated a high-pressure (5,000 psi) reaction vessel that simulates aqueous conditions on Europa. We were also successful at reviving barophilic psychrophilic strains of Shewanella bacterium, which serve as test organisms in this investigation. Currently, facultative barophilic psychrophilic stains of Shewanella are grown in the presence of ferric food source; the strains exhibiting iron

  4. Changes in CO2 during Ocean Anoxic Event 1d indicate similarities to other carbon cycle perturbations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richey, Jon D.; Upchurch, Garland R.; Montañez, Isabel P.; Lomax, Barry H.; Suarez, Marina B.; Crout, Neil M. J.; Joeckel, R. M.; Ludvigson, Greg A.; Smith, Jon J.

    2018-06-01

    Past greenhouse intervals of the Mesozoic were repeatedly punctuated by Ocean Anoxic Events (OAEs), major perturbations to the global carbon cycle and abrupt climate changes that may serve as relevant analogs for Earth's greenhouse gas-forced climate future. The key to better understanding these transient climate disruptions and possible CO2-forced tipping-points resides in high-resolution, precise, and accurate estimates of atmospheric CO2 for individual OAEs. Here we present a high-temporal resolution, multi-proxy pCO2 reconstruction for the onset of mid-Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian Boundary) OAE1d. Coupling of pCO2 estimates with carbon isotopic compositions (δ13C) of charcoal, vitrain, and cuticle from the Rose Creek Pit (RCP), Nebraska, reveals complex phasing, including a lag between the well-documented negative δ13C excursion defining the onset of OAE1d and the CO2 increase. This lag indicates that increased CO2 or other C-based greenhouse gases may not have been the primary cause of the negative excursion. Our study reveals a pCO2 increase within the interval of the negative δ13C excursion, reaching a maximum of up to ∼840 ppm (95% confidence interval -307 ppm/+167 ppm) toward its end. The reconstructed magnitude of CO2 increase (∼357 ppm) is similar to that of Late Cretaceous OAE2 but of smaller magnitude than that of other major carbon cycle perturbations of the Mesozoic assessed via stomatal methods (e.g., the Toarcian OAE [TOAE], Triassic-Jurassic boundary event, Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary event). Furthermore, our results indicate a possible shared causal or developmental mechanism with OAE1a and the TOAE.

  5. Potential and economics of CO{sub 2} sequestration; Sequestration du CO{sub 2}: faisabilite et cout

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jean-Baptiste, Ph.; Ciais, Ph.; Orr, J. [CEA Saclay, 91 - Gif sur Yvette (France). Direction des Sciences de la Matiere; Ducroux, R. [Centre d' Initiative et de Recherche sur l' Energie et l' Environnement, CIRENE, 91 - Palaiseau (France)

    2001-07-01

    Increasing atmospheric level of greenhouse gases are causing global warming and putting at risk the global climate system. The main anthropogenic greenhouse gas is CO{sub 2}. Some techniques could be used to reduced CO{sub 2} emission and stabilize atmospheric CO{sub 2} concentration, including i) energy savings and energy efficiency, ii) switch to lower carbon content fuels (natural gas) and use energy sources with zero CO{sub 2} emissions such as renewable or nuclear energy, iii) capture and store CO{sub 2} from fossil fuels combustion, and enhance the natural sinks for CO{sub 2} (forests, soils, ocean...). The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the technology and cost for capture and storage of CO{sub 2} and to review the various options for CO{sub 2} sequestration by enhancing natural carbon sinks. Some of the factors which will influence application, including environmental impact, cost and efficiency, are discussed. Capturing CO{sub 2} and storing it in underground geological reservoirs appears as the best environmentally acceptable option. It can be done with existing technology, however, substantial R and D is needed to improve available technology and to lower the cost. Applicable to large CO{sub 2} emitting industrial facilities such as power plants, cement factories, steel industry, etc., which amount to about 30% of the global anthropic CO{sub 2} emission, it represents a valuable tool in the baffle against global warming. About 50% of the anthropic CO{sub 2} is being naturally absorbed by the biosphere and the ocean. The 'natural assistance' provided by these two large carbon reservoirs to the mitigation of climate change is substantial. The existing natural sinks could be enhanced by deliberate action. Given the known and likely environmental consequences, which could be very damaging indeed, enhancing ocean sinks does not appears as a satisfactory option. In contrast, the promotion of land sinks through demonstrated carbon

  6. Effects of ocean acidification on learning in coral reef fishes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maud C O Ferrari

    Full Text Available Ocean acidification has the potential to cause dramatic changes in marine ecosystems. Larval damselfish exposed to concentrations of CO(2 predicted to occur in the mid- to late-century show maladaptive responses to predator cues. However, there is considerable variation both within and between species in CO(2 effects, whereby some individuals are unaffected at particular CO(2 concentrations while others show maladaptive responses to predator odour. Our goal was to test whether learning via chemical or visual information would be impaired by ocean acidification and ultimately, whether learning can mitigate the effects of ocean acidification by restoring the appropriate responses of prey to predators. Using two highly efficient and widespread mechanisms for predator learning, we compared the behaviour of pre-settlement damselfish Pomacentrus amboinensis that were exposed to 440 µatm CO(2 (current day levels or 850 µatm CO(2, a concentration predicted to occur in the ocean before the end of this century. We found that, regardless of the method of learning, damselfish exposed to elevated CO(2 failed to learn to respond appropriately to a common predator, the dottyback, Pseudochromis fuscus. To determine whether the lack of response was due to a failure in learning or rather a short-term shift in trade-offs preventing the fish from displaying overt antipredator responses, we conditioned 440 or 700 µatm-CO(2 fish to learn to recognize a dottyback as a predator using injured conspecific cues, as in Experiment 1. When tested one day post-conditioning, CO(2 exposed fish failed to respond to predator odour. When tested 5 days post-conditioning, CO(2 exposed fish still failed to show an antipredator response to the dottyback odour, despite the fact that both control and CO(2-treated fish responded to a general risk cue (injured conspecific cues. These results indicate that exposure to CO(2 may alter the cognitive ability of juvenile fish and render

  7. Kinetics of carbonate dissolution in CO2-saturated aqueous system at reservoir conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Cheng; Crawshaw, John P.; Maitland, Geoffrey; Trusler, J. P. Martin

    2014-05-01

    In recent years, carbon capture and storage (CCS) has emerged as a key technology for limiting anthropogenic CO2 emissions while allowing the continued utilisation of fossil fuels. The most promising geological storage sites are deep saline aquifers because the capacity, integrity and injection economics are most favourable, and the environmental impact can be minimal. Many rock-fluid chemical reactions are known to occur both during and after CO2 injection in saline aquifers. The importance of rock-fluid reactions in the (CO2 + H2O) system can be understood in terms of their impact on the integrity and stability of both the formation rocks and cap rocks. The chemical interactions between CO2-acidified brines and the reservoir minerals can influence the porosity and permeability of the formations, resulting in changes in the transport processes occurring during CO2 storage. Since carbonate minerals are abundant in sedimentary rocks, one of the requirements to safely implement CO2 storage in saline aquifers is to characterise the reactivity of carbonate minerals in aqueous solutions at reservoir conditions. In this work, we reported measurements of the intrinsic rate of carbonate dissolution in CO2-saturated water under high-temperature high-pressure reservoir conditions extending up to 373 K and 14 MPa. The rate of carbonate dissolution in CO2-free HCl(aq) was also measured at ambient pressure at temperatures up to 353 K. Various pure minerals and reservoir rocks were investigated in this study, including single-crystals of calcite and magnesite, and samples of dolomite, chalks and sandstones. A specially-designed batch reactor system, implementing the rotating disc technique, was used to obtain the intrinsic reaction rate at the solid/liquid interface, free of mass transfer effects. The effective area and mineralogy of the exposed surface was determined by a combination of surface characterisation techniques including XRD, SEM, EDX and optical microscopy. The

  8. Coal devolatilization and char conversion under suspension fired conditions in O2/N2 and O2/CO2 atmospheres

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Anker Degn; Brix, Jacob; Jensen, Peter Arendt

    2010-01-01

    have been carried out in an electrically heated entrained flow reactor that is designed to simulate the conditions in a suspension fired boiler. Coal devolatilized in N2 and CO2 atmospheres provided similar results regarding char morphology, char N2-BET surface area and volatile yield. This strongly......The aim of the present investigation is to examine differences between O2/N2 and O2/CO2 atmospheres during devolatilization and char conversion of a bituminous coal at conditions covering temperatures between 1173 K and 1673 K and inlet oxygen concentrations between 5 and 28 vol.%. The experiments...

  9. Nutrient co-limitation at the boundary of an oceanic gyre

    Science.gov (United States)

    Browning, Thomas J.; Achterberg, Eric P.; Rapp, Insa; Engel, Anja; Bertrand, Erin M.; Tagliabue, Alessandro; Moore, C. Mark

    2017-11-01

    Nutrient limitation of oceanic primary production exerts a fundamental control on marine food webs and the flux of carbon into the deep ocean. The extensive boundaries of the oligotrophic sub-tropical gyres collectively define the most extreme transition in ocean productivity, but little is known about nutrient limitation in these zones. Here we present the results of full-factorial nutrient amendment experiments conducted at the eastern boundary of the South Atlantic gyre. We find extensive regions in which the addition of nitrogen or iron individually resulted in no significant phytoplankton growth over 48 hours. However, the addition of both nitrogen and iron increased concentrations of chlorophyll a by up to approximately 40-fold, led to diatom proliferation, and reduced community diversity. Once nitrogen-iron co-limitation had been alleviated, the addition of cobalt or cobalt-containing vitamin B12 could further enhance chlorophyll a yields by up to threefold. Our results suggest that nitrogen-iron co-limitation is pervasive in the ocean, with other micronutrients also approaching co-deficiency. Such multi-nutrient limitations potentially increase phytoplankton community diversity.

  10. Sea anemones may thrive in a high CO2 world.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suggett, David J; Hall-Spencer, Jason M; Rodolfo-Metalpa, Riccardo; Boatman, Toby G; Payton, Ross; Tye Pettay, D; Johnson, Vivienne R; Warner, Mark E; Lawson, Tracy

    2012-10-01

    Increased seawater pCO 2 , and in turn 'ocean acidification' (OA), is predicted to profoundly impact marine ecosystem diversity and function this century. Much research has already focussed on calcifying reef-forming corals (Class: Anthozoa) that appear particularly susceptible to OA via reduced net calcification. However, here we show that OA-like conditions can simultaneously enhance the ecological success of non-calcifying anthozoans, which not only play key ecological and biogeochemical roles in present day benthic ecosystems but also represent a model organism should calcifying anthozoans exist as less calcified (soft-bodied) forms in future oceans. Increased growth (abundance and size) of the sea anemone (Anemonia viridis) population was observed along a natural CO 2 gradient at Vulcano, Italy. Both gross photosynthesis (P G ) and respiration (R) increased with pCO 2 indicating that the increased growth was, at least in part, fuelled by bottom up (CO 2 stimulation) of metabolism. The increase of P G outweighed that of R and the genetic identity of the symbiotic microalgae (Symbiodinium spp.) remained unchanged (type A19) suggesting proximity to the vent site relieved CO 2 limitation of the anemones' symbiotic microalgal population. Our observations of enhanced productivity with pCO 2 , which are consistent with previous reports for some calcifying corals, convey an increase in fitness that may enable non-calcifying anthozoans to thrive in future environments, i.e. higher seawater pCO 2 . Understanding how CO 2 -enhanced productivity of non- (and less-) calcifying anthozoans applies more widely to tropical ecosystems is a priority where such organisms can dominate benthic ecosystems, in particular following localized anthropogenic stress. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  11. CO2 maximum in the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ)

    OpenAIRE

    Paulmier, Aurélien; Ruiz-Pino, D.; Garcon, V.

    2011-01-01

    International audience; Oxygen minimum zones (OMZs), known as suboxic layers which are mainly localized in the Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems, have been expanding since the 20th "high CO2" century, probably due to global warming. OMZs are also known to significantly contribute to the oceanic production of N2O, a greenhouse gas (GHG) more efficient than CO2. However, the contribution of the OMZs on the oceanic sources and sinks budget of CO2, the main GHG, still remains to be established. ...

  12. ECO2M: A TOUGH2 Fluid Property Module for Mixtures of Water, NaCl, and CO2, Including Super- and Sub-Critical Conditions, and Phase Change Between Liquid and Gaseous CO2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pruess, K.

    2011-04-01

    ECO2M is a fluid property module for the TOUGH2 simulator (Version 2.0) that was designed for applications to geologic storage of CO{sub 2} in saline aquifers. It includes a comprehensive description of the thermodynamics and thermophysical properties of H{sub 2}O - NaCl - CO{sub 2} mixtures, that reproduces fluid properties largely within experimental error for temperature, pressure and salinity conditions in the range of 10 C {le} T {le} 110 C, P {le} 600 bar, and salinity from zero up to full halite saturation. The fluid property correlations used in ECO2M are identical to the earlier ECO2N fluid property package, but whereas ECO2N could represent only a single CO{sub 2}-rich phase, ECO2M can describe all possible phase conditions for brine-CO{sub 2} mixtures, including transitions between super- and sub-critical conditions, and phase change between liquid and gaseous CO{sub 2}. This allows for seamless modeling of CO{sub 2} storage and leakage. Flow processes can be modeled isothermally or non-isothermally, and phase conditions represented may include a single (aqueous or CO{sub 2}-rich) phase, as well as two-and three-phase mixtures of aqueous, liquid CO{sub 2} and gaseous CO{sub 2} phases. Fluid phases may appear or disappear in the course of a simulation, and solid salt may precipitate or dissolve. TOUGH2/ECO2M is upwardly compatible with ECO2N and accepts ECO2N-style inputs. This report gives technical specifications of ECO2M and includes instructions for preparing input data. Code applications are illustrated by means of several sample problems, including problems that had been previously solved with TOUGH2/ECO2N.

  13. CO2/ brine substitution experiments at simulated reservoir conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kummerow, Juliane; Spangenberg, Erik

    2015-04-01

    Capillary properties of rocks affect the mobility of fluids in a reservoir. Therefore, the understanding of the capillary pressure behaviour is essential to assess the long-term behaviour of CO2 reservoirs. Beyond this, a calibration of the petrophysical properties on water saturation of reservoir rocks at simulated in situ conditions is crucial for a proper interpretation of field monitoring data. We present a set-up, which allows for the combined measurements of capillary pressure, electric resistivity, and elastic wave velocities under controlled reservoir conditions (pconf = 400 bar, ppore = 180 bar, T = 65 ° C) at different brine-CO2 saturations. The capillary properties of the samples are measured using the micropore membrane technique. The sample is jacketed with a Viton tube (thickness = 4 mm) and placed between two current electrode endcaps, which as well contain pore fluid ports and ultrasonic P and S wave transducers. Between the sample and the lower endcap the hydrophilic semi-permeable micro-pore membrane (pore size = 100 nm) is integrated. It is embedded into filter papers to establish a good capillary contact and to protect the highly sensitive membrane against mechanical damage under load. Two high-precision syringe pumps are used to displace a quantified volume of brine by CO2 and determine the corresponding sample saturation. The fluid displacement induces a pressure gradient along the sample, which corresponds to the capillary pressure at a particular sample saturation. It is measured with a differential pressure sensor in the range between 0 - 0.2 MPa. Drainage and imbibition cycles are performed to provide information on the efficiency of capillary trapping and to get a calibration of the petrophysical parameters of the sample.

  14. Millennial-scale changes in atmospheric CO2 levels linked to the Southern Ocean carbon isotope gradient and dust flux

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ziegler, Martin; Diz, Paula; Hall, Ian R.; Zahn, Rainer

    2013-06-01

    The rise in atmospheric CO2 concentrations observed at the end of glacial periods has, at least in part, been attributed to the upwelling of carbon-rich deep water in the Southern Ocean. The magnitude of outgassing of dissolved CO2, however, is influenced by the biological fixation of upwelled inorganic carbon and its transfer back to the deep sea as organic carbon. The efficiency of this biological pump is controlled by the extent of nutrient utilization, which can be stimulated by the delivery of iron by atmospheric dust particles. Changes in nutrient utilization should be reflected in the δ13C gradient between intermediate and deep waters. Here we use the δ13C values of intermediate- and bottom-dwelling foraminifera to reconstruct the carbon isotope gradient between thermocline and abyssal water in the subantarctic zone of the South Atlantic Ocean over the past 360,000 years. We find millennial-scale oscillations of the carbon isotope gradient that correspond to changes in dust flux and atmospheric CO2 concentrations as reported from Antarctic ice cores. We interpret this correlation as a relationship between the efficiency of the biological pump and fertilization by dust-borne iron. As the correlation is exponential, we suggest that the sensitivity of the biological pump to dust-borne iron fertilization may be increased when the background dust flux is low.

  15. The millennial atmospheric lifetime of anthropogenic CO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Archer, D.

    2008-01-01

    The notion is pervasive in the climate science community and in the public at large that the climate impacts of fossil fuel CO 2 release will only persist for a few centuries. This conclusion has no basis in theory or models of the atmosphere/ocean carbon cycle, which we review here. The largest fraction of the CO 2 recovery will take place on time scales of centuries, as CO 2 invades the ocean, but a significant fraction of the fossil fuel CO 2 , ranging in published models in the literature from 20-60%, remains airborne for a thousand years or longer. Ultimate recovery takes place on time scales of hundreds of thousands of years, a geologic longevity typically associated in public perceptions with nuclear waste. The glacial/interglacial climate cycles demonstrate that ice sheets and sea level respond dramatically to millennial-timescale changes in climate forcing. There are also potential positive feedbacks in the carbon cycle, including methane hydrates in the ocean, and peat frozen in permafrost, that are most sensitive to the long tail of the fossil fuel CO 2 in the atmosphere

  16. Impact of atmospheric and terrestrial CO2 feedbacks on fertilization-induced marine carbon uptake

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oschlies, A.

    2009-08-01

    The sensitivity of oceanic CO2 uptake to alterations in the marine biological carbon pump, such as brought about by natural or purposeful ocean fertilization, has repeatedly been investigated by studies employing numerical biogeochemical ocean models. It is shown here that the results of such ocean-centered studies are very sensitive to the assumption made about the response of the carbon reservoirs on the atmospheric side of the sea surface. Assumptions made include prescribed atmospheric pCO2, an interactive atmospheric CO2 pool exchanging carbon with the ocean but not with the terrestrial biosphere, and an interactive atmosphere that exchanges carbon with both oceanic and terrestrial carbon pools. The impact of these assumptions on simulated annual to millennial oceanic carbon uptake is investigated for a hypothetical increase in the C:N ratio of the biological pump and for an idealized enhancement of phytoplankton growth. Compared to simulations with interactive atmosphere, using prescribed atmospheric pCO2 overestimates the sensitivity of the oceanic CO2 uptake to changes in the biological pump, by about 2%, 25%, 100%, and >500% on annual, decadal, centennial, and millennial timescales, respectively. The smaller efficiency of the oceanic carbon uptake under an interactive atmosphere is due to the back flux of CO2 that occurs when atmospheric CO2 is reduced. Adding an interactive terrestrial carbon pool to the atmosphere-ocean model system has a small effect on annual timescales, but increases the simulated fertilization-induced oceanic carbon uptake by about 4%, 50%, and 100% on decadal, centennial, and millennial timescales, respectively, for pCO2 sensitivities of the terrestrial carbon storage in the middle range of the C4MIP models (Friedlingstein et al., 2006). For such sensitivities, a substantial fraction of oceanic carbon uptake induced by natural or purposeful ocean fertilization originates, on timescales longer than decades, not from the atmosphere

  17. Food web changes under ocean acidification promote herring larvae survival.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sswat, Michael; Stiasny, Martina H; Taucher, Jan; Algueró-Muñiz, Maria; Bach, Lennart T; Jutfelt, Fredrik; Riebesell, Ulf; Clemmesen, Catriona

    2018-05-01

    Ocean acidification-the decrease in seawater pH due to rising CO 2 concentrations-has been shown to lower survival in early life stages of fish and, as a consequence, the recruitment of populations including commercially important species. To date, ocean-acidification studies with fish larvae have focused on the direct physiological impacts of elevated CO 2 , but largely ignored the potential effects of ocean acidification on food web interactions. In an in situ mesocosm study on Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) larvae as top predators in a pelagic food web, we account for indirect CO 2 effects on larval survival mediated by changes in food availability. The community was exposed to projected end-of-the-century CO 2 conditions (~760 µatm pCO 2 ) over a period of 113 days. In contrast with laboratory studies that reported a decrease in fish survival, the survival of the herring larvae in situ was significantly enhanced by 19 ± 2%. Analysis of the plankton community dynamics suggested that the herring larvae benefitted from a CO 2 -stimulated increase in primary production. Such indirect effects may counteract the possible direct negative effects of ocean acidification on the survival of fish early life stages. These findings emphasize the need to assess the food web effects of ocean acidification on fish larvae before we can predict even the sign of change in fish recruitment in a high-CO 2 ocean.

  18. High CO2 and silicate limitation synergistically increase the toxicity of Pseudo-nitzschia fraudulenta.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Avery O Tatters

    Full Text Available Anthropogenic CO(2 is progressively acidifying the ocean, but the responses of harmful algal bloom species that produce toxins that can bioaccumulate remain virtually unknown. The neurotoxin domoic acid is produced by the globally-distributed diatom genus Pseudo-nitzschia. This toxin is responsible for amnesic shellfish poisoning, which can result in illness or death in humans and regularly causes mass mortalities of marine mammals and birds. Domoic acid production by Pseudo-nitzschia cells is known to be regulated by nutrient availability, but potential interactions with increasing seawater CO(2 concentrations are poorly understood. Here we present experiments measuring domoic acid production by acclimatized cultures of Pseudo-nitzschia fraudulenta that demonstrate a strong synergism between projected future CO(2 levels (765 ppm and silicate-limited growth, which greatly increases cellular toxicity relative to growth under modern atmospheric (360 ppm or pre-industrial (200 ppm CO(2 conditions. Cellular Si:C ratios decrease with increasing CO(2, in a trend opposite to that seen for domoic acid production. The coastal California upwelling system where this species was isolated currently exhibits rapidly increasing levels of anthropogenic acidification, as well as widespread episodic silicate limitation of diatom growth. Our results suggest that the current ecosystem and human health impacts of toxic Pseudo-nitzschia blooms could be greatly exacerbated by future ocean acidification and 'carbon fertilization' of the coastal ocean.

  19. Cell-specific CO2 fixation rates of two distinct groups of plastidic protists in the Atlantic Ocean remain unchanged after nutrient addition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grob, Carolina; Jardillier, Ludwig; Hartmann, Manuela; Ostrowski, Martin; Zubkov, Mikhail V; Scanlan, David J

    2015-04-01

    To assess the role of open-ocean ecosystems in global CO2 fixation, we investigated how picophytoplankton, which dominate primary production, responded to episodic increases in nutrient availability. Previous experiments have shown nitrogen alone, or in combination with phosphorus or iron, to be the proximate limiting nutrient(s) for total phytoplankton grown over several days. Much less is known about how nutrient upshift affects picophytoplankton CO2 fixation over the duration of the light period. To address this issue, we performed a series of small volume (8-60 ml) - short term (10-11 h) nutrient addition experiments in different regions of the Atlantic Ocean using NH4 Cl, FeCl3 , K medium, dust and nutrient-rich water from 300 m depth. We found no significant nutrient stimulation of group-specific CO2 fixation rates of two taxonomically and size-distinct groups of plastidic protists. The above was true regardless of the region sampled or nutrient added, suggesting that this is a generic phenomenon. Our findings show that at least in the short term (i.e. daylight period), nutrient availability does not limit CO2 fixation by the smallest plastidic protists, while their taxonomic composition does not determine their response to nutrient addition. © 2014 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. A data-model synthesis to explain variability in calcification observed during a CO2 perturbation mesocosm experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krishna, Shubham; Schartau, Markus

    2017-04-01

    The effect of ocean acidification on growth and calcification of the marine algae Emiliania huxleyi was investigated in a series of mesocosm experiments where enclosed water volumes that comprised a natural plankton community were exposed to different carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations. Calcification rates observed during those experiments were found to be highly variable, even among replicate mesocosms that were subject to similar CO2 perturbations. Here, data from an ocean acidification mesocosm experiment are reanalysed with an optimality-based dynamical plankton model. According to our model approach, cellular calcite formation is sensitive to variations in CO2 at the organism level. We investigate the temporal changes and variability in observations, with a focus on resolving observed differences in total alkalinity and particulate inorganic carbon (PIC). We explore how much of the variability in the data can be explained by variations of the initial conditions and by the level of CO2 perturbation. Nine mesocosms of one experiment were sorted into three groups of high, medium, and low calcification rates and analysed separately. The spread of the three optimised ensemble model solutions captures most of the observed variability. Our results show that small variations in initial abundance of coccolithophores and the prevailing physiological acclimation states generate differences in calcification that are larger than those induced by ocean acidification. Accordingly, large deviations between optimal mass flux estimates of carbon and of nitrogen are identified even between mesocosms that were subject to similar ocean acidification conditions. With our model-based data analysis we document how an ocean acidification response signal in calcification can be disentangled from the observed variability in PIC.

  1. Compiled records of carbon isotopes in atmospheric CO2 for historical simulations in CMIP6

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Graven

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The isotopic composition of carbon (Δ14C and δ13C in atmospheric CO2 and in oceanic and terrestrial carbon reservoirs is influenced by anthropogenic emissions and by natural carbon exchanges, which can respond to and drive changes in climate. Simulations of 14C and 13C in the ocean and terrestrial components of Earth system models (ESMs present opportunities for model evaluation and for investigation of carbon cycling, including anthropogenic CO2 emissions and uptake. The use of carbon isotopes in novel evaluation of the ESMs' component ocean and terrestrial biosphere models and in new analyses of historical changes may improve predictions of future changes in the carbon cycle and climate system. We compile existing data to produce records of Δ14C and δ13C in atmospheric CO2 for the historical period 1850–2015. The primary motivation for this compilation is to provide the atmospheric boundary condition for historical simulations in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6 (CMIP6 for models simulating carbon isotopes in the ocean or terrestrial biosphere. The data may also be useful for other carbon cycle modelling activities.

  2. Compiled records of carbon isotopes in atmospheric CO2 for historical simulations in CMIP6

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graven, Heather; Allison, Colin E.; Etheridge, David M.; Hammer, Samuel; Keeling, Ralph F.; Levin, Ingeborg; Meijer, Harro A. J.; Rubino, Mauro; Tans, Pieter P.; Trudinger, Cathy M.; Vaughn, Bruce H.; White, James W. C.

    2017-12-01

    The isotopic composition of carbon (Δ14C and δ13C) in atmospheric CO2 and in oceanic and terrestrial carbon reservoirs is influenced by anthropogenic emissions and by natural carbon exchanges, which can respond to and drive changes in climate. Simulations of 14C and 13C in the ocean and terrestrial components of Earth system models (ESMs) present opportunities for model evaluation and for investigation of carbon cycling, including anthropogenic CO2 emissions and uptake. The use of carbon isotopes in novel evaluation of the ESMs' component ocean and terrestrial biosphere models and in new analyses of historical changes may improve predictions of future changes in the carbon cycle and climate system. We compile existing data to produce records of Δ14C and δ13C in atmospheric CO2 for the historical period 1850-2015. The primary motivation for this compilation is to provide the atmospheric boundary condition for historical simulations in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6 (CMIP6) for models simulating carbon isotopes in the ocean or terrestrial biosphere. The data may also be useful for other carbon cycle modelling activities.

  3. Mid-depth South Atlantic Ocean circulation and chemical stratification during MIS-10 to 12: implications for atmospheric CO2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. A. Maslin

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available A detailed record of benthic foraminifera carbon isotopes from the intermediate-depth South East Atlantic margin shows little glacial-interglacial variability between MIS-12 to MIS-10, suggesting that Northern Atlantic deepwaters consistently penetrated to at least 30° S. Millennial-scale increases in either the mass or flux of northern-sourced deepwaters over the core site occurred alongside reductions in Lower North Atlantic Deep Water recorded in North Atlantic sediment cores and show that the lower and intermediate limb of the Atlantic deepwater convective cell oscillated in anti-phase during previous glacial periods. In addition, a 500 yr resolution record of the Cape Basin intermediate-deep δ13C gradient shows that a reduction in deep Southern Ocean ventilation at the end of MIS-11 was consistent with a modelled CO2 drawdown of ~21–30 ppm. Further increases in the Southern Ocean chemical divide during the transition into MIS-10 were completed before minimum CO2 levels were reached, suggesting that other mechanisms such as alkalinity changes were responsible for the remaining ~45 ppm drawdown.

  4. Responses of the Emiliania huxleyi proteome to ocean acidification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Bethan M; Iglesias-Rodriguez, M Debora; Skipp, Paul J; Edwards, Richard J; Greaves, Mervyn J; Young, Jeremy R; Elderfield, Henry; O'Connor, C David

    2013-01-01

    Ocean acidification due to rising atmospheric CO2 is expected to affect the physiology of important calcifying marine organisms, but the nature and magnitude of change is yet to be established. In coccolithophores, different species and strains display varying calcification responses to ocean acidification, but the underlying biochemical properties remain unknown. We employed an approach combining tandem mass-spectrometry with isobaric tagging (iTRAQ) and multiple database searching to identify proteins that were differentially expressed in cells of the marine coccolithophore species Emiliania huxleyi (strain NZEH) between two CO2 conditions: 395 (∼current day) and ∼1340 p.p.m.v. CO2. Cells exposed to the higher CO2 condition contained more cellular particulate inorganic carbon (CaCO3) and particulate organic nitrogen and carbon than those maintained in present-day conditions. These results are linked with the observation that cells grew slower under elevated CO2, indicating cell cycle disruption. Under high CO2 conditions, coccospheres were larger and cells possessed bigger coccoliths that did not show any signs of malformation compared to those from cells grown under present-day CO2 levels. No differences in calcification rate, particulate organic carbon production or cellular organic carbon: nitrogen ratios were observed. Results were not related to nutrient limitation or acclimation status of cells. At least 46 homologous protein groups from a variety of functional processes were quantified in these experiments, of which four (histones H2A, H3, H4 and a chloroplastic 30S ribosomal protein S7) showed down-regulation in all replicates exposed to high CO2, perhaps reflecting the decrease in growth rate. We present evidence of cellular stress responses but proteins associated with many key metabolic processes remained unaltered. Our results therefore suggest that this E. huxleyi strain possesses some acclimation mechanisms to tolerate future CO2 scenarios

  5. Effect of ocean acidification and elevated fCO2 on trace gas production by a Baltic Sea summer phytoplankton community

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Webb, A.L.; Leedham-Elvidge, E.; Hughes, C.; Hopkins, F.E.; Malin, G.; Bach, L.T.; Schulz, K.; Crawfurd, K.; Brussaard, C.P.D.; Stuhr, A.; Riebesell, U.; Liss, P.S.

    2016-01-01

    The Baltic Sea is a unique environment as the largest body of brackish water in the world. Acidification of the surface oceans due to absorption of anthropogenic CO2 emissions is an additional stressor facing the pelagic community of the already challenging Baltic Sea. To investigate its impact on

  6. Warming and pCO2 effects on Florida stone crab larvae

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gravinese, Philip M.; Enochs, Ian C.; Manzello, Derek P.; van Woesik, Robert

    2018-05-01

    Greenhouse gas emissions are increasing ocean temperatures and the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2), resulting in more acidic waters. It is presently unknown how elevated temperature and pCO2 will influence the early life history stages of the majority of marine coastal species. We investigated the combined effect of elevated temperature (30 °C control and 32 °C treatment) and elevated pCO2 (450 μatm control and 1100 μatm treatment) on the (i) growth, (ii) survival, (iii) condition, and (iv) morphology of larvae of the commercially important Florida stone crab, Menippe mercenaria. At elevated temperature, larvae exhibited a significantly shorter molt stage, and elevated pCO2 caused stage-V larvae to delay metamorphosis to post-larvae. On average, elevated pCO2 resulted in a 37% decrease in survivorship relative to the control; however the effect of elevated temperature reduced larval survivorship by 71%. Exposure to both elevated temperature and pCO2 reduced larval survivorship by 80% relative to the control. Despite this, no significant differences were detected in the condition or morphology of stone crab larvae when subjected to elevated temperature and pCO2 treatments. Although elevated pCO2 could result in a reduction in larval supply, future increases in seawater temperatures are even more likely to threaten the future sustainability of the stone-crab fishery.

  7. Monitoring of ocean storage projects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Caldeira, K. [Energy and Environment Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA (United States)

    2003-02-01

    It has been proposed that atmospheric CO2 accumulation could be slowed by capture of CO2 from point sources and subsequent storage of that CO2 in the ocean. If applied, such sequestration efforts would need to be monitored for compliance, effectiveness, and unintended consequences. Aboveground inspection and monitoring of facilities and practices, combined with ocean observations, could assure compliance with ocean sequestration guidelines and regulations. Ocean observations could be made using a variety of sensors mounted on moorings or underwater gliders. Long-term effectiveness and leakage to the atmosphere must be estimated from models, since on large spatial scales it will be impossible to observationally distinguish carbon stored by a project from variable concentrations of background carbon. Furthermore, the ocean naturally would absorb roughly 80% of fossil fuel CO2 released to the atmosphere within a millennium. This means that most of the CO2 sequestered in the ocean that leaks out to the atmosphere will be reabsorbed by the ocean. However, there is no observational way to distinguish remaining carbon from reabsorbed carbon. The science of monitoring unintended consequences in the deep ocean interior is at a primitive state. Little is understood about ecosystems of the deep ocean interior; and even less is understood about how those ecosystems would respond to added CO2. High priority research objectives should be (1) to improve our understanding of the natural ecosystems of the deep ocean, and (2) to improve our understanding of the response of these ecosystems to increased oceanic CO2 concentrations and decreased ocean pH.

  8. Oceanic N2O emissions in the 21st century

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez-Rey, J.; Bopp, L.; Gehlen, M.; Tagliabue, A.; Gruber, N.

    2014-12-01

    The ocean is a substantial source of nitrous oxide (N2O) to the atmosphere, but little is known on how this flux might change in the future. Here, we investigate the potential evolution of marine N2O emissions in the 21st century in response to anthropogenic climate change using the global ocean biogeochemical model NEMO-PISCES. We implemented two different parameterizations of N2O production, which differ primarily at low oxygen (O2) conditions. When forced with output from a climate model simulation run under the business-as-usual high CO2 concentration scenario (RCP8.5), our simulations suggest a decrease of 4 to 12% in N2O emissions from 2005 to 2100, i.e., a reduction from 4.03/3.71 to 3.54/3.56 Tg N yr-1 depending on the parameterization. The emissions decrease strongly in the western basins of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, while they tend to increase above the Oxygen Minimum Zones (OMZs), i.e., in the Eastern Tropical Pacific and in the northern Indian Ocean. The reduction in N2O emissions is caused on the one hand by weakened nitrification as a consequence of reduced primary and export production, and on the other hand by stronger vertical stratification, which reduces the transport of N2O from the ocean interior to the ocean surface. The higher emissions over the OMZ are linked to an expansion of these zones under global warming, which leads to increased N2O production associated primarily with denitrification. From the perspective of a global climate system, the averaged feedback strength associated with the projected decrease in oceanic N2O emissions amounts to around -0.009 W m-2 K-1, which is comparable to the potential increase from terrestrial N2O sources. However, the assesment for a compensation between the terrestrial and marine feedbacks calls for an improved representation of N2O production terms in fully coupled next generation of Earth System Models.

  9. Temperature dependence of CO2-enhanced primary production in the European Arctic Ocean, supplement to: Holding, Johnna; Duarte, Carlos M; Sanz-Martín, Marina; Mesa, E; Arrieta, J M; Chierici, Melissa; Hendriks, Iris; García-Corral, L S; Regaudie-de-Gioux, A; Delgado, A; Reigstad, M; Wassmann, P; Agustí, Susana (2015): Temperature dependence of CO2-enhanced primary production in the European Arctic Ocean. Nature Climate Change, 5(12), 1079-1082

    KAUST Repository

    Holding, Johnna

    2016-01-01

    The Arctic Ocean is warming at two to three times the global rate and is perceived to be a bellwether for ocean acidification. Increased CO2 concentrations are expected to have a fertilization effect on marine autotrophs, and higher temperatures should lead to increased rates of planktonic primary production. Yet, simultaneous assessment of warming and increased CO2 on primary production in the Arctic has not been conducted. Here we test the expectation that CO2-enhanced gross primary production (GPP) may be temperature dependent, using data from several oceanographic cruises and experiments from both spring and summer in the European sector of the Arctic Ocean. Results confirm that CO2 enhances GPP (by a factor of up to ten) over a range of 145-2,099?µatm; however, the greatest effects are observed only at lower temperatures and are constrained by nutrient and light availability to the spring period. The temperature dependence of CO2-enhanced primary production has significant implications for metabolic balance in a warmer, CO2-enriched Arctic Ocean in the future. In particular, it indicates that a twofold increase in primary production during the spring is likely in the Arctic.

  10. Ocean acidification and the loss of phenolic substances in marine plants.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas Arnold

    Full Text Available Rising atmospheric CO(2 often triggers the production of plant phenolics, including many that serve as herbivore deterrents, digestion reducers, antimicrobials, or ultraviolet sunscreens. Such responses are predicted by popular models of plant defense, especially resource availability models which link carbon availability to phenolic biosynthesis. CO(2 availability is also increasing in the oceans, where anthropogenic emissions cause ocean acidification, decreasing seawater pH and shifting the carbonate system towards further CO(2 enrichment. Such conditions tend to increase seagrass productivity but may also increase rates of grazing on these marine plants. Here we show that high CO(2 / low pH conditions of OA decrease, rather than increase, concentrations of phenolic protective substances in seagrasses and eurysaline marine plants. We observed a loss of simple and polymeric phenolics in the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa near a volcanic CO(2 vent on the Island of Vulcano, Italy, where pH values decreased from 8.1 to 7.3 and pCO(2 concentrations increased ten-fold. We observed similar responses in two estuarine species, Ruppia maritima and Potamogeton perfoliatus, in in situ Free-Ocean-Carbon-Enrichment experiments conducted in tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay, USA. These responses are strikingly different than those exhibited by terrestrial plants. The loss of phenolic substances may explain the higher-than-usual rates of grazing observed near undersea CO(2 vents and suggests that ocean acidification may alter coastal carbon fluxes by affecting rates of decomposition, grazing, and disease. Our observations temper recent predictions that seagrasses would necessarily be "winners" in a high CO(2 world.

  11. Ocean acidification

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Gattuso, J.P; Hansson, L

    2011-01-01

    The fate of much of the CO 2 we produce will be to enter the ocean. In a sense, we are fortunate that ocean water is endowed with the capacity to absorb far more CO 2 per litre than were it salt free...

  12. Skeletal mineralogy of coral recruits under high temperature and pCO2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foster, T.; Clode, P. L.

    2016-03-01

    Aragonite, which is the polymorph of CaCO3 precipitated by modern corals during skeletal formation, has a higher solubility than the more stable polymorph calcite. This higher solubility may leave animals that produce aragonitic skeletons more vulnerable to anthropogenic ocean acidification. It is therefore important to determine whether scleractinian corals have the plasticity to adapt and produce calcite in their skeletons in response to changing environmental conditions. Both high pCO2 and lower Mg / Ca ratios in seawater are thought to have driven changes in the skeletal mineralogy of major marine calcifiers in the past ˜ 540 Ma. Experimentally reduced Mg / Ca ratios in ambient seawater have been shown to induce some calcite precipitation in both adult and newly settled modern corals; however, the impact of high pCO2 on the mineralogy of recruits is unknown. Here we determined the skeletal mineralogy of 1-month-old Acropora spicifera coral recruits grown under high temperature (+3 °C) and pCO2 (˜ 900 µatm) conditions, using X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. We found that newly settled coral recruits produced entirely aragonitic skeletons regardless of the treatment. Our results show that elevated pCO2 alone is unlikely to drive changes in the skeletal mineralogy of young corals. Not having an ability to switch from aragonite to calcite precipitation may leave corals and ultimately coral reef ecosystems more susceptible to predicted ocean acidification. An important area for prospective research would be the investigation of the combined impact of high pCO2 and reduced Mg / Ca ratio on coral skeletal mineralogy.

  13. Modeling char conversion under suspension fired conditions in O2/N2 and O2/CO2 atmospheres

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brix, Jacob; Jensen, Peter Arendt; Jensen, Anker Degn

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this investigation has been to model combustion under suspension fired conditions in O2/N2 and O2/CO2 mixtures. Experiments used for model validation have been carried out in an electrically heated Entrained Flow Reactor (EFR) at temperatures between 1173 K and 1673 K with inlet O2...... concentrations between 5 and 28 vol.%. The COal COmbustion MOdel, COCOMO, includes the three char morphologies: cenospheric char, network char and dense char each divided between six discrete particle sizes. Both combustion and gasification with CO2 are accounted for and reaction rates include thermal char...

  14. Reduced calcification of marine plankton in response to increased atmospheric CO2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riebesell, U; Zondervan, I; Rost, B; Tortell, P D; Zeebe, R E; Morel, F M

    2000-09-21

    The formation of calcareous skeletons by marine planktonic organisms and their subsequent sinking to depth generates a continuous rain of calcium carbonate to the deep ocean and underlying sediments. This is important in regulating marine carbon cycling and ocean-atmosphere CO2 exchange. The present rise in atmospheric CO2 levels causes significant changes in surface ocean pH and carbonate chemistry. Such changes have been shown to slow down calcification in corals and coralline macroalgae, but the majority of marine calcification occurs in planktonic organisms. Here we report reduced calcite production at increased CO2 concentrations in monospecific cultures of two dominant marine calcifying phytoplankton species, the coccolithophorids Emiliania huxleyi and Gephyrocapsa oceanica. This was accompanied by an increased proportion of malformed coccoliths and incomplete coccospheres. Diminished calcification led to a reduction in the ratio of calcite precipitation to organic matter production. Similar results were obtained in incubations of natural plankton assemblages from the north Pacific ocean when exposed to experimentally elevated CO2 levels. We suggest that the progressive increase in atmospheric CO2 concentrations may therefore slow down the production of calcium carbonate in the surface ocean. As the process of calcification releases CO2 to the atmosphere, the response observed here could potentially act as a negative feedback on atmospheric CO2 levels.

  15. Reactivity of micas and cap-rock in wet supercritical CO_2 with SO_2 and O_2 at CO_2 storage conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pearce, Julie K.; Dawson, Grant K.W.; Law, Alison C.K.; Biddle, Dean; Golding, Suzanne D.

    2016-01-01

    Seal or cap-rock integrity is a safety issue during geological carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS). Industrial impurities such as SO_2, O_2, and NOx, may be present in CO_2 streams from coal combustion sources. SO_2 and O_2 have been shown recently to influence rock reactivity when dissolved in formation water. Buoyant water-saturated supercritical CO_2 fluid may also come into contact with the base of cap-rock after CO_2 injection. Supercritical fluid-rock reactions have the potential to result in corrosion of reactive minerals in rock, with impurity gases additionally present there is the potential for enhanced reactivity but also favourable mineral precipitation. The first observation of mineral dissolution and precipitation on phyllosilicates and CO_2 storage cap-rock (siliciclastic reservoir) core during water-saturated supercritical CO_2 reactions with industrial impurities SO_2 and O_2 at simulated reservoir conditions is presented. Phyllosilicates (biotite, phlogopite and muscovite) were reacted in contact with a water-saturated supercritical CO_2 containing SO_2, or SO_2 and O_2, and were also immersed in the gas-saturated bulk water. Secondary precipitated sulfate minerals were formed on mineral surfaces concentrated at sheet edges. SO_2 dissolution and oxidation resulted in solution pH decreasing to 0.74 through sulfuric acid formation. Phyllosilicate dissolution released elements to solution with ∼50% Fe mobilized. Geochemical modelling was in good agreement with experimental water chemistry. New minerals nontronite (smectite), hematite, jarosite and goethite were saturated in models. A cap-rock core siltstone sample from the Surat Basin, Australia, was also reacted in water-saturated supercritical CO_2 containing SO_2 or in pure supercritical CO_2. In the presence of SO_2, siderite and ankerite were corroded, and Fe-chlorite altered by the leaching of mainly Fe and Al. Corrosion of micas in the cap-rock was however not observed as the pH was

  16. A CO{sub 2} air conditioning system to fight against greenhouse effect; Une climatisation a CO{sub 2} pour lutter contre l'effet de serre

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anon.

    2005-10-05

    Automotive air-conditioning systems, with the induced additional fuel consumption and with the type of refrigerants used, contribute to the global warming. Several car fitters, like Delphi, have developed prototypes of CO{sub 2} air conditioners. CO{sub 2} is a greenhouse gas but is less harmful for the environment than other classical refrigerants. The use of CO{sub 2} needs a complete re-design of air-conditioning systems which have to stand pressures of 130 bars and temperatures of 165 deg. C. Short paper. (J.S.)

  17. State of the Carbon Cycle - Consequences of Rising Atmospheric CO2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, D. J.; Cooley, S. R.; Alin, S. R.; Brown, M. E.; Butman, D. E.; French, N. H. F.; Johnson, Z. I.; Keppel-Aleks, G.; Lohrenz, S. E.; Ocko, I.; Shadwick, E. H.; Sutton, A. J.; Potter, C. S.; Yu, R. M. S.

    2016-12-01

    The rise of atmospheric CO2, largely attributable to human activity through fossil fuel emissions and land-use change, has been dampened by carbon uptake by the ocean and terrestrial biosphere. We outline the consequences of this carbon uptake as direct and indirect effects on terrestrial and oceanic systems and processes for different regions of North America and the globe. We assess the capacity of these systems to continue to act as carbon sinks. Rising CO2 has decreased seawater pH; this process of ocean acidification has impacted some marine species and altered fundamental ecosystem processes with further effects likely. In terrestrial ecosystems, increased atmospheric CO2 causes enhanced photosynthesis, net primary production, and increased water-use efficiency. Rising CO2 may change vegetation composition and carbon storage, and widespread increases in water use efficiency likely influence terrestrial hydrology and biogeochemical cycling. Consequences for human populations include changes to ecosystem services including cultural activities surrounding land use, agricultural or harvesting practices. Commercial fish stocks have been impacted and crop production yields have been changed as a result of rising CO2. Ocean and terrestrial effects are contingent on, and feedback to, global climate change. Warming and modified precipitation regimes impact a variety of ecosystem processes, and the combination of climate change and rising CO2 contributes considerable uncertainty to forecasting carbon sink capacity in the ocean and on land. Disturbance regime (fire and insects) are modified with increased temperatures. Fire frequency and intensity increase, and insect lifecycles are disrupted as temperatures move out of historical norms. Changes in disturbance patterns modulate the effects of rising CO2 depending on ecosystem type, disturbance frequency, and magnitude of events. We discuss management strategies designed to limit the rise of atmospheric CO2 and reduce

  18. State of the Carbon Cycle - Consequences of Rising Atmospheric CO2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, David J.; Cooley, Sarah R.; Alin, Simone R.; Brown, Molly; Butman, David E.; French, Nancy H. F.; Johnson, Zackary I.; Keppel-Aleks; Lohrenz, Steven E.; Ocko, Ilissa; hide

    2016-01-01

    The rise of atmospheric CO2, largely attributable to human activity through fossil fuel emissions and land-use change, has been dampened by carbon uptake by the ocean and terrestrial biosphere. We outline the consequences of this carbon uptake as direct and indirect effects on terrestrial and oceanic systems and processes for different regions of North America and the globe. We assess the capacity of these systems to continue to act as carbon sinks. Rising CO2 has decreased seawater pH; this process of ocean acidification has impacted some marine species and altered fundamental ecosystem processes with further effects likely. In terrestrial ecosystems, increased atmospheric CO2 causes enhanced photosynthesis, net primary production, and increased water-use efficiency. Rising CO2 may change vegetation composition and carbon storage, and widespread increases in water use efficiency likely influence terrestrial hydrology and biogeochemical cycling. Consequences for human populations include changes to ecosystem services including cultural activities surrounding land use, agricultural or harvesting practices. Commercial fish stocks have been impacted and crop production yields have been changed as a result of rising CO2. Ocean and terrestrial effects are contingent on, and feedback to, global climate change. Warming and modified precipitation regimes impact a variety of ecosystem processes, and the combination of climate change and rising CO2 contributes considerable uncertainty to forecasting carbon sink capacity in the ocean and on land. Disturbance regime (fire and insects) are modified with increased temperatures. Fire frequency and intensity increase, and insect lifecycles are disrupted as temperatures move out of historical norms. Changes in disturbance patterns modulate the effects of rising CO2 depending on ecosystem type, disturbance frequency, and magnitude of events. We discuss management strategies designed to limit the rise of atmospheric CO2 and reduce

  19. Variations and trends of CO2 in the surface seawater in the Southern Ocean south of Australia between 1969 and 2002

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoshikawa-Inoue, Hisayuki; Ishii, M.

    2005-01-01

    Measurements of the partial pressure of CO 2 in surface seawater (pCO sw 2 ) were made in the Southern Ocean south of Australia during four cruises in January to February 1969, December 1983 to January 1984, December 1994 to January 1995 and January 2002. The spatial distribution of pCO sw 2 for the four cruises showed the same pattern north of the Sub-Antarctic Front (SAF), while year-to-year changes were noted south of the SAF. We evaluated the long-term trend of the pCO sw 2 representative of the zone between oceanographic fronts by taking into account changes in the seasonal variation in pCO sw 2 and the long-term increase of the sea-surface temperature (SST) of the Southern Hemisphere. The observed growth rate of pCO sw 2 was 0.7 ± 0.1 μatm/yr at its minimum, which was observed at the SST of 15 deg C north of the Subtropical Front (STF), 1.0 ± 0.5 μatm/yr in the Sub-Antarctic Zone (SAZ) between STF and SAF, 1.5 ± 0.4 μatm/yr in the Polar Frontal Zone (PFZ) between SAF and the Polar Front (PF) and 1.8 ± 0.2 μμatm/yr in the Polar Zone (PZ) between PF and 62 deg S, determined as the northern edge of the Seasonal Sea Ice Zone (SSIZ) on the basis of surface salinity and satellite images. These increases were caused by the uptake of anthropogenic CO 2 as well as variations in the thermodynamic temperature effect, ocean transport and biological activity. In the SSIZ between 62 and 66.5 deg S, we could not clearly evaluate the long-term trend of pCO sw 2 due to the remarkable CO 2 drawdown due to biological activity in January 2002. The relatively low growth rates of pCO sw 2 close to the STF and in the SAZ are probably associated with the formation of Subtropical Mode Water and Sub-Antarctic Mode Water in their respective zones. Between the north of the STF and the PZ, the growth rate of total dissolved inorganic carbon was calculated to be about 0.5-0.8 μmol/kg/yr via the buffer factor

  20. Effects of sea-ice and biogeochemical processes and storms on under-ice water fCO2 during the winter-spring transition in the high Arctic Ocean: Implications for sea-air CO2 fluxes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fransson, Agneta; Chierici, Melissa; Skjelvan, Ingunn; Olsen, Are; Assmy, Philipp; Peterson, Algot K.; Spreen, Gunnar; Ward, Brian

    2017-07-01

    We performed measurements of carbon dioxide fugacity (fCO2) in the surface water under Arctic sea ice from January to June 2015 during the Norwegian young sea ICE (N-ICE2015) expedition. Over this period, the ship drifted with four different ice floes and covered the deep Nansen Basin, the slopes north of Svalbard, and the Yermak Plateau. This unique winter-to-spring data set includes the first winter-time under-ice water fCO2 observations in this region. The observed under-ice fCO2 ranged between 315 µatm in winter and 153 µatm in spring, hence was undersaturated relative to the atmospheric fCO2. Although the sea ice partly prevented direct CO2 exchange between ocean and atmosphere, frequently occurring leads and breakup of the ice sheet promoted sea-air CO2 fluxes. The CO2 sink varied between 0.3 and 86 mmol C m-2 d-1, depending strongly on the open-water fractions (OW) and storm events. The maximum sea-air CO2 fluxes occurred during storm events in February and June. In winter, the main drivers of the change in under-ice water fCO2 were dissolution of CaCO3 (ikaite) and vertical mixing. In June, in addition to these processes, primary production and sea-air CO2 fluxes were important. The cumulative loss due to CaCO3 dissolution of 0.7 mol C m-2 in the upper 10 m played a major role in sustaining the undersaturation of fCO2 during the entire study. The relative effects of the total fCO2 change due to CaCO3 dissolution was 38%, primary production 26%, vertical mixing 16%, sea-air CO2 fluxes 16%, and temperature and salinity insignificant.

  1. Formation of ternary CaUO2(CO3)3(2-) and Ca2UO2(CO3)3(aq) complexes under neutral to weakly alkaline conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jun-Yeop; Yun, Jong-Il

    2013-07-21

    The chemical behavior of ternary Ca-UO2-CO3 complexes was investigated by using time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) in combination with EDTA complexation at pH 7-9. A novel TRLFS revealed two distinct fluorescence lifetimes of 12.7 ± 0.2 ns and 29.2 ± 0.4 ns for uranyl complexes which were formed increasingly dependent upon the calcium ion concentration, even though nearly indistinguishable fluorescence peak shapes and positions were measured for both Ca-UO2-CO3 complexes. For identifying the stoichiometric number of complexed calcium ions, slope analysis in terms of relative fluorescence intensity versus calcium concentration was employed in a combination with the complexation reaction of CaEDTA(2-) by adding EDTA. The formation of CaUO2(CO3)3(2-) and Ca2UO2(CO3)3(aq) was identified under given conditions and their formation constants were determined at I = 0.1 M Na/HClO4 medium, and extrapolated to infinitely dilute solution using specific ion interaction theory (SIT). As a result, the formation constants for CaUO2(CO3)3(2-) and Ca2UO2(CO3)3(aq) were found to be log β113(0) = 27.27 ± 0.14 and log β213(0) = 29.81 ± 0.19, respectively, providing that the ternary Ca-UO2-CO3 complexes were predominant uranium(vi) species at neutral to weakly alkaline pH in the presence of Ca(2+) and CO3(2-) ions.

  2. Comparing CO2 Storage and Advection Conditions at Night at Different Carboeuroflux Sites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aubinet, M.; Berbigier, P.; Bernhofer, Ch.; et al.

    Anemometer and CO2 concentration data from temporary campaigns performed at six CARBOEUROFLUX forest sites were used to estimate the importance of non-turbulent fluxes in nighttime conditions. While storage was observed to be significant only during periods of both low turbulence and low advection, the advective fluxes strongly influence the nocturnal CO2 balance, with the exception of almost flat and highly homogeneous sites. On the basis of the main factors determining the onset of advective fluxes, the ‘advection velocity’, which takes net radiation and local topography into account, was introduced as a criterion to characterise the conditions of storage enrichment/depletion. Comparative analyses of the six sites showed several common features of the advective fluxes but also some substantial differences. In particular, all sites where advection occurs show the onset of a boundary layer characterised by a downslope flow, negative vertical velocities and negative vertical CO2 concentration gradients during nighttime. As a consequence, vertical advection was observed to be positive at all sites, which corresponds to a removal of CO2 from the ecosystem. The main differences between sites are the distance from the ridge, which influences the boundary-layer depth, and the sign of the mean horizontal CO2 concentration gradients, which is probably determined by the source/sink distribution. As a consequence, both positive and negative horizontal advective fluxes (corresponding respectively to CO2 removal from the ecosystem and to CO2 supply to the ecosystem) were observed. Conclusive results on the importance of non-turbulent components in the mass balance require, however, further experimental investigations at sites with different topographies, slopes, different land covers, which would allow a more comprehensive analysis of the processes underlying the occurrence of advective fluxes. The quantification of these processes would help to better quantify nocturnal

  3. Enhanced ocean carbon storage from anaerobic alkalinity generation in coastal sediments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Thomas

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available The coastal ocean is a crucial link between land, the open ocean and the atmosphere. The shallowness of the water column permits close interactions between the sedimentary, aquatic and atmospheric compartments, which otherwise are decoupled at long time scales (≅ 1000 yr in the open oceans. Despite the prominent role of the coastal oceans in absorbing atmospheric CO2 and transferring it into the deep oceans via the continental shelf pump, the underlying mechanisms remain only partly understood. Evaluating observations from the North Sea, a NW European shelf sea, we provide evidence that anaerobic degradation of organic matter, fuelled from land and ocean, generates total alkalinity (AT and increases the CO2 buffer capacity of seawater. At both the basin wide and annual scales anaerobic AT generation in the North Sea's tidal mud flat area irreversibly facilitates 7–10%, or taking into consideration benthic denitrification in the North Sea, 20–25% of the North Sea's overall CO2 uptake. At the global scale, anaerobic AT generation could be accountable for as much as 60% of the uptake of CO2 in shelf and marginal seas, making this process, the anaerobic pump, a key player in the biological carbon pump. Under future high CO2 conditions oceanic CO2 storage via the anaerobic pump may even gain further relevance because of stimulated ocean productivity.

  4. The millennial atmospheric lifetime of anthropogenic CO{sub 2}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Archer, D. [University of Chicago, IL (United States). Department of the Geophysical Sciences; Brovkin, V. [Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (Germany)

    2008-10-15

    The notion is pervasive in the climate science community and in the public at large that the climate impacts of fossil fuel CO{sub 2} release will only persist for a few centuries. This conclusion has no basis in theory or models of the atmosphere/ocean carbon cycle, which we review here. The largest fraction of the CO{sub 2} recovery will take place on time scales of centuries, as CO{sub 2} invades the ocean, but a significant fraction of the fossil fuel CO{sub 2}, ranging in published models in the literature from 20-60%, remains airborne for a thousand years or longer. Ultimate recovery takes place on time scales of hundreds of thousands of years, a geologic longevity typically associated in public perceptions with nuclear waste. The glacial/interglacial climate cycles demonstrate that ice sheets and sea level respond dramatically to millennial-timescale changes in climate forcing. There are also potential positive feedbacks in the carbon cycle, including methane hydrates in the ocean, and peat frozen in permafrost, that are most sensitive to the long tail of the fossil fuel CO{sub 2} in the atmosphere.

  5. The Interactive Effects of Elevated CO2 and Ammonium Enrichment on the Physiological Performances of Saccharina japonica (Laminariales, Phaeophyta)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Jin Woo; Chung, Ik Kyo

    2018-04-01

    Environmental challenges such as ocean acidification and eutrophication influence the physiology of kelp species. We investigated their interactive effects on Saccharina japonica (Laminariales, Phaeophyta) under two pH conditions [Low, 7.50; High (control), 8.10] and three NH4 +concentrations (Low, 4; Medium, 60; High, 120 μM). The degree of variation of pH values in the culture medium and inhibition rate of photosynthetic oxygen evolution by acetazolamide were affected by pH treatments. Relative growth rates, carbon, nitrogen, and the C:N ratio in tissue samples were influenced by higher concentrations of NH4 + . Rates of photosynthetic oxygen evolution were enhanced under elevated CO2 or NH4 +conditions, independently, but these two factors did not show an interactive effect. However, rates of NH4 +uptake were influenced by the interactive effect of increased CO2 under elevated NH4 +treatment. Although ocean acidification and eutrophication states had an impact on physiological performance, chlorophyll fluorescence was not affected by those conditions. Our results indicated that the physiological reactions by this alga were influenced to some extent by a rise in the levels of CO2 and NH4 + . Therefore, we expect that the biomass accumulation of S. japonica may well increase under future scenarios of ocean acidification and eutrophication.

  6. Why Do Organisms in the Atlantic Ocean Produce So Much CaCO3?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toggweiler, J. R.

    2010-12-01

    Sediments in the Atlantic are richer in CaCO3 than sediments in the other oceans. Sediment trap observations show that sinking particles in the Atlantic also tend to have more CaCO3 in relation to organic carbon than sinking particles elsewhere. The reason for the extra production of CaCO3 has never been very clear. The Atlantic is unusual because it receives much more than its share of the global input of river water. River water adds alkalinity to the surface ocean while the production of CaCO3 takes it away. In this presentation a new tracer, called Alk*, is derived from the surface alkalinity distribution to highlight the impact of river inputs and the production of CaCO3. If the production of CaCO3 were evenly distributed across the ocean one would expect the Atlantic to have a higher level of Alk* becaused of its river inputs. We find instead that Alk* is lower in the middle of the Atlantic than almost any place else. This, of course, is consistent with the fact that organisms in the Atlantic produce a lot of CaCO3. Comparison with other areas with especially low values of Alk* (Red Sea and northern Arabian Sea) shows that the production of CaCO3 is highly correlated across the ocean with the surface salinity. Hence, we argue that organisms in the Atlantic produce a lot of CaCO3 simply because the Atlantic is so salty. Salty waters, by definition, have more CO3= ions, which increase the supersaturation with respect to calcite and aragonite. This finding, while extremely simple, has major implifications for the impact of ocean acidification on calcifying organisms.

  7. Potential and economics of CO2 sequestration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jean-Baptiste, Ph.; Ciais, Ph.; Orr, J.

    2001-01-01

    Increasing atmospheric level of greenhouse gases are causing global warming and putting at risk the global climate system. The main anthropogenic greenhouse gas is CO 2 . Some techniques could be used to reduced CO 2 emission and stabilize atmospheric CO 2 concentration, including i) energy savings and energy efficiency, ii) switch to lower carbon content fuels (natural gas) and use energy sources with zero CO 2 emissions such as renewable or nuclear energy, iii) capture and store CO 2 from fossil fuels combustion, and enhance the natural sinks for CO 2 (forests, soils, ocean...). The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the technology and cost for capture and storage of CO 2 and to review the various options for CO 2 sequestration by enhancing natural carbon sinks. Some of the factors which will influence application, including environmental impact, cost and efficiency, are discussed. Capturing CO 2 and storing it in underground geological reservoirs appears as the best environmentally acceptable option. It can be done with existing technology, however, substantial R and D is needed to improve available technology and to lower the cost. Applicable to large CO 2 emitting industrial facilities such as power plants, cement factories, steel industry, etc., which amount to about 30% of the global anthropic CO 2 emission, it represents a valuable tool in the baffle against global warming. About 50% of the anthropic CO 2 is being naturally absorbed by the biosphere and the ocean. The 'natural assistance' provided by these two large carbon reservoirs to the mitigation of climate change is substantial. The existing natural sinks could be enhanced by deliberate action. Given the known and likely environmental consequences, which could be very damaging indeed, enhancing ocean sinks does not appears as a satisfactory option. In contrast, the promotion of land sinks through demonstrated carbon-storing approach to agriculture, forests and land management could

  8. Impact of SO2 and NO on CO Oxidation under Post-Flame Conditions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Glarborg, Peter; Kubel, Dorte; Dam-Johansen, Kim

    1996-01-01

    An experimental and theoretical study of the effect of SO2 on moist CO oxidation with and without NO present was carried out under plug-flow conditions. The H/S/O thermochemistry and reaction subset was revised and a chemical kinetic model established that provide a good description of the effect...... of SO2 and NO on CO oxidation as well as the SO2/SO3 ratio in the products....

  9. Multidecadal fCO2 Increase Along the United States Southeast Coastal Margin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reimer, Janet J.; Wang, Hongjie; Vargas, Rodrigo; Cai, Wei-Jun

    2017-12-01

    Coastal margins could be hotspots for acidification due to terrestrial-influenced CO2 sources. Currently there are no long-term (>20 years) records from biologically important coastal environments that could demonstrate sea surface CO2 fugacity (fCO2) and pH trends. Here, multidecadal fCO2 trends are calculated from underway and moored time series observations along the United States southeast coastal margin, also referred to as the South Atlantic Bight (SAB). fCO2 trends across the SAB, derived from ˜26 years of cruises and ˜9.5 years from a moored time series, range from 3.0 to 4.5 µatm yr-1, and are greater than the open ocean increases. The pH decline related to the fCO2 increases could be as much as -0.004 yr-1; a rate greater than that expected from atmospheric-influenced pH alone. We provide evidence that fCO2 increases and pH decreases on an ocean margin can be faster than those predicted for the open ocean from atmospheric influence alone. We conclude that a substantial fCO2 increase across the marginal SAB is due to both increasing temperature on the middle and outer shelves, but to lateral land-ocean interactions in the coastal zone and on inner shelf.

  10. Uncertainty in the global oceanic CO2 uptake induced by wind forcing: quantification and spatial analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Roobaert

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The calculation of the air–water CO2 exchange (FCO2 in the ocean not only depends on the gradient in CO2 partial pressure at the air–water interface but also on the parameterization of the gas exchange transfer velocity (k and the choice of wind product. Here, we present regional and global-scale quantifications of the uncertainty in FCO2 induced by several widely used k formulations and four wind speed data products (CCMP, ERA, NCEP1 and NCEP2. The analysis is performed at a 1°  ×  1° resolution using the sea surface pCO2 climatology generated by Landschützer et al. (2015a for the 1991–2011 period, while the regional assessment relies on the segmentation proposed by the Regional Carbon Cycle Assessment and Processes (RECCAP project. First, we use k formulations derived from the global 14C inventory relying on a quadratic relationship between k and wind speed (k = c ⋅ U102; Sweeney et al., 2007; Takahashi et al., 2009; Wanninkhof, 2014, where c is a calibration coefficient and U10 is the wind speed measured 10 m above the surface. Our results show that the range of global FCO2, calculated with these k relationships, diverge by 12 % when using CCMP, ERA or NCEP1. Due to differences in the regional wind patterns, regional discrepancies in FCO2 are more pronounced than global. These global and regional differences significantly increase when using NCEP2 or other k formulations which include earlier relationships (i.e., Wanninkhof, 1992; Wanninkhof et al., 2009 as well as numerous local and regional parameterizations derived experimentally. To minimize uncertainties associated with the choice of wind product, it is possible to recalculate the coefficient c globally (hereafter called c∗ for a given wind product and its spatio-temporal resolution, in order to match the last evaluation of the global k value. We thus performed these recalculations for each wind product at the resolution and time period of our study

  11. Uncertainty in the global oceanic CO2 uptake induced by wind forcing: quantification and spatial analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roobaert, Alizée; Laruelle, Goulven G.; Landschützer, Peter; Regnier, Pierre

    2018-03-01

    The calculation of the air-water CO2 exchange (FCO2) in the ocean not only depends on the gradient in CO2 partial pressure at the air-water interface but also on the parameterization of the gas exchange transfer velocity (k) and the choice of wind product. Here, we present regional and global-scale quantifications of the uncertainty in FCO2 induced by several widely used k formulations and four wind speed data products (CCMP, ERA, NCEP1 and NCEP2). The analysis is performed at a 1° × 1° resolution using the sea surface pCO2 climatology generated by Landschützer et al. (2015a) for the 1991-2011 period, while the regional assessment relies on the segmentation proposed by the Regional Carbon Cycle Assessment and Processes (RECCAP) project. First, we use k formulations derived from the global 14C inventory relying on a quadratic relationship between k and wind speed (k = c ṡ U102; Sweeney et al., 2007; Takahashi et al., 2009; Wanninkhof, 2014), where c is a calibration coefficient and U10 is the wind speed measured 10 m above the surface. Our results show that the range of global FCO2, calculated with these k relationships, diverge by 12 % when using CCMP, ERA or NCEP1. Due to differences in the regional wind patterns, regional discrepancies in FCO2 are more pronounced than global. These global and regional differences significantly increase when using NCEP2 or other k formulations which include earlier relationships (i.e., Wanninkhof, 1992; Wanninkhof et al., 2009) as well as numerous local and regional parameterizations derived experimentally. To minimize uncertainties associated with the choice of wind product, it is possible to recalculate the coefficient c globally (hereafter called c∗) for a given wind product and its spatio-temporal resolution, in order to match the last evaluation of the global k value. We thus performed these recalculations for each wind product at the resolution and time period of our study but the resulting global FCO2 estimates

  12. Atmospheric radiocarbon as a Southern Ocean wind proxy over the last 1000 years

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodgers, K. B.; Mikaloff Fletcher, S.; Galbraith, E.; Sarmiento, J. L.; Gnanadesikan, A.; Slater, R. D.; Naegler, T.

    2009-04-01

    Measurements of radiocarbon in tree rings over the last 1000 years indicate that there was a pre-industrial latitudinal gradient of atmospheric radiocarbon of 3.9-4.5 per mail and that this gradient had temporal variability of order 6 per mil. Here we test the idea that the mean gradient as well as variability in he gradient is dominated by the strength of the winds over the Southern Ocean. This is done using an ocean model and an atmospheric transport model. The ocean model is used to derive fluxes of 12CO2 and 14CO2 at the sea surface, and these fluxes are used as a lower boundary condition for the transport model. For the mean state, strong winds in the Southern Ocean drive significant upwelling of radiocarbon-depleted Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW), leading to a net flux of 14CO2 relative to 12CO2 into the ocean. This serves to maintain a hemispheric gradient in pre-anthropogenic atmospheric delta-c14. For perturbations, increased/decreased Southern Ocean winds drive increased/decreased uptake of 14CO2 relative to 12CO2, thus increasing/decreasing the hemispheric gradient in atmospheric delta-c14. The tree ring data is interpreted to reveal a decrease in the strength of the Southern Ocean winds at the transition between the Little Ice Age and the Medieval Warm Period.

  13. Seagrass beds as ocean acidification refuges for mussels? High resolution measurements of pCO2 and O2 in a Zostera marina and Mytilus edulis mosaic habitat

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saderne, V.; Fietzek, P.; Aßmann, S.; Körtzinger, A.; Hiebenthal, C.

    2015-07-01

    It has been speculated that macrophytes beds might act as a refuge for calcifiers from ocean acidification. In the shallow nearshores of the western Kiel Bay (Baltic Sea), mussel and seagrass beds are interlacing, forming a mosaic habitat. Naturally, the diverse physiological activities of seagrasses and mussels are affected by seawater carbonate chemistry and they locally modify it in return. Calcification by shellfishes is sensitive to seawater acidity; therefore the photosynthetic activity of seagrasses in confined shallow waters creates favorable chemical conditions to calcification at daytime but turn the habitat less favorable or even corrosive to shells at night. In contrast, mussel respiration releases CO2, turning the environment more favorable for photosynthesis by adjacent seagrasses. At the end of summer, these dynamics are altered by the invasion of high pCO2/low O2 coming from the deep water of the Bay. However, it is in summer that mussel spats settle on the leaves of seagrasses until migrating to the permanent habitat where they will grow adult. These early life phases (larvae/spats) are considered as most sensitive with regard to seawater acidity. So far, the dynamics of CO2 have never been continuously measured during this key period of the year, mostly due to the technological limitations. In this project we used a combination of state-of-the-art technologies and discrete sampling to obtain high-resolution time-series of pCO2 and O2 at the interface between a seagrass and a mussel patch in Kiel Bay in August and September 2013. From these, we derive the entire carbonate chemistry using statistical models. We found the monthly average pCO2 more than 50 % (approx. 640 μatm for August and September) above atmospheric equilibrium right above the mussel patch together with large diel variations of pCO2 within 24 h: 887 ± 331 μatm in August and 742 ± 281 μatm in September (mean ± SD). We observed important daily corrosiveness for calcium

  14. Analysis of CO2, CO and HC emission reduction in automobiles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balan, K. N.; Valarmathi, T. N.; Reddy, Mannem Soma Harish; Aravinda Reddy, Gireddy; Sai Srinivas, Jammalamadaka K. M. K.; Vasan

    2017-05-01

    In the present scenario, the emission from automobiles is becoming a serious problem to the environment. Automobiles, thermal power stations and Industries majorly constitute to the emission of CO2, CO and HC. Though the CO2 available in the atmosphere will be captured by oceans, grasslands; they are not enough to control CO2 present in the atmosphere completely. Also advances in engine and vehicle technology continuously to reduce the emission from engine exhaust are not sufficient to reduce the HC and CO emission. This work concentrates on design, fabrication and analysis to reduce CO2, CO and HC emission from exhaust of automobiles by using molecular sieve 5A of 1.5mm. In this paper, the details of the fabrication, results and discussion about the process are discussed.

  15. Altered neurotransmitter function in CO2-exposed stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus): a temperate model species for ocean acidification research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Floriana; Jutfelt, Fredrik; Nilsson, Göran E

    2015-01-01

    Studies on the consequences of ocean acidification for the marine ecosystem have revealed behavioural changes in coral reef fishes exposed to sustained near-future CO2 levels. The changes have been linked to altered function of GABAergic neurotransmitter systems, because the behavioural alterations can be reversed rapidly by treatment with the GABAA receptor antagonist gabazine. Characterization of the molecular mechanisms involved would be greatly aided if these can be examined in a well-characterized model organism with a sequenced genome. It was recently shown that CO2-induced behavioural alterations are not confined to tropical species, but also affect the three-spined stickleback, although an involvement of the GABAA receptor was not examined. Here, we show that loss of lateralization in the stickleback can be restored rapidly and completely by gabazine treatment. This points towards a worrying universality of disturbed GABAA function after high-CO2 exposure in fishes from tropical to temperate marine habitats. Importantly, the stickleback is a model species with a sequenced and annotated genome, which greatly facilitates future studies on underlying molecular mechanisms.

  16. Southern Ocean carbon-wind stress feedback

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bronselaer, Ben; Zanna, Laure; Munday, David R.; Lowe, Jason

    2018-02-01

    The Southern Ocean is the largest sink of anthropogenic carbon in the present-day climate. Here, Southern Ocean pCO2 and its dependence on wind forcing are investigated using an equilibrium mixed layer carbon budget. This budget is used to derive an expression for Southern Ocean pCO2 sensitivity to wind stress. Southern Ocean pCO2 is found to vary as the square root of area-mean wind stress, arising from the dominance of vertical mixing over other processes such as lateral Ekman transport. The expression for pCO2 is validated using idealised coarse-resolution ocean numerical experiments. Additionally, we show that increased (decreased) stratification through surface warming reduces (increases) the sensitivity of the Southern Ocean pCO2 to wind stress. The scaling is then used to estimate the wind-stress induced changes of atmospheric pCO_2 in CMIP5 models using only a handful of parameters. The scaling is further used to model the anthropogenic carbon sink, showing a long-term reversal of the Southern Ocean sink for large wind stress strength.

  17. EPOCA/EUR-OCEANS data compilation on the biological and biogeochemical responses to ocean acidification

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nisumaa, A.-M.; Pesant, S.; Bellerby, R.G.J.; Delille, B.; Middelburg, J.J.; Orr, J.C.; Riebesell, U.; Tyrrell, T.; Wolf-Gladrow, D.; Gattuso, J.P.

    2010-01-01

    The uptake of anthropogenic CO2 by the oceans has led to a rise in the oceanic partial pressure of CO2, and to a decrease in pH and carbonate ion concentration. This modification of the marine carbonate system is referred to as ocean acidification. Numerous papers report the effects of ocean

  18. A Low-Cost Fluorescent Sensor for pCO2 Measurements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xudong Ge

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Global warming is believed to be caused by increasing amounts of greenhouse gases (mostly CO2 discharged into the environment by human activity. In addition to an increase in environmental temperature, an increased CO2 level has also led to ocean acidification. Ocean acidification and rising temperatures have disrupted the water’s ecological balance, killing off some plant and animal species, while encouraging the overgrowth of others. To minimize the effect of global warming on local ecosystem, there is a strong need to implement ocean observing systems to monitor the effects of anthropogenic CO2 and the impacts thereof on ocean biological productivity. Here, we describe the development of a low-cost fluorescent sensor for pCO2 measurements. The detector was exclusively assembled with low-cost optics and electronics, so that it would be affordable enough to be deployed in great numbers. The system has several novel features, such as an ideal 90° separation between excitation and emission, a beam combiner, a reference photodetector, etc. Initial tests showed that the system was stable and could achieve a high resolution despite the low cost.

  19. CO{sub 2} interfacial properties: application to multiphase flow at reservoir conditions; Proprietes interfaciales du CO{sub 2}: application aux ecoulements en milieu poreux en pression et temperature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chalbaud, C

    2007-07-15

    In this work we deal with the interfacial properties of CO{sub 2} at reservoir conditions with a special interest on deep saline aquifers. Each chapter of this dissertation represents a different physical scale studied with different experimental devices and simulation tools. The results obtained in the first part of this study represent a complete data set of brine-CO{sub 2} interfacial tension at reservoir conditions. A semi-analytical equation is proposed in order to facilitate the work of reservoir engineers. The second deals with the interfacial properties at the pore scale using glass micro-models at different wettability conditions. This part shows the wetting behavior of CO{sub 2} on hydrophobic or oil-wet solid surfaces. A pore network model was used for the interpretation and exploitation of these results. The third part corresponds to two different experimental approaches at the core scale at different wettability conditions associated to a modelling at flue Darcy scale. This part is a significant contribution to the validation of COORES compositional reservoir simulator developed by IFP. It has also allow us to estimate multiphase properties, Pc and kr, for brine-CO{sub 2} systems at reservoir conditions. This study presents the necessary scales to model CO{sub 2} storage in deep saline aquifers. (author)

  20. Real Time Control of CO2 Enrichment Experiments on the Sea Floor Enabled by the MARS Cabled Observatory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brewer, P. G.; Mbari Foce Team

    2010-12-01

    developed extremely low noise pH sensors that show for the first time the scale and frequency of the tidally driven background pH fluctuations in the ocean. This helps establish the limits in background pH that deep-sea animals are adapted to. We have developed software to control this complex system in real time and to make control possible over the web. A graphical user interface allows operator observation of flow and background conditions, and full choice of experimental settings. CO2 enrichment is provided by ROV delivery of ~50-100 L of liquid CO2 which is contained by its buoyancy within a box set immediately above the side arm opening. The dissolution rate of liquid CO2 through the hydrate skin is ~0.5 μmol/cm2/sec thereby providing a working fluid in the reservoir which is drawn upon as needed. Experiments of 2-3 weeks duration are possible from a single filling. Figure 1. pH changes created in FOCE by a series of CO2 enriched sea water additions under varying flow conditions.

  1. Primary producers may ameliorate impacts of daytime CO2 addition in a coastal marine ecosystem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bracken, Matthew E S; Silbiger, Nyssa J; Bernatchez, Genevieve; Sorte, Cascade J B

    2018-01-01

    Predicting the impacts of ocean acidification in coastal habitats is complicated by bio-physical feedbacks between organisms and carbonate chemistry. Daily changes in pH and other carbonate parameters in coastal ecosystems, associated with processes such as photosynthesis and respiration, often greatly exceed global mean predicted changes over the next century. We assessed the strength of these feedbacks under projected elevated CO 2 levels by conducting a field experiment in 10 macrophyte-dominated tide pools on the coast of California, USA. We evaluated changes in carbonate parameters over time and found that under ambient conditions, daytime changes in pH, p CO 2 , net ecosystem calcification ( NEC ), and O 2 concentrations were strongly related to rates of net community production ( NCP ). CO 2 was added to pools during daytime low tides, which should have reduced pH and enhanced p CO 2 . However, photosynthesis rapidly reduced p CO 2 and increased pH, so effects of CO 2 addition were not apparent unless we accounted for seaweed and surfgrass abundances. In the absence of macrophytes, CO 2 addition caused pH to decline by ∼0.6 units and p CO 2 to increase by ∼487 µatm over 6 hr during the daytime low tide. As macrophyte abundances increased, the impacts of CO 2 addition declined because more CO 2 was absorbed due to photosynthesis. Effects of CO 2 addition were, therefore, modified by feedbacks between NCP , pH, p CO 2 , and NEC . Our results underscore the potential importance of coastal macrophytes in ameliorating impacts of ocean acidification.

  2. Surface temperature, salinity, and pCO2 collected by bottle casts during a cruise in the north Atlantic Ocean from 9/3/1991 - 9/22/1991 (NODC Accession 0000113)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Surface temperature, salinity, and pCO2 data were collected using bottle casts from METEOR in the North Atlantic Ocean. Data were collected from 03 September 1991 to...

  3. On the radiocarbon record in banded corals: exchange parameters and net transport of 14CO2 between atmosphere and surface ocean

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Druffel, E.M.; Suess, H.E.

    1983-01-01

    We have made radiocarbon measurements of banded hermatypic corals from Florida, Belize, and the Galapagos Islands. Interpretation is presented here of these previously reported results. These measurements represent the 14 C/ 12 C ratios in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIOC) in the surface ocean waters of the Gulf Stream and the Peru Current at the time of coral ring formation. A depletion in radiocarbon concentration was observed incoral rings that grew from A.D. 1900--1952. It was caused by dilution of existing 14 C levels with dead CO 2 from fossil fuel burning (the Suess effect, or S/sub e/). A similar trend was observed in the distribution of bomb-produced 14 C in corals that had grown during the years following A.D. 1952. The concentration of bomb-produced radiocarbon was much higher in corals from temperate regions (Florida, Belize, Hawaiian Islands) than in corals from tropical regions (Galapagos Islands and Canton Island). The apparent radiocarbon ages of the surface waters in temperate and tropical oceans during the preanthropogenic period range from about 280 to 520 years B.P. (-40 to -69%). At all investigated locations, it is likely that waters at subsurface depths have the same apparent radiocarbon age of about 670 years B.P. From the change of oceanic δ 14 C in the surface during post-bomb times, the approximate annual rate of net input of 14 CO 2 to the ocean waters is calculated to be about 8% of the prevailing 14 C difference between atmosphere and ocean. From this input and from preanthropogenic δ 14 C values found at each location, it can be seen that vertical mixing of water in the Peru Current is about 3 times greater than that in the Gulf Stream

  4. Calcification by juvenile corals under heterotrophy and elevated CO2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drenkard, E. J.; Cohen, A. L.; McCorkle, D. C.; de Putron, S. J.; Starczak, V. R.; Zicht, A. E.

    2013-09-01

    Ocean acidification (OA) threatens the existence of coral reefs by slowing the rate of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) production of framework-building corals thus reducing the amount of CaCO3 the reef can produce to counteract natural dissolution. Some evidence exists to suggest that elevated levels of dissolved inorganic nutrients can reduce the impact of OA on coral calcification. Here, we investigated the potential for enhanced energetic status of juvenile corals, achieved via heterotrophic feeding, to modulate the negative impact of OA on calcification. Larvae of the common Atlantic golf ball coral, Favia fragum, were collected and reared for 3 weeks under ambient (421 μatm) or significantly elevated (1,311 μatm) CO2 conditions. The metamorphosed, zooxanthellate spat were either fed brine shrimp (i.e., received nutrition from photosynthesis plus heterotrophy) or not fed (i.e., primarily autotrophic). Regardless of CO2 condition, the skeletons of fed corals exhibited accelerated development of septal cycles and were larger than those of unfed corals. At each CO2 level, fed corals accreted more CaCO3 than unfed corals, and fed corals reared under 1,311 μatm CO2 accreted as much CaCO3 as unfed corals reared under ambient CO2. However, feeding did not alter the sensitivity of calcification to increased CO2; ∆ calcification/∆Ω was comparable for fed and unfed corals. Our results suggest that calcification rates of nutritionally replete juvenile corals will decline as OA intensifies over the course of this century. Critically, however, such corals could maintain higher rates of skeletal growth and CaCO3 production under OA than those in nutritionally limited environments.

  5. CO Cleavage and CO2 Functionalization under Mild Conditions by a Multimetallic CsU2 Nitride Complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Falcone, Marta; Chatelain, Lucile; Scopelliti, Rosario; Mazzanti, Marinella

    2017-04-26

    Novel efficient chemical processes involving cheap and widely accessible carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide under mild conditions for the production of valuable chemical products are highly desirable in the current energetic context. Uranium nitride materials act as high activity catalysts in the Haber-Bosch process but the reactivity of molecular nitride compounds remains unexplored. Here we review recent results obtained in our group showing that a multimetallic nitride complex [Cs{[U(OSi(OtBu)3)3]2(μ-N)}] (1) with a CsUIV-N-UIV core, is able to promote N-C bond formation due to its strong nucleophile behaviour. In particular, complex 1, in the presence of excess CO2 leads to a remarkable dicarbamate product. The multimetallic CsUIV-N-UIV nitride also readily cleaves the C≡O bond under mild conditions.

  6. Emiliania huxleyi increases calcification but not expression of calcification-related genes in long-term exposure to elevated temperature and pCO2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benner, Ina; Diner, Rachel E; Lefebvre, Stephane C; Li, Dian; Komada, Tomoko; Carpenter, Edward J; Stillman, Jonathon H

    2013-01-01

    Increased atmospheric pCO2 is expected to render future oceans warmer and more acidic than they are at present. Calcifying organisms such as coccolithophores that fix and export carbon into the deep sea provide feedbacks to increasing atmospheric pCO2. Acclimation experiments suggest negative effects of warming and acidification on coccolithophore calcification, but the ability of these organisms to adapt to future environmental conditions is not well understood. Here, we tested the combined effect of pCO2 and temperature on the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi over more than 700 generations. Cells increased inorganic carbon content and calcification rate under warm and acidified conditions compared with ambient conditions, whereas organic carbon content and primary production did not show any change. In contrast to findings from short-term experiments, our results suggest that long-term acclimation or adaptation could change, or even reverse, negative calcification responses in E. huxleyi and its feedback to the global carbon cycle. Genome-wide profiles of gene expression using RNA-seq revealed that genes thought to be essential for calcification are not those that are most strongly differentially expressed under long-term exposure to future ocean conditions. Rather, differentially expressed genes observed here represent new targets to study responses to ocean acidification and warming.

  7. Contrasting Impact of Future CO2 Emission Scenarios on the Extent of CaCO3 Mineral Undersaturation in the Humboldt Current System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franco, A. C.; Gruber, N.; Frölicher, T. L.; Kropuenske Artman, L.

    2018-03-01

    The eastern boundary upwelling systems are among those regions that are most vulnerable to an ocean acidification-induced transition toward undersaturated conditions with respect to mineral CaCO3, but no assessment exists yet for the Humboldt Current System. Here we use a high-resolution (˜7.5 km) regional ocean model to investigate past and future changes in ocean pH and CaCO3 saturation state in this system. We find that within the next few decades, the nearshore waters off Peru are projected to become corrosive year round with regard to aragonite, the more soluble form of CaCO3. The volume of aragonite undersaturated water off Peru will continue to increase in the future irrespective of the amount of CO2 emitted to the atmosphere. In contrast, the development of the saturation state with regard to calcite, a less soluble form of carbonate, depends strongly on the scenario followed. By 2050, calcite undersaturation appears in the nearshore waters off Peru occasionally, but by 2090 in a high-emission scenario (RCP8.5), ˜60% of the water in the euphotic zone will become permanently calcite undersaturated. Most of this calcite undersaturation off Peru can likely be avoided if a low emission scenario (RCP2.6) consistent with the Paris Agreement is followed. The progression of ocean acidification off Chile follows a similar pattern, except that the saturation states are overall higher. But also here, calcite undersaturated waters will become common in the subsurface waters under the RCP8.5 scenario by the end of this century, while this can be avoided under the RCP2.6 scenario.

  8. Sensitivity of the Eocene climate to CO2 and orbital variability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keery, John S.; Holden, Philip B.; Edwards, Neil R.

    2018-02-01

    The early Eocene, from about 56 Ma, with high atmospheric CO2 levels, offers an analogue for the response of the Earth's climate system to anthropogenic fossil fuel burning. In this study, we present an ensemble of 50 Earth system model runs with an early Eocene palaeogeography and variation in the forcing values of atmospheric CO2 and the Earth's orbital parameters. Relationships between simple summary metrics of model outputs and the forcing parameters are identified by linear modelling, providing estimates of the relative magnitudes of the effects of atmospheric CO2 and each of the orbital parameters on important climatic features, including tropical-polar temperature difference, ocean-land temperature contrast, Asian, African and South (S.) American monsoon rains, and climate sensitivity. Our results indicate that although CO2 exerts a dominant control on most of the climatic features examined in this study, the orbital parameters also strongly influence important components of the ocean-atmosphere system in a greenhouse Earth. In our ensemble, atmospheric CO2 spans the range 280-3000 ppm, and this variation accounts for over 90 % of the effects on mean air temperature, southern winter high-latitude ocean-land temperature contrast and northern winter tropical-polar temperature difference. However, the variation of precession accounts for over 80 % of the influence of the forcing parameters on the Asian and African monsoon rainfall, and obliquity variation accounts for over 65 % of the effects on winter ocean-land temperature contrast in high northern latitudes and northern summer tropical-polar temperature difference. Our results indicate a bimodal climate sensitivity, with values of 4.36 and 2.54 °C, dependent on low or high states of atmospheric CO2 concentration, respectively, with a threshold at approximately 1000 ppm in this model, and due to a saturated vegetation-albedo feedback. Our method gives a quantitative ranking of the influence of each of the

  9. Effects of acute ocean acidification on spatially-diverse polar pelagic foodwebs: Insights from on-deck microcosms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tarling, G. A.; Peck, V. L.; Ward, P.; Ensor, N. S.; Achterberg, E.; Tynan, E.; Poulton, A. J.; Mitchell, E.; Zubkov, M. V.

    2016-05-01

    The polar oceans are experiencing some of the largest levels of ocean acidification (OA) resulting from the uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2). Our understanding of the impacts this is having on polar marine communities is mainly derived from studies of single species in laboratory conditions, while the consequences for food web interactions remain largely unknown. This study carried out experimental manipulations of natural pelagic communities at different high latitude sites in both the northern (Nordic Seas) and southern hemispheres (Scotia and Weddell Seas). The aim of this study was to identify more generic responses and achieve greater experimental reproducibility through implementing a series of short term (4 d), multilevel (3 treatment) carbonate chemistry manipulation experiments on unfiltered natural surface-ocean communities, including grazing copepods. The experiments were successfully executed at six different sites, covering a diverse range of environmental conditions and differing plankton community compositions. The study identified the interaction between copepods and dinoflagellate cell abundance to be significantly altered by elevated levels of dissolved CO2 (pCO2), with dinoflagellates decreasing relative to ambient conditions across all six experiments. A similar pattern was not observed in any other major phytoplankton group. The patterns indicate that copepods show a stronger preference for dinoflagellates when in elevated pCO2 conditions, demonstrating that changes in food quality and altered grazing selectivity may be a major consequence of ocean acidification. The study also found that transparent exopolymeric particles (TEP) generally increased when pCO2 levels were elevated, but the response was dependent on the exact set of environmental conditions. Bacteria and nannoplankton showed a neutral response to elevated pCO2 and there was no significant relationship between changes in bacterial or nannoplankton abundance and that of

  10. Report on achievements in fiscal 1998. Research and development of a technology to forecast environmental effect in association with isolation of carbon dioxide in oceans. (Surveys on development and research support on a technology to forecast environmental effect in areas in the vicinity of CO2 discharging points); 1998 nendo nisanka tanso no kaiyo kakuri ni tomonau kankyo eikyo yosoku gijutsu kenkyu kaihatsu seika hokokusho. CO{sub 2} horyuten shuhen'iki no kankyo eikyo yosoku gijutsu no kaihatsu narabini kenkyu shien chosa

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1999-03-01

    Atmospheric concentration of CO2 is increasing, and discussions are urged on measures to suppress emission of CO2 into atmosphere. While different CO2 fixing technologies may be conceived, there is a technology to utilize CO2 absorbing capability of ocean by discharging and dissolving CO2 artificially into middle layer of the ocean to separate CO2 from atmosphere. This technology is one of the technologies which are promising in the aspects of technology, economic performance, and possible amount of CO2 reduction. However, it is difficult to say that scientific and technological discussions have been given sufficiently on behavior of CO2 discharged into the ocean, effect of the discharge on environments, and CO2 separation capability of the ocean. Therefore, in the present research and development, a 'technology to forecast environmental effect in areas in the vicinity of CO2 discharging points' is developed to serve for acquiring technological prospect on the feasibility to realize the CO2 ocean separation by discharging CO2 into the middle layer of the ocean. The present fiscal year has performed researches on the following research and development items: elucidation of behavior of liquefied CO2 when discharged into the ocean, CO2 feeding and diluting technologies, indoor experiments on the effects of CO2 on ocean living organisms, and development of a model to forecast environments in areas in the vicinity of CO2 discharging points. (NEDO)

  11. Tropical Cyclones Cause CaCO3 Undersaturation of Coral Reef Seawater in a High-CO2 World

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manzello, D.; Enochs, I.; Carlton, R.; Musielewicz, S.; Gledhill, D. K.

    2013-12-01

    Ocean acidification is the global decline in seawater pH and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) saturation state (Ω) due to the uptake of anthropogenic CO2 by the world's oceans. Acidification impairs CaCO3 shell and skeleton construction by marine organisms. Coral reefs are particularly vulnerable, as they are constructed by the CaCO3 skeletons of corals and other calcifiers. We understand relatively little about how coral reefs will respond to ocean acidification in combination with other disturbances, such as tropical cyclones. Seawater carbonate chemistry data collected from two reefs in the Florida Keys before, during, and after Tropical Storm Isaac provide the most thorough data to-date on how tropical cyclones affect the seawater CO2-system of coral reefs. Tropical Storm Isaac caused both an immediate and prolonged decline in seawater pH. Aragonite saturation state was depressed by 1.0 for a full week after the storm impact. Based on current 'business-as-usual' CO2 emissions scenarios, we show that tropical cyclones with high rainfall and runoff can cause periods of undersaturation (Ω negatively impact the structural persistence of coral reefs over this century.

  12. Seasonal variation of air-sea CO2 fluxes in the Terra Nova Bay of the Ross Sea, Antarctica, based on year-round pCO2 observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zappa, C. J.; Rhee, T. S.; Kwon, Y. S.; Choi, T.; Yang, E. J.; Kim, J.

    2017-12-01

    The polar oceans are rapidly changing in response to climate variability. In particular, augmented inflow of glacial melt water and shrinking sea-ice extent impacts the polar coastal oceans, which may in turn shift the biogeochemistry into an unprecedented paradigm not experienced previously. Nonetheless, most research in the polar oceans is limited to the summer season. Here, we present the first direct observations of ocean and atmospheric pCO2 measured near the coast of Terra Nova Bay in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, ongoing since February, 2015 at Jang Bogo Station. The coastal area is covered by landfast sea-ice from spring to fall while continually exposed to the atmosphere during summer season only. The pCO2 in seawater swung from 120 matm in February to 425 matm in early October. Although sea-ice still covers the coastal area, pCO2 already started decreasing after reaching the peak in October. In November, the pCO2 suddenly dropped as much as 100 matm in a week. This decrease of pCO2 continued until late February when the sea-ice concentration was minimal. With growing sea ice, the pCO2 increased logarithmically reaching the atmospheric concentration in June/July, depending on the year, and continued to increase until October. Daily mean air-sea CO2 flux in the coastal area widely varied from -70 mmol m-2 d-1 to 20 mmol m-2 d-1. Based on these observations of pCO2 in Terra Nova Bay, the annual uptake of CO2 is 8 g C m-2, estimated using the fraction of sea-ice concentration estimated from AMSR2 microwave emission imagery. Extrapolating to all polynyas surrounding Antarctica, we expect the annual uptake of 8 Tg C in the atmosphere. This is comparable to the amount of CO2 degassed into the atmosphere south of the Antarctic Polar Front (62°S).

  13. Boundary Conditions, Data Assimilation, and Predictability in Coastal Ocean Models

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Samelson, Roger M; Allen, John S; Egbert, Gary D; Kindle, John C; Snyder, Chris

    2007-01-01

    ...: The specific objectives of this research are to determine the impact on coastal ocean circulation models of open ocean boundary conditions from Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE...

  14. Ocean acidification alters temperature and salinity preferences in larval fish.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pistevos, Jennifer C A; Nagelkerken, Ivan; Rossi, Tullio; Connell, Sean D

    2017-02-01

    Ocean acidification alters the way in which animals perceive and respond to their world by affecting a variety of senses such as audition, olfaction, vision and pH sensing. Marine species rely on other senses as well, but we know little of how these might be affected by ocean acidification. We tested whether ocean acidification can alter the preference for physicochemical cues used for dispersal between ocean and estuarine environments. We experimentally assessed the behavioural response of a larval fish (Lates calcarifer) to elevated temperature and reduced salinity, including estuarine water of multiple cues for detecting settlement habitat. Larval fish raised under elevated CO 2 concentrations were attracted by warmer water, but temperature had no effect on fish raised in contemporary CO 2 concentrations. In contrast, contemporary larvae were deterred by lower salinity water, where CO 2 -treated fish showed no such response. Natural estuarine water-of higher temperature, lower salinity, and containing estuarine olfactory cues-was only preferred by fish treated under forecasted high CO 2 conditions. We show for the first time that attraction by larval fish towards physicochemical cues can be altered by ocean acidification. Such alterations to perception and evaluation of environmental cues during the critical process of dispersal can potentially have implications for ensuing recruitment and population replenishment. Our study not only shows that freshwater species that spend part of their life cycle in the ocean might also be affected by ocean acidification, but that behavioural responses towards key physicochemical cues can also be negated through elevated CO 2 from human emissions.

  15. Transcriptomic response of the Antarctic pteropod Limacina helicina antarctica to ocean acidification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Kevin M; Hofmann, Gretchen E

    2017-10-23

    Ocean acidification (OA), a change in ocean chemistry due to the absorption of atmospheric CO 2 into surface oceans, challenges biogenic calcification in many marine organisms. Ocean acidification is expected to rapidly progress in polar seas, with regions of the Southern Ocean expected to experience severe OA within decades. Biologically, the consequences of OA challenge calcification processes and impose an energetic cost. In order to better characterize the response of a polar calcifier to conditions of OA, we assessed differential gene expression in the Antarctic pteropod, Limacina helicina antarctica. Experimental levels of pCO 2 were chosen to create both contemporary pH conditions, and to mimic future pH expected in OA scenarios. Significant changes in the transcriptome were observed when juvenile L. h. antarctica were acclimated for 21 days to low-pH (7.71), mid-pH (7.9) or high-pH (8.13) conditions. Differential gene expression analysis of individuals maintained in the low-pH treatment identified down-regulation of genes involved in cytoskeletal structure, lipid transport, and metabolism. High pH exposure led to increased expression and enrichment for genes involved in shell formation, calcium ion binding, and DNA binding. Significant differential gene expression was observed in four major cellular and physiological processes: shell formation, the cellular stress response, metabolism, and neural function. Across these functional groups, exposure to conditions that mimic ocean acidification led to rapid suppression of gene expression. Results of this study demonstrated that the transcriptome of the juvenile pteropod, L. h. antarctica, was dynamic and changed in response to different levels of pCO 2 . In a global change context, exposure of L. h. antarctica to the low pH, high pCO 2 OA conditions resulted in a suppression of transcripts for genes involved in key physiological processes: calcification, metabolism, and the cellular stress response. The

  16. Ocean acidification and temperature increase impact mussel shell shape and thickness: problematic for protection?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitzer, Susan C; Vittert, Liberty; Bowman, Adrian; Kamenos, Nicholas A; Phoenix, Vernon R; Cusack, Maggie

    2015-11-01

    Ocean acidification threatens organisms that produce calcium carbonate shells by potentially generating an under-saturated carbonate environment. Resultant reduced calcification and growth, and subsequent dissolution of exoskeletons, would raise concerns over the ability of the shell to provide protection for the marine organism under ocean acidification and increased temperatures. We examined the impact of combined ocean acidification and temperature increase on shell formation of the economically important edible mussel Mytilus edulis. Shell growth and thickness along with a shell thickness index and shape analysis were determined. The ability of M. edulis to produce a functional protective shell after 9 months of experimental culture under ocean acidification and increasing temperatures (380, 550, 750, 1000 μatm pCO 2, and 750, 1000 μatm pCO 2 + 2°C) was assessed. Mussel shells grown under ocean acidification conditions displayed significant reductions in shell aragonite thickness, shell thickness index, and changes to shell shape (750, 1000 μatm pCO 2) compared to those shells grown under ambient conditions (380 μatm pCO 2). Ocean acidification resulted in rounder, flatter mussel shells with thinner aragonite layers likely to be more vulnerable to fracture under changing environments and predation. The changes in shape presented here could present a compensatory mechanism to enhance protection against predators and changing environments under ocean acidification when mussels are unable to grow thicker shells. Here, we present the first assessment of mussel shell shape to determine implications for functional protection under ocean acidification.

  17. Enhanced CO2 uptake at a shallow Arctic Ocean seep field overwhelms the positive warming potential of emitted methane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pohlman, John W; Greinert, Jens; Ruppel, Carolyn; Silyakova, Anna; Vielstädte, Lisa; Casso, Michael; Mienert, Jürgen; Bünz, Stefan

    2017-05-23

    Continued warming of the Arctic Ocean in coming decades is projected to trigger the release of teragrams (1 Tg = 10 6 tons) of methane from thawing subsea permafrost on shallow continental shelves and dissociation of methane hydrate on upper continental slopes. On the shallow shelves (shallow ebullitive methane seep field on the Svalbard margin reveal atmospheric CO 2 uptake rates (-33,300 ± 7,900 μmol m -2 ⋅d -1 ) twice that of surrounding waters and ∼1,900 times greater than the diffusive sea-air methane efflux (17.3 ± 4.8 μmol m -2 ⋅d -1 ). The negative radiative forcing expected from this CO 2 uptake is up to 231 times greater than the positive radiative forcing from the methane emissions. Surface water characteristics (e.g., high dissolved oxygen, high pH, and enrichment of 13 C in CO 2 ) indicate that upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water from near the seafloor accompanies methane emissions and stimulates CO 2 consumption by photosynthesizing phytoplankton. These findings challenge the widely held perception that areas characterized by shallow-water methane seeps and/or strongly elevated sea-air methane flux always increase the global atmospheric greenhouse gas burden.

  18. Fluctuating seawater pH/pCO2 regimes are more energetically expensive than static pH/pCO2 levels in the mussel Mytilus edulis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mangan, Stephanie; Urbina, Mauricio A; Findlay, Helen S; Wilson, Rod W; Lewis, Ceri

    2017-10-25

    Ocean acidification (OA) studies typically use stable open-ocean pH or CO 2 values. However, species living within dynamic coastal environments can naturally experience wide fluctuations in abiotic factors, suggesting their responses to stable pH conditions may not be reflective of either present or near-future conditions. Here we investigate the physiological responses of the mussel Mytilus edulis to variable seawater pH conditions over short- (6 h) and medium-term (2 weeks) exposures under both current and near-future OA scenarios. Mussel haemolymph pH closely mirrored that of seawater pH over short-term changes of 1 pH unit with acidosis or recovery accordingly, highlighting a limited capacity for acid-base regulation. After 2 weeks, mussels under variable pH conditions had significantly higher metabolic rates, antioxidant enzyme activities and lipid peroxidation than those exposed to static pH under both current and near-future OA scenarios. Static near-future pH conditions induced significant acid-base disturbances and lipid peroxidation compared with the static present-day conditions but did not affect the metabolic rate. These results clearly demonstrate that living in naturally variable environments is energetically more expensive than living in static seawater conditions, which has consequences for how we extrapolate future OA responses in coastal species. © 2017 The Authors.

  19. Water loss from terrestrial planets with CO2-rich atmospheres

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wordsworth, R. D.; Pierrehumbert, R. T.

    2013-01-01

    Water photolysis and hydrogen loss from the upper atmospheres of terrestrial planets is of fundamental importance to climate evolution but remains poorly understood in general. Here we present a range of calculations we performed to study the dependence of water loss rates from terrestrial planets on a range of atmospheric and external parameters. We show that CO 2 can only cause significant water loss by increasing surface temperatures over a narrow range of conditions, with cooling of the middle and upper atmosphere acting as a bottleneck on escape in other circumstances. Around G-stars, efficient loss only occurs on planets with intermediate CO 2 atmospheric partial pressures (0.1-1 bar) that receive a net flux close to the critical runaway greenhouse limit. Because G-star total luminosity increases with time but X-ray and ultraviolet/ultravoilet luminosity decreases, this places strong limits on water loss for planets like Earth. In contrast, for a CO 2 -rich early Venus, diffusion limits on water loss are only important if clouds caused strong cooling, implying that scenarios where the planet never had surface liquid water are indeed plausible. Around M-stars, water loss is primarily a function of orbital distance, with planets that absorb less flux than ∼270 W m –2 (global mean) unlikely to lose more than one Earth ocean of H 2 O over their lifetimes unless they lose all their atmospheric N 2 /CO 2 early on. Because of the variability of H 2 O delivery during accretion, our results suggest that many 'Earth-like' exoplanets in the habitable zone may have ocean-covered surfaces, stable CO 2 /H 2 O-rich atmospheres, and high mean surface temperatures.

  20. Synthetic carbonaceous fuel and feedstock using nuclear power, air, and water. [CO/sub 2/ from atmosphere and ocean reacting with H/sub 2/ to produce MeOH and then gasoline

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Steinberg, M [Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY; Baron, S

    1977-01-01

    Development of synthetic carbonaceous fuels and feedstocks (SCFF) is imperative if the U.S. is to maintain its world leadership. All forms of carbonaceous materials can serve as sources of raw material for SCFF, however, here we consider the ultimate renewable resource of carbon which is CO/sub 2/ from the atmosphere or the oceans. A number of methods for the recovery of CO/sub 2/ have been examined. An absorption-stripping system utilizing dilute carbonate solvent appears most economical for atmospheric recovery while distillation appears of interest for sea-water recovery. An alternative isothermal process utilizing chlor-alkali cells is also described. Electrolytic hydrogen is thermocatalytically combined with the CO/sub 2/ to form methanol which can then be dehydrated to gasoline. Production cost is dominated by the energy for hydrogen and the plant capital investment. Base loaded nuclear power plants supplying peaking load and generating SCFF in an off-peak mode is proposed for reducing costs. Under 1974/5 conditions, incremental power costs would have been a minimum. Under 1985 escalated conditions, incremental costs indicate 6 mills/kWh(e) for power which yields 33.9 c/gallon methanol or 77.1 c/gallon of equivalent gasoline which takes credit for oxygen would break even with $23/bbl of oil. The capital investment for producing the equivalent of one million barrels/day of gasoline in 142 nuclear reactors of 100 MW(e) capacity, operating in an off-peak mode, amounts to slightly more than the investment in new oil exploration and production facilities and considerably less than the projected outflow of capital to foreign OPEC countries. The nuclear synthesis-route using atmospheric and aquatic CO/sub 2/ simulates the solar photosynthetic process and provides a long-term renewable and environmentally acceptable alternate source of SCFF.

  1. Ikaite crystals in melting sea ice - implications for pCO2 and pH levels in Arctic surface waters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rysgaard, S.; Glud, R. N.; Lennert, K.; Cooper, M.; Halden, N.; Leakey, R. J. G.; Hawthorne, F. C.; Barber, D.

    2012-08-01

    A major issue of Arctic marine science is to understand whether the Arctic Ocean is, or will be, a source or sink for air-sea CO2 exchange. This has been complicated by the recent discoveries of ikaite (a polymorph of CaCO3·6H2O) in Arctic and Antarctic sea ice, which indicate that multiple chemical transformations occur in sea ice with a possible effect on CO2 and pH conditions in surface waters. Here, we report on biogeochemical conditions, microscopic examinations and x-ray diffraction analysis of single crystals from a melting 1.7 km2 (0.5-1 m thick) drifting ice floe in the Fram Strait during summer. Our findings show that ikaite crystals are present throughout the sea ice but with larger crystals appearing in the upper ice layers. Ikaite crystals placed at elevated temperatures disintegrated into smaller crystallites and dissolved. During our field campaign in late June, melt reduced the ice floe thickness by 0.2 m per week and resulted in an estimated 3.8 ppm decrease of pCO2 in the ocean surface mixed layer. This corresponds to an air-sea CO2 uptake of 10.6 mmol m-2 sea ice d-1 or to 3.3 ton km-2 ice floe week-1. This is markedly higher than the estimated primary production within the ice floe of 0.3-1.3 mmol m-2 sea ice d-1. Finally, the presence of ikaite in sea ice and the dissolution of the mineral during melting of the sea ice and mixing of the melt water into the surface oceanic mixed layer accounted for half of the estimated pCO2 uptake.

  2. The CO2 lifetime concept should be banished

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tans, P.S.

    1997-01-01

    Presenting an alternative view to that of Brian O'Neill et al. (p. 491-503 of this journal issue), the author argues that as carbon goes continually back and forth between its different forms, gaseous CO 2 , dissolved CO 2 , bicarbonate and carbonate ions, it is difficult to assign a lifetime to the fraction of the emitted CO 2 staying airborne permanently. The non-linear nature of partial uptake of CO 2 by the oceans also adds to this difficulty. Titration reactions and chemical equilibrium introduce 'mystery' into measurements - carbon does not actually leave the atmosphere-biosphere-ocean system. This has implications for any greenhouse gas abatement policy. Assigning a characteristic lifetime for emissions in the author's opinion hides a scientific approximation. Integrated assessment models (IAMs) where economic and environmental consequences of policy are treated together involved simple box models of the carbon cycle but these introduce a great element of doubt into the IAMs. 8 refs

  3. Scaling laws for perturbations in the ocean–atmosphere system following large CO2 emissions

    OpenAIRE

    Towles, N.; Olson, P.; Gnanadesikan, A.

    2015-01-01

    Scaling relationships are derived for the perturbations to atmosphere and ocean variables from large transient CO2 emissions. Using the carbon cycle model LOSCAR (Zeebe et al., 2009; Zeebe, 2012b) we calculate perturbations to atmosphere temperature and total carbon, ocean temperature, total ocean carbon, pH, and alkalinity, marine sediment carbon, plus carbon-13 isotope anomalies in the ocean and atmosphere resulting from idealized CO2 emission events. The...

  4. The stable microbiome of inter and sub-tidal anemone species under increasing pCO2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muller, Erinn M; Fine, Maoz; Ritchie, Kim B

    2016-11-23

    Increasing levels of pCO 2 within the oceans will select for resistant organisms such as anemones, which may thrive under ocean acidification conditions. However, increasing pCO 2 may alter the bacterial community of marine organisms, significantly affecting the health status of the host. A pH gradient associated with a natural volcanic vent system within Levante Bay, Vulcano Island, Italy, was used to test the effects of ocean acidification on the bacterial community of two anemone species in situ, Anemonia viridis and Actinia equina using 16 S rDNA pyrosequencing. Results showed the bacterial community of the two anemone species differed significantly from each other primarily because of differences in the Gammaproteobacteria and Epsilonproteobacteria abundances. The bacterial communities did not differ within species among sites with decreasing pH except for A. viridis at the vent site (pH = 6.05). In addition to low pH, the vent site contains trace metals and sulfide that may have influenced the bacteria community of A. viridis. The stability of the bacterial community from pH 8.1 to pH 7.4, coupled with previous experiments showing the lack of, or beneficial changes within anemones living under low pH conditions indicates that A. viridis and A. equina will be winners under future ocean acidification scenarios.

  5. Intraspecific variations in responses to ocean acidification in two branching coral species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sekizawa, Ayami; Uechi, Hikaru; Iguchi, Akira; Nakamura, Takashi; Kumagai, Naoki H; Suzuki, Atsushi; Sakai, Kazuhiko; Nojiri, Yukihiro

    2017-09-15

    Ocean acidification is widely recognised to have a negative impact on marine calcifying organisms by reducing calcifications, but controversy remains over whether such organisms could cope with ocean acidification within a range of phenotypic plasticity and/or adapt to future acidifying ocean. We performed a laboratory rearing experiment using clonal fragments of the common branching corals Montipora digitata and Porites cylindrica under control and acidified seawater (lower pH) conditions (approximately 400 and 900μatm pCO 2 , respectively) and evaluated the intraspecific variations in their responses to ocean acidification. Intra- and interspecific variations in calcification and photosynthetic efficiency were evident according to both pCO 2 conditions and colony, indicating that responses to acidification may be individually variable at the colony level. Our results suggest that some corals may cope with ocean acidification within their present genotypic composition by adaptation through phenotypic plasticity, while others may be placed under selective pressures resulting in population alteration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Impact of elevated CO2 concentration on dynamics of leaf photosynthesis in Fagus sylvatica is modulated by sky conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Urban, Otmar; Klem, Karel; Holišová, Petra; Šigut, Ladislav; Šprtová, Mirka; Teslová-Navrátilová, Petra; Zitová, Martina; Špunda, Vladimír; Marek, Michal V.; Grace, John

    2014-01-01

    It has been suggested that atmospheric CO 2 concentration and frequency of cloud cover will increase in future. It remains unclear, however, how elevated CO 2 influences photosynthesis under complex clear versus cloudy sky conditions. Accordingly, diurnal changes in photosynthetic responses among beech trees grown at ambient (AC) and doubled (EC) CO 2 concentrations were studied under contrasting sky conditions. EC stimulated the daily sum of fixed CO 2 and light use efficiency under clear sky. Meanwhile, both these parameters were reduced under cloudy sky as compared with AC treatment. Reduction in photosynthesis rate under cloudy sky was particularly associated with EC-stimulated, xanthophyll-dependent thermal dissipation of absorbed light energy. Under clear sky, a pronounced afternoon depression of CO 2 assimilation rate was found in sun-adapted leaves under EC compared with AC conditions. This was caused in particular by stomata closure mediated by vapour pressure deficit. -- Highlights: • Sky conditions affect the relative impact of elevated CO 2 on photosynthesis. • Cloudy skies reduce light use efficiency and carbon gain when CO 2 is elevated. • Stimulation of photosynthesis by high CO 2 may decline with increasing cloud cover. • High CO 2 leads to marked afternoon photosynthesis depression in sun-adapted leaves. -- The stimulatory effect of elevated CO 2 concentration on photosynthetic carbon assimilation can be expected to diminish as cloud cover increases

  7. Assessing ocean alkalinity for carbon sequestration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Renforth, Phil; Henderson, Gideon

    2017-09-01

    Over the coming century humanity may need to find reservoirs to store several trillions of tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted from fossil fuel combustion, which would otherwise cause dangerous climate change if it were left in the atmosphere. Carbon storage in the ocean as bicarbonate ions (by increasing ocean alkalinity) has received very little attention. Yet recent work suggests sufficient capacity to sequester copious quantities of CO2. It may be possible to sequester hundreds of billions to trillions of tons of C without surpassing postindustrial average carbonate saturation states in the surface ocean. When globally distributed, the impact of elevated alkalinity is potentially small and may help ameliorate the effects of ocean acidification. However, the local impact around addition sites may be more acute but is specific to the mineral and technology. The alkalinity of the ocean increases naturally because of rock weathering in which >1.5 mol of carbon are removed from the atmosphere for every mole of magnesium or calcium dissolved from silicate minerals (e.g., wollastonite, olivine, and anorthite) and 0.5 mol for carbonate minerals (e.g., calcite and dolomite). These processes are responsible for naturally sequestering 0.5 billion tons of CO2 per year. Alkalinity is reduced in the ocean through carbonate mineral precipitation, which is almost exclusively formed from biological activity. Most of the previous work on the biological response to changes in carbonate chemistry have focused on acidifying conditions. More research is required to understand carbonate precipitation at elevated alkalinity to constrain the longevity of carbon storage. A range of technologies have been proposed to increase ocean alkalinity (accelerated weathering of limestone, enhanced weathering, electrochemical promoted weathering, and ocean liming), the cost of which may be comparable to alternative carbon sequestration proposals (e.g., $20-100 tCO2-1). There are still many

  8. International Collaboration on CO2 Sequestration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peter H. Israelsson; E. Eric Adams

    2007-06-30

    On December 4, 1997, the US Department of Energy (USDOE), the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization of Japan (NEDO), and the Norwegian Research Council (NRC) entered into a Project Agreement for International Collaboration on CO{sub 2} Ocean Sequestration. Government organizations from Japan, Canada, and Australia, and a Swiss/Swedish engineering firm later joined the agreement, which outlined a research strategy for ocean carbon sequestration via direct injection. The members agreed to an initial field experiment, with the hope that if the initial experiment was successful, there would be subsequent field evaluations of increasingly larger scale to evaluate environmental impacts of sequestration and the potential for commercialization. The evolution of the collaborative effort, the supporting research, and results for the International Collaboration on CO{sub 2} Ocean Sequestration were documented in almost 100 papers and reports, including 18 peer-reviewed journal articles, 46 papers, 28 reports, and 4 graduate theses. These efforts were summarized in our project report issued January 2005 and covering the period August 23, 1998-October 23, 2004. An accompanying CD contained electronic copies of all the papers and reports. This report focuses on results of a two-year sub-task to update an environmental assessment of acute marine impacts resulting from direct ocean sequestration. The approach is based on the work of Auerbach et al. [6] and Caulfield et al. [20] to assess mortality to zooplankton, but uses updated information concerning bioassays, an updated modeling approach and three modified injection scenarios: a point release of negatively buoyant solid CO{sub 2} hydrate particles from a moving ship; a long, bottom-mounted diffuser discharging buoyant liquid CO{sub 2} droplets; and a stationary point release of hydrate particles forming a sinking plume. Results suggest that in particular the first two discharge modes could be

  9. Rapid transcriptional acclimation following transgenerational exposure of oysters to ocean acidification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goncalves, Priscila; Anderson, Kelli; Thompson, Emma L; Melwani, Aroon; Parker, Laura M; Ross, Pauline M; Raftos, David A

    2016-10-01

    Marine organisms need to adapt in order to cope with the adverse effects of ocean acidification and warming. Transgenerational exposure to CO2 stress has been shown to enhance resilience to ocean acidification in offspring from a number of species. However, the molecular basis underlying such adaptive responses is currently unknown. Here, we compared the transcriptional profiles of two genetically distinct oyster breeding lines following transgenerational exposure to elevated CO2 in order to explore the molecular basis of acclimation or adaptation to ocean acidification in these organisms. The expression of key target genes associated with antioxidant defence, metabolism and the cytoskeleton was assessed in oysters exposed to elevated CO2 over three consecutive generations. This set of target genes was chosen specifically to test whether altered responsiveness of intracellular stress mechanisms contributes to the differential acclimation of oyster populations to climate stressors. Transgenerational exposure to elevated CO2 resulted in changes to both basal and inducible expression of those key target genes (e.g. ecSOD, catalase and peroxiredoxin 6), particularly in oysters derived from the disease-resistant, fast-growing B2 line. Exposure to CO2 stress over consecutive generations produced opposite and less evident effects on transcription in a second population that was derived from wild-type (nonselected) oysters. The analysis of key target genes revealed that the acute responses of oysters to CO2 stress appear to be affected by population-specific genetic and/or phenotypic traits and by the CO2 conditions to which their parents had been exposed. This supports the contention that the capacity for heritable change in response to ocean acidification varies between oyster breeding lines and is mediated by parental conditioning. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. APO observations in Southern Greenland: evaluation of modelled air-sea O2 and CO2 fluxes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonne, Jean-Louis; Bopp, Laurent; Delmotte, Marc; Cadule, Patricia; Resplandy, Laure; Nevison, Cynthia; Manizza, Manfredi; Valentin Lavric, Jost; Manning, Andrew C.; Masson-Delmotte, Valérie

    2014-05-01

    Since September 2007, the atmospheric CO2 mole fraction and O2/N2 ratio (a proxy for O2 concentration) have been monitored continuously at the coastal site of Ivittuut, southern Greenland (61.21° N, 48.17° W). From 2007 to 2013, our measurements show multi-annual trends of +2.0 ppm/year and -20 per meg/year respectively for CO2 and O2/N2, with annual average peak-to-peak seasonal amplitudes of 14+/-1 ppm and 130+/-15 per meg. We investigate the implications of our data set in terms of APO (Atmospheric Potential Oxygen). This tracer, obtained by a linear combination of CO2 and O2/N2 data, is invariant to CO2 and O2 exchanges in the land biota, but sensitive to the oceanic component of the O2 cycle. It is used as a bridge to evaluate air-sea CO2 and O2 fluxes from atmospheric variations of CO2 and O2/N2. Global ocean biogeochemical models produce estimates of CO2 and O2 air-sea fluxes. Atmospheric APO variations can be simulated through transportation of these fluxes in the atmosphere by Eulerian transport models. Thus, model values of atmospheric APO can be extracted at the station location. This study is based on air-sea flux outputs from CMIP5 simulations. After atmospheric transportation, they give access to atmospheric APO climatologies which can be compared, in terms of seasonal cycles and inter-annual variability, to the in situ observations. A preliminary study is based on the CCSM ocean model air-sea fluxes transported in the atmosphere with the MATCH transport model, over the period 1979-2004. The amplitude of the APO seasonal cycle is correctly captured, but year to year variations on this seasonal cycle appears to be underestimated compared to observations. The LMDZ atmospheric transport model is also used to transport the ocean fluxes from five CMIP5 models, over the period 1979-2005, showing different amplitudes and timings of APO seasonal cycles. This methodology is a first step to evaluate the origin of observed APO variations at our site and then

  11. Nitrate fertilisation does not enhance CO2 responses in two tropical seagrass species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ow, Y X; Vogel, N; Collier, C J; Holtum, J A M; Flores, F; Uthicke, S

    2016-03-15

    Seagrasses are often considered "winners" of ocean acidification (OA); however, seagrass productivity responses to OA could be limited by nitrogen availability, since nitrogen-derived metabolites are required for carbon assimilation. We tested nitrogen uptake and assimilation, photosynthesis, growth, and carbon allocation responses of the tropical seagrasses Halodule uninervis and Thalassia hemprichii to OA scenarios (428, 734 and 1213 μatm pCO2) under two nutrients levels (0.3 and 1.9 μM NO3(-)). Net primary production (measured as oxygen production) and growth in H. uninervis increased with pCO2 enrichment, but were not affected by nitrate enrichment. However, nitrate enrichment reduced whole plant respiration in H. uninervis. Net primary production and growth did not show significant changes with pCO2 or nitrate by the end of the experiment (24 d) in T. hemprichii. However, nitrate incorporation in T. hemprichii was higher with nitrate enrichment. There was no evidence that nitrogen demand increased with pCO2 enrichment in either species. Contrary to our initial hypothesis, nutrient increases to levels approximating present day flood plumes only had small effects on metabolism. This study highlights that the paradigm of increased productivity of seagrasses under ocean acidification may not be valid for all species under all environmental conditions.

  12. Nitrate fertilisation does not enhance CO2 responses in two tropical seagrass species

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ow, Y. X.; Vogel, N.; Collier, C. J.; Holtum, J. A. M.; Flores, F.; Uthicke, S.

    2016-03-01

    Seagrasses are often considered “winners” of ocean acidification (OA); however, seagrass productivity responses to OA could be limited by nitrogen availability, since nitrogen-derived metabolites are required for carbon assimilation. We tested nitrogen uptake and assimilation, photosynthesis, growth, and carbon allocation responses of the tropical seagrasses Halodule uninervis and Thalassia hemprichii to OA scenarios (428, 734 and 1213 μatm pCO2) under two nutrients levels (0.3 and 1.9 μM NO3-). Net primary production (measured as oxygen production) and growth in H. uninervis increased with pCO2 enrichment, but were not affected by nitrate enrichment. However, nitrate enrichment reduced whole plant respiration in H. uninervis. Net primary production and growth did not show significant changes with pCO2 or nitrate by the end of the experiment (24 d) in T. hemprichii. However, nitrate incorporation in T. hemprichii was higher with nitrate enrichment. There was no evidence that nitrogen demand increased with pCO2 enrichment in either species. Contrary to our initial hypothesis, nutrient increases to levels approximating present day flood plumes only had small effects on metabolism. This study highlights that the paradigm of increased productivity of seagrasses under ocean acidification may not be valid for all species under all environmental conditions.

  13. Nighttime dissolution in a temperate coastal ocean ecosystem increases under acidification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwiatkowski, Lester; Gaylord, Brian; Hill, Tessa; Hosfelt, Jessica; Kroeker, Kristy J; Nebuchina, Yana; Ninokawa, Aaron; Russell, Ann D; Rivest, Emily B; Sesboüé, Marine; Caldeira, Ken

    2016-03-18

    Anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) are causing ocean acidification, lowering seawater aragonite (CaCO3) saturation state (Ω arag), with potentially substantial impacts on marine ecosystems over the 21(st) Century. Calcifying organisms have exhibited reduced calcification under lower saturation state conditions in aquaria. However, the in situ sensitivity of calcifying ecosystems to future ocean acidification remains unknown. Here we assess the community level sensitivity of calcification to local CO2-induced acidification caused by natural respiration in an unperturbed, biodiverse, temperate intertidal ecosystem. We find that on hourly timescales nighttime community calcification is strongly influenced by Ω arag, with greater net calcium carbonate dissolution under more acidic conditions. Daytime calcification however, is not detectably affected by Ω arag. If the short-term sensitivity of community calcification to Ω arag is representative of the long-term sensitivity to ocean acidification, nighttime dissolution in these intertidal ecosystems could more than double by 2050, with significant ecological and economic consequences.

  14. Effect of CO2 on the properties and sinking velocity of aggregates of the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Engel

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Coccolithophores play an important role in organic matter export due to their production of the mineral calcite that can act as ballast. Recent studies indicated that calcification in coccolithophores may be affected by changes in seawater carbonate chemistry. We investigated the influence of CO2 on the aggregation and sinking behaviour of the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi (PML B92/11 during a laboratory experiment. The coccolithophores were grown under low (~180 μatm, medium (~380 μatm, and high (~750 μatm CO2 conditions. Aggregation of the cells was promoted using roller tables. Size and settling velocity of aggregates were determined during the incubation using video image analysis. Our results indicate that aggregate properties are sensitive to changes in the degree of ballasting, as evoked by ocean acidification. Average sinking velocity was highest for low CO2 aggregates (~1292 m d−1 that also had the highest particulate inorganic to particulate organic carbon (PIC/POC ratio. Lowest PIC/POC ratios and lowest sinking velocity (~366 m d−1 at comparable sizes were observed for aggregates of the high CO2 treatment. Aggregates of the high CO2 treatment showed a 4-fold lower excess density (~4.2×10−4 g cm−3 when compared to aggregates from the medium and low CO2 treatments (~1.7 g×10−3 cm−3. We also observed that more aggregates formed in the high CO2 treatment, and that those aggregates contained more bacteria than aggregates in the medium and low CO2 treatment. If applicable to the future ocean, our findings suggest that a CO2 induced reduction of the calcite content of aggregates could weaken the deep export of organic matter in the ocean, particularly in areas dominated by coccolithophores.

  15. Impact of CO2 on the Evolution of Microbial Communities Exposed to Carbon Storage Conditions, Enhanced Oil Recovery, and CO2 Leakage

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gulliver, Djuna [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, (United States); Gregory, Kelvin B. [Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Lowry, Gregorgy V. [Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

    2016-06-20

    emerged as dominant in the CO2 exposed conditions. Results suggest that the altered microbial community was site specific and highly dependent on pH. The site-dependent results suggest a limited ability to predict the emerging dominant species for other CO2 exposed environments. This study improves the understanding of how a subsurface microbial community may respond to conditions expected from GCS and CO2 leakage. This is the first step for understanding how a CO2-altered microbial community may impact injectivity, permanence of stored CO2, and subsurface water quality. Future work with microbial communities from new subsurface sites would increase the current understanding of this project. Additionally, incorporation of metagenomic methods would increase understanding of potential microbial processes that may be prevalent in CO2 exposed environments.

  16. Documentation and analysis of a global CO{sub 2} model developed by Peng et al. (1983)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jager, H.I.; Peng, T.H.; King, A.W.; Sale, M.J.

    1990-07-01

    A global carbon model, the Peng `83 model, has been standardized according to protocols developed for an intermodel comparison. The first part of this document describes the model as they received it, and the second part describes a standardized version of the model, which has been parameterized according to the protocols described. Model performance was evaluated according to defined criteria and a sensitivity analysis of the model was conducted to identify the most important parameters. The standardized model was supplemented with a calibration routine to define reasonable combinations of initial conditions. This improved the ability of the model to hold an initial equilibrium state. Sensitivity analysis showed a shift in parameter importances with time. The initial conditions were of greatest importance for the length of these simulations, but declined in longer simulations. With the initial pCO{sub 2} excluded from the sensitivity analysis, ocean surface area (used to extrapolate results) was second in importance. While the CO{sub 2} exchange rate were initially most important, the model projections of atmospheric CO{sub 2} soon became more sensitive to the alkalinity of the ocean.

  17. Impact of CO2 on the Evolution of Microbial Communities Exposed to Carbon Storage Conditions, Enhanced Oil Recovery, and CO2 Leakage

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gulliver, Djuna M. [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, (United States); Gregory, Kelvin B. [Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States). Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Lowry, Gregory V. [Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States). Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering

    2016-06-20

    emerged as dominant in the CO2 exposed conditions. Results suggest that the altered microbial community was site specific and highly dependent on pH. The site-dependent results suggest a limited ability to predict the emerging dominant species for other CO2-exposed environments. This study improves the understanding of how a subsurface microbial community may respond to conditions expected from GCS and CO2 leakage. This is the first step for understanding how a CO2-altered microbial community may impact injectivity, permanence of stored CO2, and subsurface water quality. Future work with microbial communities from new subsurface sites would increase the current understanding of this project. Additionally, incorporation of metagenomic methods would increase understanding of potential microbial processes that may be prevalent in CO2 exposed environments.

  18. Developments and innovation in carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) capture and storage technology. Volume 2: Carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) storage and utilisation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mercedes Maroto-Valer, M. (ed.)

    2010-07-01

    This volume initially reviews geological sequestration of CO{sub 2}, from saline aquifer sequestration to oil and gas reservoir and coal bed storage, including coverage of reservoir sealing, and monitoring and modelling techniques used to verify geological sequestration of CO{sub 2}. Terrestrial and ocean sequestration are also reviewed, along with the environmental impact and performance assessments for these routes. The final section reviews advanced concepts for CO{sub 2} storage and utilization, such as industrial utilization, biofixation, mineral carbonation and photocatalytic reduction.

  19. Process design of a new injection method of liquid CO2 at the intermediate depths in the ocean using a static mixer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tajima, Hideo; Yamasaki, Akihiro; Kiyono, Fumio

    2005-01-01

    Process design for a new injection method of liquid CO 2 using a static mixer was conducted based on laboratory experimental results on the formation process of liquid CO 2 drops covered with hydrate film by a Kenics-type static mixer, and numerical simulation of the liquid CO 2 drops at 500 and 1500 m. The Sauter Mean Diameter (SMD) of the liquid CO 2 drops covered with hydrate film was dramatically decreased with the use of the static mixer; empirical equations were obtained for the SMD, and also the maximum and minimum diameters of the liquid CO 2 drops for a given flow velocity (Weber number, We). The ascending and dissolving behavior of a liquid CO 2 drop with hydrate released in the ocean at an intermediate depth was numerically simulated, and the maximum drop diameter to avoid evaporation of the drop before complete dissolution was estimated. Based on these results, scaling up of the static mixer was conducted by assuming a disposal process of CO 2 emitted from a 100-MW thermal power plant, and the mixer diameter was determined as a function of the given SMD. Moreover, the power consumption of the static mixer was evaluated and found to be almost negligible. (author)

  20. [CO2 response process and its simulation of Prunus sibirica photosynthesis under different soil moisture conditions].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Qin; Zhang, Guang-Can; Pei, Bin; Xu, Zhi-Qiang; Zhao, Yu; Fang, Li-Dong

    2013-06-01

    Taking the two-year old potted Prunus sibirica seedlings as test materials, and using CIRAS-2 photosynthetic system, this paper studied the CO2 response process of P. sibirica photosynthesis in semi-arid loess hilly region under eight soil moisture conditions. The CO2 response data of P. sibirica were fitted and analyzed by rectangular hyperbola model, exponential equation, and modified rectangular hyperbola model. Meanwhile, the quantitative relationships between the photosynthesis and the soil moisture were discussed. The results showed that the CO2 response process of P. sibirica photosynthesis had obvious response characteristics to the soil moisture threshold. The relative soil water content (RWC) required to maintain the higher photosynthetic rate (P(n)) and carboxylation efficiency (CE) of P. sibirica was in the range of 46.3%-81.9%. In this RWC range, the photosynthesis did not appear obvious CO2 saturated inhibition phenomenon. When the RWC exceeded this range, the photosynthetic capacity (P(n max)), CE, and CO2 saturation point (CSP) decreased evidently. Under different soil moisture conditions, there existed obvious differences among the three models in simulating the CO2 response data of P. sibirica. When the RWC was in the range of 46.3%-81.9%, the CO2 response process and the characteristic parameters such as CE, CO2 compensation point (see symbol), and photorespiration rate (R(p)) could be well fitted by the three models, and the accuracy was in the order of modified rectangular hyperbola model > exponential equation > rectangular hyperbola model. When the RWC was too high or too low, namely, the RWC was > 81.9% or CO2 response process and the characteristic parameters. It was suggested that when the RWC was from 46.3% to 81.9%, the photosynthetic efficiency of P. sibirica was higher, and, as compared with rectangular hyperbola model and exponential equation, modified rectangular hyperbola model had more applicability to fit the CO2 response data of

  1. INTERACTIONS BETWEEN OCEAN ACIDIFICATION AND WARMING ON THE MORTALITY AND DISSOLUTION OF CORALLINE ALGAE(1).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diaz-Pulido, Guillermo; Anthony, Kenneth R N; Kline, David I; Dove, Sophie; Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove

    2012-02-01

    Coralline algae are among the most sensitive calcifying organisms to ocean acidification as a result of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (pCO2 ). Little is known, however, about the combined impacts of increased pCO2 , ocean acidification, and sea surface temperature on tissue mortality and skeletal dissolution of coralline algae. To address this issue, we conducted factorial manipulative experiments of elevated CO2 and temperature and examined the consequences on tissue survival and skeletal dissolution of the crustose coralline alga (CCA) Porolithon (=Hydrolithon) onkodes (Heydr.) Foslie (Corallinaceae, Rhodophyta) on the southern Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia. We observed that warming amplified the negative effects of high pCO2 on the health of the algae: rates of advanced partial mortality of CCA increased from warming conditions (from 26°C to 29°C). Furthermore, the effect of pCO2 on skeletal dissolution strongly depended on temperature. Dissolution of P. onkodes only occurred in the high-pCO2 treatment and was greater in the warm treatment. Enhanced skeletal dissolution was also associated with a significant increase in the abundance of endolithic algae. Our results demonstrate that P. onkodes is particularly sensitive to ocean acidification under warm conditions, suggesting that previous experiments focused on ocean acidification alone have underestimated the impact of future conditions on coralline algae. Given the central role that coralline algae play within coral reefs, these conclusions have serious ramifications for the integrity of coral-reef ecosystems. © 2011 Phycological Society of America.

  2. Ocean acidification alters predator behaviour and reduces predation rate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watson, Sue-Ann; Fields, Jennifer B; Munday, Philip L

    2017-02-01

    Ocean acidification poses a range of threats to marine invertebrates; however, the emerging and likely widespread effects of rising carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) levels on marine invertebrate behaviour are still little understood. Here, we show that ocean acidification alters and impairs key ecological behaviours of the predatory cone snail Conus marmoreus Projected near-future seawater CO 2 levels (975 µatm) increased activity in this coral reef molluscivore more than threefold (from less than 4 to more than 12 mm min -1 ) and decreased the time spent buried to less than one-third when compared with the present-day control conditions (390 µatm). Despite increasing activity, elevated CO 2 reduced predation rate during predator-prey interactions with control-treated humpbacked conch, Gibberulus gibberulus gibbosus; 60% of control predators successfully captured and consumed their prey, compared with only 10% of elevated CO 2 predators. The alteration of key ecological behaviours of predatory invertebrates by near-future ocean acidification could have potentially far-reaching implications for predator-prey interactions and trophic dynamics in marine ecosystems. Combined evidence that the behaviours of both species in this predator-prey relationship are altered by elevated CO 2 suggests food web interactions and ecosystem structure will become increasingly difficult to predict as ocean acidification advances over coming decades. © 2017 The Author(s).

  3. Carbon allocation to major metabolites in illuminated leaves is not just proportional to photosynthesis when gaseous conditions (CO2 and O2 ) vary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abadie, Cyril; Bathellier, Camille; Tcherkez, Guillaume

    2018-04-01

    In gas-exchange experiments, manipulating CO 2 and O 2 is commonly used to change the balance between carboxylation and oxygenation. Downstream metabolism (utilization of photosynthetic and photorespiratory products) may also be affected by gaseous conditions but this is not well documented. Here, we took advantage of sunflower as a model species, which accumulates chlorogenate in addition to sugars and amino acids (glutamate, alanine, glycine and serine). We performed isotopic labelling with 13 CO 2 under different CO 2 /O 2 conditions, and determined 13 C contents to compute 13 C-allocation patterns and build-up rates. The 13 C content in major metabolites was not found to be a constant proportion of net fixed carbon but, rather, changed dramatically with CO 2 and O 2 . Alanine typically accumulated at low O 2 (hypoxic response) while photorespiratory intermediates accumulated under ambient conditions and at high photorespiration, glycerate accumulation exceeding serine and glycine build-up. Chlorogenate synthesis was relatively more important under normal conditions and at high CO 2 and its synthesis was driven by phosphoenolpyruvate de novo synthesis. These findings demonstrate that carbon allocation to metabolites other than photosynthetic end products is affected by gaseous conditions and therefore the photosynthetic yield of net nitrogen assimilation varies, being minimal at high CO 2 and maximal at high O 2 . © 2018 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2018 New Phytologist Trust.

  4. Independence of nutrient limitation and carbon dioxide impacts on the Southern Ocean coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Müller, Marius N; Trull, Thomas W; Hallegraeff, Gustaaf M

    2017-08-01

    Future oceanic conditions induced by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions include warming, acidification and reduced nutrient supply due to increased stratification. Some parts of the Southern Ocean are expected to show rapid changes, especially for carbonate mineral saturation. Here we compare the physiological response of the model coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi (strain EHSO 5.14, originating from 50 o S, 149 o E) with pH/CO 2 gradients (mimicking ocean acidification ranging from 1 to 4 × current pCO 2 levels) under nutrient-limited (nitrogen and phosphorus) and -replete conditions. Both nutrient limitations decreased per cell photosynthesis (particulate organic carbon (POC) production) and calcification (particulate inorganic carbon (PIC) production) rates for all pCO 2 levels, with more than 50% reductions under nitrogen limitation. These impacts, however, became indistinguishable from nutrient-replete conditions when normalized to cell volume. Calcification decreased three-fold and linearly with increasing pCO 2 under all nutrient conditions, and was accompanied by a smaller ~30% nonlinear reduction in POC production, manifested mainly above 3 × current pCO 2 . Our results suggest that normalization to cell volume allows the major impacts of nutrient limitation (changed cell sizes and reduced PIC and POC production rates) to be treated independently of the major impacts of increasing pCO 2 and, additionally, stresses the importance of including cell volume measurements to the toolbox of standard physiological analysis of coccolithophores in field and laboratory studies.

  5. Were Oceanic Plateaus Instrumental for Calcareous Nannoplankton Evolution?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erba, E.; Casellato, C.; Bottini, C.

    2011-12-01

    The history of calcareous nannoplankton shows a general increase in species richness through the Mesozoic. Fertility and chemistry of the oceans, climate and pCO2 seem instrumental for nannoplankton abundance, diversification and adaptation, but high-resolution chronology of paleobiological and geological events is crucial for the understanding of evolutionary processes relative to ecosystem perturbations. Natural variations in atmospheric CO2 are essentially triggered by igneous activity and the role of ocean crust production in the evolution of seawater composition, nutrient cycling, climate change and, consequently, in calcareous nannoplankton biodiversity, might be more relevant than generally thought. Indeed, two major steps in nannofloral Mesozoic evolution correlate with construction of gigantic oceanic plateaus, namely the Shatsky Rise (SR) (Tithonian/Berriasian boundary interval) and the Ontong Java Plateau (OJP) (Barremian/Aptian boundary interval). During the latest Jurassic calcareous nannoplankton experienced a rapid diversification and rise in abundance of several taxa including heavily calcified nannoliths with consequent major increase in biogenic calcite production. The Tithonian origination of coccoliths and nannoliths suggests ideal paleoecological conditions for calcareous nannoplankton, presumably thriving in stable, relatively oligotrophic and cool oceans under low pCO2. Recent data indicate that this speciation and calcification episode was interrupted during magnetochron CM19r, prior to massive diversification of nannoconids. In the late Barremian-early Aptian interval, the nannoconid decline and crisis are paralleled by a major nannoplankton (mainly coccolith) speciation episode. Such calcification failure and coccolith diversification might reflect disruption of the thermocline, increased fertility and warming under excess CO2 levels. These evolutionary steps show rapid speciation, but differ because nannoliths became dominant in the late

  6. Evaluation of ammonia modified and conventionally activated biomass based carbons as CO2 adsorbents in postcombustion conditions

    OpenAIRE

    González Plaza, Marta; García López, Susana; Rubiera González, Fernando; Pis Martínez, José Juan; Pevida García, Covadonga

    2011-01-01

    Low cost carbons obtained from biomass residues, olive stones and almond shells, were evaluated as CO2 adsorbents in postcombustion conditions (low CO2 partial pressure). These carbons were prepared from biomass chars by means of two different methods: physical activation with CO2 and amination. All the prepared carbons present a high CO2 adsorption capacity at 303 K, although carbons developed from almond shells show a superior CO2/N2 selectivity (lower N2 adsorption) than those obtained fro...

  7. Carbon–climate feedbacks accelerate ocean acidification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. J. Matear

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Carbon–climate feedbacks have the potential to significantly impact the future climate by altering atmospheric CO2 concentrations (Zaehle et al. 2010. By modifying the future atmospheric CO2 concentrations, the carbon–climate feedbacks will also influence the future ocean acidification trajectory. Here, we use the CO2 emissions scenarios from four representative concentration pathways (RCPs with an Earth system model to project the future trajectories of ocean acidification with the inclusion of carbon–climate feedbacks. We show that simulated carbon–climate feedbacks can significantly impact the onset of undersaturated aragonite conditions in the Southern and Arctic oceans, the suitable habitat for tropical coral and the deepwater saturation states. Under the high-emissions scenarios (RCP8.5 and RCP6, the carbon–climate feedbacks advance the onset of surface water under saturation and the decline in suitable coral reef habitat by a decade or more. The impacts of the carbon–climate feedbacks are most significant for the medium- (RCP4.5 and low-emissions (RCP2.6 scenarios. For the RCP4.5 scenario, by 2100 the carbon–climate feedbacks nearly double the area of surface water undersaturated with respect to aragonite and reduce by 50 % the surface water suitable for coral reefs. For the RCP2.6 scenario, by 2100 the carbon–climate feedbacks reduce the area suitable for coral reefs by 40 % and increase the area of undersaturated surface water by 20 %. The sensitivity of ocean acidification to the carbon–climate feedbacks in the low to medium emission scenarios is important because recent CO2 emission reduction commitments are trying to transition emissions to such a scenario. Our study highlights the need to better characterise the carbon–climate feedbacks and ensure we do not underestimate the projected ocean acidification.

  8. Carbon-climate feedbacks accelerate ocean acidification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matear, Richard J.; Lenton, Andrew

    2018-03-01

    Carbon-climate feedbacks have the potential to significantly impact the future climate by altering atmospheric CO2 concentrations (Zaehle et al. 2010). By modifying the future atmospheric CO2 concentrations, the carbon-climate feedbacks will also influence the future ocean acidification trajectory. Here, we use the CO2 emissions scenarios from four representative concentration pathways (RCPs) with an Earth system model to project the future trajectories of ocean acidification with the inclusion of carbon-climate feedbacks. We show that simulated carbon-climate feedbacks can significantly impact the onset of undersaturated aragonite conditions in the Southern and Arctic oceans, the suitable habitat for tropical coral and the deepwater saturation states. Under the high-emissions scenarios (RCP8.5 and RCP6), the carbon-climate feedbacks advance the onset of surface water under saturation and the decline in suitable coral reef habitat by a decade or more. The impacts of the carbon-climate feedbacks are most significant for the medium- (RCP4.5) and low-emissions (RCP2.6) scenarios. For the RCP4.5 scenario, by 2100 the carbon-climate feedbacks nearly double the area of surface water undersaturated with respect to aragonite and reduce by 50 % the surface water suitable for coral reefs. For the RCP2.6 scenario, by 2100 the carbon-climate feedbacks reduce the area suitable for coral reefs by 40 % and increase the area of undersaturated surface water by 20 %. The sensitivity of ocean acidification to the carbon-climate feedbacks in the low to medium emission scenarios is important because recent CO2 emission reduction commitments are trying to transition emissions to such a scenario. Our study highlights the need to better characterise the carbon-climate feedbacks and ensure we do not underestimate the projected ocean acidification.

  9. Ikaite crystals in melting sea ice – implications for pCO2 and pH levels in Arctic surface waters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. J. G. Leakey

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available A major issue of Arctic marine science is to understand whether the Arctic Ocean is, or will be, a source or sink for air–sea CO2 exchange. This has been complicated by the recent discoveries of ikaite (a polymorph of CaCO3·6H2O in Arctic and Antarctic sea ice, which indicate that multiple chemical transformations occur in sea ice with a possible effect on CO2 and pH conditions in surface waters. Here, we report on biogeochemical conditions, microscopic examinations and x-ray diffraction analysis of single crystals from a melting 1.7 km2 (0.5–1 m thick drifting ice floe in the Fram Strait during summer. Our findings show that ikaite crystals are present throughout the sea ice but with larger crystals appearing in the upper ice layers. Ikaite crystals placed at elevated temperatures disintegrated into smaller crystallites and dissolved. During our field campaign in late June, melt reduced the ice floe thickness by 0.2 m per week and resulted in an estimated 3.8 ppm decrease of pCO2 in the ocean surface mixed layer. This corresponds to an air–sea CO2 uptake of 10.6 mmol m−2 sea ice d−1 or to 3.3 ton km−2 ice floe week−1. This is markedly higher than the estimated primary production within the ice floe of 0.3–1.3 mmol m−2 sea ice d−1. Finally, the presence of ikaite in sea ice and the dissolution of the mineral during melting of the sea ice and mixing of the melt water into the surface oceanic mixed layer accounted for half of the estimated pCO2 uptake.

  10. Population-specific responses in physiological rates of Emiliania huxleyi to a broad CO2 range

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. Zhang

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Although coccolithophore physiological responses to CO2-induced changes in seawater carbonate chemistry have been widely studied in the past, there is limited knowledge on the variability of physiological responses between populations from different areas. In the present study, we investigated the specific responses of growth, particulate organic (POC and inorganic carbon (PIC production rates of three populations of the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi from three regions in the North Atlantic Ocean (Azores: six strains, Canary Islands: five strains, and Norwegian coast near Bergen: six strains to a CO2 partial pressure (pCO2 range from 120 to 2630 µatm. Physiological rates of each population and individual strain increased with rising pCO2 levels, reached a maximum and declined thereafter. Optimal pCO2 for growth, POC production rates, and tolerance to low pH (i.e., high proton concentration was significantly higher in an E. huxleyi population isolated from the Norwegian coast than in those isolated near the Azores and Canary Islands. This may be due to the large environmental variability including large pCO2 and pH fluctuations in coastal waters off Bergen compared to the rather stable oceanic conditions at the other two sites. Maximum growth and POC production rates of the Azores and Bergen populations were similar and significantly higher than that of the Canary Islands population. This pattern could be driven by temperature–CO2 interactions where the chosen incubation temperature (16 °C was slightly below what strains isolated near the Canary Islands normally experience. Our results indicate adaptation of E. huxleyi to their local environmental conditions and the existence of distinct E. huxleyi populations. Within each population, different growth, POC, and PIC production rates at different pCO2 levels indicated strain-specific phenotypic plasticity. Accounting for this variability is important to understand how or whether E

  11. Evaluation of the CO2 sequestration capacity for coal fly ash using a flow-through column reactor under ambient conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jo, Ho Young; Ahn, Joon-Hoon; Jo, Hwanju

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► A conceptual in-situ mineral carbonation method using a coal ash pond is proposed. ► CO 2 uptake occurred by carbonation reaction of CO 2 with Ca 2+ ions from coal fly ash. ► The CO 2 sequestration capacity was affected by the solid dosage. ► Seawater can be used as a solvent for mineral carbonation of coal fly ash. - Abstract: An in-situ CO 2 sequestration method using coal ash ponds located in coastal regions is proposed. The CO 2 sequestration capacity of coal fly ash (CFA) by mineral carbonation was evaluated in a flow-through column reactor under various conditions (solid dosage: 100–330 g/L, CO 2 flow rate: 20–80 mL/min, solvent type: deionized (DI) water, 1 M NH 4 Cl solution, and seawater). The CO 2 sequestration tests were conducted on CFA slurries using flow-through column reactors to simulate more realistic flow-through conditions. The CO 2 sequestration capacity increased when the solid dosage was increased, whereas it was affected insignificantly by the CO 2 flow rate. A 1 M NH 4 Cl solution was the most effective solvent, but it was not significantly different from DI water or seawater. The CO 2 sequestration capacity of CFA under the flow-through conditions was approximately 0.019 g CO 2 /g CFA under the test conditions (solid dosage: 333 g/L, CO 2 flow rate: 40 mL/min, and solvent: seawater).

  12. CO2 as a C1-organic building block: Enantioselective electrocarboxylation of aromatic ketones with CO2catalyzed by cinchona alkaloids under mild conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Bao-Li; Tu, Zhuo-Ying; Zhu, Hong-Wei; Sun, Wen-Wen; Wang, Huan; Lu, Jia-Xing

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: •Cinchona alkaloids catalysis achieve enantioselective electrocarboxylation of racemic aromatic ketones. •The applications of CO 2 enantioselective electrochemical fixation into optically active hydroxyl carboxylic acids have been expanded. •The applications of alkaloids have been expanded. •The applications of asymmetric synthesis by electrochemical methodology have been expanded. -- Abstract: The enantioselective electrocarboxylation of pro-chiral aromatic ketones (2-acetonaphthone, 1-(6-methoxy-2-naphthyl)ethanone, 1-(4-methoxy-1-naphthyl)ethanone) with atmospheric pressure of CO 2 catalyzed by cinchona alkaloids in the presence of phenol was investigated in an undivided cell for the first time to give optically active 2-hydroxy-2-arylpropionic acid. For the model compound 2-acetonaphthone, the influence of various reaction conditions, such as cathode material, current density, catalyst type, ratio of proton to catalyst and catalyst quantity, on the enantiomeric excesses (ee) and yield has been investigated. Under the optimized conditions of 2-acetonaphthone, all the aromatic ketones examined are converted into corresponding optically active 2-hydroxy-2-arylpropionic acids in moderate yield (32.2% - 41.3%) and ee (48.1% - 48.6%). In addition, the electrochemical behavior of 2-acetonaphthone has been studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in the absence and presence of CO 2 . Moreover, the probable reaction pathway was proposed accordingly

  13. Foraminiferal calcification and CO2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nooijer, L. D.; Toyofuku, T.; Reichart, G. J.

    2017-12-01

    Ongoing burning of fossil fuels increases atmospheric CO2, elevates marine dissolved CO2 and decreases pH and the saturation state with respect to calcium carbonate. Intuitively this should decrease the ability of CaCO3-producing organisms to build their skeletons and shells. Whereas on geological time scales weathering and carbonate deposition removes carbon from the geo-biosphere, on time scales up to thousands of years, carbonate precipitation increases pCO2 because of the associated shift in seawater carbon speciation. Hence reduced calcification provides a potentially important negative feedback on increased pCO2 levels. Here we show that foraminifera form their calcium carbonate by active proton pumping. This elevates the internal pH and acidifies the direct foraminiferal surrounding. This also creates a strong pCO2 gradient and facilitates the uptake of DIC in the form of carbon dioxide. This finding uncouples saturation state from calcification and predicts that the added carbon due to ocean acidification will promote calcification by these organisms. This unknown effect could add substantially to atmospheric pCO2 levels, and might need to be accounted for in future mitigation strategies.

  14. Spatio-temporal dynamics of ocean conditions and forage taxa reveal regional structuring of seabird–prey relationships.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santora, Jarrod A; Schroeder, Isaac D; Field, John C; Wells, Brian K; Sydeman, William J

    Studies of predator–prey demographic responses and the physical drivers of such relationships are rare, yet essential for predicting future changes in the structure and dynamics of marine ecosystems. Here, we hypothesize that predator–prey relationships vary spatially in association with underlying physical ocean conditions, leading to observable changes in demographic rates, such as reproduction. To test this hypothesis, we quantified spatio-temporal variability in hydrographic conditions, krill, and forage fish to model predator (seabird) demographic responses over 18 years (1990–2007). We used principal component analysis and spatial correlation maps to assess coherence among ocean conditions, krill, and forage fish, and generalized additive models to quantify interannual variability in seabird breeding success relative to prey abundance. The first principal component of four hydrographic measurements yielded an index that partitioned “warm/weak upwelling” and “cool/strong upwelling” years. Partitioning of krill and forage fish time series among shelf and oceanic regions yielded spatially explicit indicators of prey availability. Krill abundance within the oceanic region was remarkably consistent between years, whereas krill over the shelf showed marked interannual fluctuations in relation to ocean conditions. Anchovy abundance varied on the shelf, and was greater in years of strong stratification, weak upwelling and warmer temperatures. Spatio-temporal variability of juvenile forage fish co-varied strongly with each other and with krill, but was weakly correlated with hydrographic conditions. Demographic responses between seabirds and prey availability revealed spatially variable associations indicative of the dynamic nature of “predator–habitat” relationships. Quantification of spatially explicit demographic responses, and their variability through time, demonstrate the possibility of delineating specific critical areas where the

  15. Conditional CO2 flux analysis of a managed grassland with the aid of stable isotopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeeman, M. J.; Tuzson, B.; Emmenegger, L.; Knohl, A.; Buchmann, N.; Eugster, W.

    2009-04-01

    Short statured managed ecosystems, such as agricultural grasslands, exhibit high temporal changes in carbon dioxide assimilation and respiration fluxes for which measurements of the net CO2 flux, e.g. by using the eddy covariance (EC) method, give only limited insight. We have therefore adopted a recently proposed concept for conditional EC flux analysis of forest to grasslands, in order to identify and quantify daytime sub-canopy respiration fluxes. To validate the concept, high frequency (≈5 Hz) stable carbon isotope analyis of CO2 was used. We made eddy covariance measurements of CO2 and its isotopologues during four days in August 2007, using a novel quantum cascade laser absorption spectrometer, capable of high time resolution stable isotope analysis. The effects of a grass cut during the measurement period could be detected and resulted in a sub-canopy source conditional flux classification, for which the isotope composition of the CO2 could be confirmed to be of a respiration source. However, the conditional flux method did not work for an undisturbed grassland canopy. We attribute this to the flux measurement height that was chosen well above the roughness sublayer, where the natural isotopic tracer (δ13C) of respiration was too well mixed with background air.

  16. Well technologies for CO2 geological storage: CO2-resistant cement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barlet-Gouedard, V.; Rimmele, G.; Porcherie, O.; Goffe, B.

    2007-01-01

    Storing carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) underground is considered the most effective way for long-term safe and low-cost CO 2 sequestration. This recent application requires long-term well-bore integrity. A CO 2 leakage through the annulus may occur much more rapidly than geologic leakage through the formation rock, leading to economic loss, reduction of CO 2 storage efficiency, and potential compromise of the field for storage. The possibility of such leaks raises considerable concern about the long-term well-bore isolation and the durability of hydrated cement that is used to isolate the annulus across the producing/injection intervals in CO 2 -storage wells. We propose a new experimental procedure and methodology to study reactivity of CO 2 -Water-Cement systems in simulating the interaction of the set cement with injected supercritical CO 2 under downhole conditions. The conditions of experiments are 90 deg. C under 280 bars. The evolution of mechanical, physical and chemical properties of Portland cement with time is studied up to 6 months. The results are compared to equivalent studies on a new CO 2 -resistant material; the comparison shows significant promise for this new material. (authors)

  17. Water loss from terrestrial planets with CO{sub 2}-rich atmospheres

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wordsworth, R. D.; Pierrehumbert, R. T., E-mail: rwordsworth@uchicago.edu [Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, 60637 IL (United States)

    2013-12-01

    Water photolysis and hydrogen loss from the upper atmospheres of terrestrial planets is of fundamental importance to climate evolution but remains poorly understood in general. Here we present a range of calculations we performed to study the dependence of water loss rates from terrestrial planets on a range of atmospheric and external parameters. We show that CO{sub 2} can only cause significant water loss by increasing surface temperatures over a narrow range of conditions, with cooling of the middle and upper atmosphere acting as a bottleneck on escape in other circumstances. Around G-stars, efficient loss only occurs on planets with intermediate CO{sub 2} atmospheric partial pressures (0.1-1 bar) that receive a net flux close to the critical runaway greenhouse limit. Because G-star total luminosity increases with time but X-ray and ultraviolet/ultravoilet luminosity decreases, this places strong limits on water loss for planets like Earth. In contrast, for a CO{sub 2}-rich early Venus, diffusion limits on water loss are only important if clouds caused strong cooling, implying that scenarios where the planet never had surface liquid water are indeed plausible. Around M-stars, water loss is primarily a function of orbital distance, with planets that absorb less flux than ∼270 W m{sup –2} (global mean) unlikely to lose more than one Earth ocean of H{sub 2}O over their lifetimes unless they lose all their atmospheric N{sub 2}/CO{sub 2} early on. Because of the variability of H{sub 2}O delivery during accretion, our results suggest that many 'Earth-like' exoplanets in the habitable zone may have ocean-covered surfaces, stable CO{sub 2}/H{sub 2}O-rich atmospheres, and high mean surface temperatures.

  18. CO2, the promises of geological sequestration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rouat, S.

    2006-01-01

    Trapping part of the world CO 2 effluents in the deep underground is a profitable and ecological way to limit the global warming. This digest paper presents the different ways of CO 2 sequestration (depleted oil and gas fields, unexploited coal seams, saline aquifers), the other possible solutions for CO 2 abatement (injection in the bottom of the ocean, conversion into carbonates by injection into basic rocks, fixation by photosynthesis thanks to micro-algae cultivation), and takes stock of the experiments in progress (Snoehvit field in Norway, European project Castor). (J.S.)

  19. FY 2000 Project of developing international standards for supporting new industries. Standardization of the marine environment analyzers (Analyzers for measuring CO2 in ocean); 2000 nendo shinki sangyo shiengata kokusai hyojun kaihatsu jigyo seika hokokusho. Kaiyo kankyo keisoku kiki (kaiyo CO2 sokutei kanren kikirui) no hyojunka

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2001-03-01

    Described herein are the FY 2000 results of the research and development of analyzers and analytical procedures necessary for evaluating CO2 abatement effects and fixed quantities in ocean, for proposing the international standards. The program for studying the analytical procedures makes a literature survey mainly on papers and also on patent publications, to collect the data related to this project and establish the database. The program for measuring CO2 in deep ocean studies a suspension type CO2 profiler with a liquid-liquid leveler and develops a small-size, high-precision device serviceable at a depth of 3,000m, around 1m in length and 40kg in weight. The program for flux meters tests various commercial sensors, to obtain the design requirements for the sensor of improved functions to withstand splashes and rolling/pitching. The program for CO2 flux measurement methods study aims at the eddy correlation method, which is the most direct procedure involving limited number of assumptions, after having investigated various procedures, to improve precision of the sensor. (NEDO)

  20. Characterizing near-surface CO2 conditions before injection - Perspectives from a CCS project in the Illinois Basin, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Locke, R.A.; Krapac, I.G.; Lewicki, J.L.; Curtis-Robinson, E.

    2011-01-01

    The Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium is conducting a large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in Decatur, Illinois, USA to demonstrate the ability of a deep saline formation to store one million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) from an ethanol facility. Beginning in early 2011, CO2 will be injected at a rate of 1,000 tonnes/day for three years into the Mount Simon Sandstone at a depth of approximately 2,100 meters. An extensive Monitoring, Verification, and Accounting (MVA) program has been undertaken for the Illinois Basin Decatur Project (IBDP) and is focused on the 0.65 km2 project site. Goals include establishing baseline conditions to evaluate potential impacts from CO2 injection, demonstrating that project activities are protective of human health and the environment, and providing an accurate accounting of stored CO2. MVA efforts are being conducted pre-, during, and post- CO2 injection. Soil and net CO2 flux monitoring has been conducted for more than one year to characterize near-surface CO2 conditions. More than 2,200 soil CO2 flux measurements have been manually collected from a network of 118 soil rings since June 2009. Three ring types have been evaluated to determine which type may be the most effective in detecting potential CO 2 leakage. Bare soil, shallow-depth rings were driven 8 cm into the ground and were prepared to minimize surface vegetation in and near the rings. Bare soil, deep-depth rings were prepared similarly, but were driven 46 cm. Natural-vegetation, shallow-depth rings were driven 8 cm and are most representative of typical vegetation conditions. Bare-soil, shallow-depth rings had the smallest observed mean flux (1.78 ??mol m-2 s-1) versus natural-vegetation, shallow-depth rings (3.38 ??mol m-2 s-1). Current data suggest bare ring types would be more sensitive to small CO2 leak signatures than natural ring types because of higher signal to noise ratios. An eddy covariance (EC) system has been in use since June

  1. CO2 maximum in the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. Garçon

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Oxygen minimum zones (OMZs, known as suboxic layers which are mainly localized in the Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems, have been expanding since the 20th "high CO2" century, probably due to global warming. OMZs are also known to significantly contribute to the oceanic production of N2O, a greenhouse gas (GHG more efficient than CO2. However, the contribution of the OMZs on the oceanic sources and sinks budget of CO2, the main GHG, still remains to be established. We present here the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC structure, associated locally with the Chilean OMZ and globally with the main most intense OMZs (O2−1 in the open ocean. To achieve this, we examine simultaneous DIC and O2 data collected off Chile during 4 cruises (2000–2002 and a monthly monitoring (2000–2001 in one of the shallowest OMZs, along with international DIC and O2 databases and climatology for other OMZs. High DIC concentrations (>2225 μmol kg−1, up to 2350 μmol kg−1 have been reported over the whole OMZ thickness, allowing the definition for all studied OMZs a Carbon Maximum Zone (CMZ. Locally off Chile, the shallow cores of the OMZ and CMZ are spatially and temporally collocated at 21° S, 30° S and 36° S despite different cross-shore, long-shore and seasonal configurations. Globally, the mean state of the main OMZs also corresponds to the largest carbon reserves of the ocean in subsurface waters. The CMZs-OMZs could then induce a positive feedback for the atmosphere during upwelling activity, as potential direct local sources of CO2. The CMZ paradoxically presents a slight "carbon deficit" in its core (~10%, meaning a DIC increase from the oxygenated ocean to the OMZ lower than the corresponding O2 decrease (assuming classical C/O molar ratios. This "carbon deficit" would be related to regional thermal mechanisms affecting faster O2 than DIC (due to the carbonate buffer effect and occurring upstream in warm waters (e.g., in the Equatorial Divergence

  2. Ocean acidification challenges copepod phenotypic plasticity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vehmaa, Anu; Almén, Anna-Karin; Brutemark, Andreas; Paul, Allanah; Riebesell, Ulf; Furuhagen, Sara; Engström-Öst, Jonna

    2016-11-01

    Ocean acidification is challenging phenotypic plasticity of individuals and populations. Calanoid copepods (zooplankton) are shown to be fairly plastic against altered pH conditions, and laboratory studies indicate that transgenerational effects are one mechanism behind this plasticity. We studied phenotypic plasticity of the copepod Acartia sp. in the course of a pelagic, large-volume mesocosm study that was conducted to investigate ecosystem and biogeochemical responses to ocean acidification. We measured copepod egg production rate, egg-hatching success, adult female size and adult female antioxidant capacity (ORAC) as a function of acidification (fCO2 ˜ 365-1231 µatm) and as a function of quantity and quality of their diet. We used an egg transplant experiment to reveal whether transgenerational effects can alleviate the possible negative effects of ocean acidification on offspring development. We found significant negative effects of ocean acidification on adult female size. In addition, we found signs of a possible threshold at high fCO2, above which adaptive maternal effects cannot alleviate the negative effects of acidification on egg-hatching and nauplii development. We did not find support for the hypothesis that insufficient food quantity (total particulate carbon < 55 µm) or quality (C : N) weakens the transgenerational effects. However, females with high-ORAC-produced eggs with high hatching success. Overall, these results indicate that Acartia sp. could be affected by projected near-future CO2 levels.

  3. The influence of food supply on the response of Olympia oyster larvae to ocean acidification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Hettinger

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide drive accompanying changes in the marine carbonate system as carbon dioxide (CO2 enters seawater and alters ocean pH (termed "ocean acidification". However, such changes do not occur in isolation, and other environmental factors have the potential to modulate the consequences of altered ocean chemistry. Given that physiological mechanisms used by organisms to confront acidification can be energetically costly, we explored the potential for food supply to influence the response of Olympia oyster (Ostrea lurida larvae to ocean acidification. In laboratory experiments, we reared oyster larvae under a factorial combination of pCO2 and food level. Elevated pCO2 had negative effects on larval growth, total dry weight, and metamorphic success, but high food availability partially offset these influences. The combination of elevated pCO2 and low food availability led to the greatest reduction in larval performance. However, the effects of food and pCO2 interacted additively rather than synergistically, indicating that they operated independently. Despite the potential for abundant resources to counteract the consequences of ocean acidification, impacts were never completely negated, suggesting that even under conditions of enhanced primary production and elevated food availability, impacts of ocean acidification may still accrue in some consumers.

  4. Carbon dioxide exchange between atmosphere and ocean and the question of an increase of atmospheric CO/sub 2/ during the past decades

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Revelle, R; Suess, H E

    1957-01-01

    From a comparison of C/sup 14//C/sup 12/ and C/sup 13//C/sup 12/ ratios in wood and in marine material and from a slight decrease of the C/sup 14/ concentration in terrestrial plants over the past 50 years it can be concluded that the average lifetime of a CO/sub 2/ molecule in the atmosphere before it is dissolved into the sea is of the order of 10 years. This means that most of the CO/sub 2/ released by artificial fuel combustion since the beginning of the industrial revolution must have been absorbed by the oceans. The increase of atmospheric CO/sub 2/ from this cause is at present small but may become significant during future decades of industrial fuel combustion continues to rise exponentially. Present data on the total amount of CO/sub 2/ in the atmosphere, on the rates and mechanisms of exchange, and on possible fluctuations in terrestrial and marine organic carbon, are inadequate for accurate measurement of future changes in atmospheric CO/sub 2/. An opportunity exists during the international geophysical year to obtain much of the necessary information.

  5. Metal release from contaminated coastal sediments under changing pH conditions: Implications for metal mobilization in acidified oceans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zaosheng; Wang, Yushao; Zhao, Peihong; Chen, Liuqin; Yan, Changzhou; Yan, Yijun; Chi, Qiaoqiao

    2015-12-30

    To investigate the impacts and processes of CO2-induced acidification on metal mobilization, laboratory-scale experiments were performed, simulating the scenarios where carbon dioxide was injected into sediment-seawater layers inside non-pressurized chambers. Coastal sediments were sampled from two sites with different contamination levels and subjected to pre-determined pH conditions. Sediment samples and overlying water were collected for metal analysis after 10-days. The results indicated that CO2-induced ocean acidification would provoke increased metal mobilization causing adverse side-effects on water quality. The mobility of metals from sediment to the overlying seawater was correlated with the reduction in pH. Results of sequential extractions of sediments illustrated that exchangeable metal forms were the dominant source of mobile metals. Collectively, our data revealed that high metal concentrations in overlying seawater released from contaminated sediments under acidic conditions may strengthen the existing contamination gradients in Maluan Bay and represent a potential risk to ecosystem health in coastal environments. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Investigational research on CO2 isolation technology in fiscal 1995; 1995 nendo nisanka tanso no kakuri gijutsu ni kansuru chosa kenkyu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-03-01

    The paper studied present technical subjects and future study subjects of the CO2 isolation technology in order to clarify technical and social problems and the developmental subjects of the CO2 isolation technology and related technologies for separating/concentrating CO2 emitted in relation to quantity consumption of fossil fuel and storing it in ocean or underground. Main items for the study were: (1) investigational study of the technology of CO2 ocean storage, (2) investigational study of environmental effect assessment in storing CO2 in ocean, (3) investigational study of the technology of CO2 ocean storage, etc. Technologies required for the ocean isolation were arranged such as CO2 storage, injection, dispersion technique, CO2 behavior simulation, and the developmental subjects were extracted. Further, in the deep-sea bottom storage method, a simulation to calculate the range of PH effects was conducted presuming the specified amount of CO2 and applying known physical values, and evaluation of the CO2 ocean discharge/solution method was made. A method was also studied for experiments on water bacteria and benthos. 127 refs., 102 figs., 81 tabs.

  7. Recent global CO2 flux inferred from atmospheric CO2 observations and its regional analyses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. M. Chen

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available The net surface exchange of CO2 for the years 2002–2007 is inferred from 12 181 atmospheric CO2 concentration data with a time-dependent Bayesian synthesis inversion scheme. Monthly CO2 fluxes are optimized for 30 regions of the North America and 20 regions for the rest of the globe. Although there have been many previous multiyear inversion studies, the reliability of atmospheric inversion techniques has not yet been systematically evaluated for quantifying regional interannual variability in the carbon cycle. In this study, the global interannual variability of the CO2 flux is found to be dominated by terrestrial ecosystems, particularly by tropical land, and the variations of regional terrestrial carbon fluxes are closely related to climate variations. These interannual variations are mostly caused by abnormal meteorological conditions in a few months in the year or part of a growing season and cannot be well represented using annual means, suggesting that we should pay attention to finer temporal climate variations in ecosystem modeling. We find that, excluding fossil fuel and biomass burning emissions, terrestrial ecosystems and oceans absorb an average of 3.63 ± 0.49 and 1.94 ± 0.41 Pg C yr−1, respectively. The terrestrial uptake is mainly in northern land while the tropical and southern lands contribute 0.62 ± 0.47, and 0.67 ± 0.34 Pg C yr−1 to the sink, respectively. In North America, terrestrial ecosystems absorb 0.89 ± 0.18 Pg C yr−1 on average with a strong flux density found in the south-east of the continent.

  8. Mitigating Local Causes of Ocean Acidification with Existing Laws

    Science.gov (United States)

    The oceans continue to absorb CO2 in step with the increasing atmospheric concentration of CO2. The dissolved CO2 reacts with seawater to form carbonic acid (H2CO3) and liberate hydrogen ions, causing the pH of the oceans to decrease. Ocean acidification is thus an inevitable a...

  9. EPOCA/EUR-OCEANS data compilation on the biological and biogeochemical responses to ocean acidification

    OpenAIRE

    Nisumaa Anne-Marin; Pesant Stephane; Bellerby Richard G J; Delille Bruno; Middelburg Jack J; Orr James C; Riebesell Ulf; Tyrrell Toby; Wolf-Gladrow Dieter A; Gattuso Jean-Pierre

    2010-01-01

    The uptake of anthropogenic CO2 by the oceans has led to a rise in the oceanic partial pressure of CO2, and to a decrease in pH and carbonate ion concentration. This modification of the marine carbonate system is referred to as ocean acidification. Numerous papers report the effects of ocean acidification on marine organisms and communities but few have provided details concerning full carbonate chemistry and complementary observations. Additional...

  10. Ocean acidification in a geoengineering context

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williamson, Phillip; Turley, Carol

    2012-01-01

    Fundamental changes to marine chemistry are occurring because of increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. Ocean acidity (H+ concentration) and bicarbonate ion concentrations are increasing, whereas carbonate ion concentrations are decreasing. There has already been an average pH decrease of 0.1 in the upper ocean, and continued unconstrained carbon emissions would further reduce average upper ocean pH by approximately 0.3 by 2100. Laboratory experiments, observations and projections indicate that such ocean acidification may have ecological and biogeochemical impacts that last for many thousands of years. The future magnitude of such effects will be very closely linked to atmospheric CO2; they will, therefore, depend on the success of emission reduction, and could also be constrained by geoengineering based on most carbon dioxide removal (CDR) techniques. However, some ocean-based CDR approaches would (if deployed on a climatically significant scale) re-locate acidification from the upper ocean to the seafloor or elsewhere in the ocean interior. If solar radiation management were to be the main policy response to counteract global warming, ocean acidification would continue to be driven by increases in atmospheric CO2, although with additional temperature-related effects on CO2 and CaCO3 solubility and terrestrial carbon sequestration. PMID:22869801

  11. Ocean acidification reduces the crystallographic control in juvenile mussel shells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitzer, Susan C; Cusack, Maggie; Phoenix, Vernon R; Kamenos, Nicholas A

    2014-10-01

    Global climate change threatens the oceans as anthropogenic carbon dioxide causes ocean acidification and reduced carbonate saturation. Future projections indicate under saturation of aragonite, and potentially calcite, in the oceans by 2100. Calcifying organisms are those most at risk from such ocean acidification, as carbonate is vital in the biomineralisation of their calcium carbonate protective shells. This study highlights the importance of multi-generational studies to investigate how marine organisms can potentially adapt to future projected global climate change. Mytilus edulis is an economically important marine calcifier vulnerable to decreasing carbonate saturation as their shells comprise two calcium carbonate polymorphs: aragonite and calcite. M. edulis specimens were cultured under current and projected pCO2 (380, 550, 750 and 1000μatm), following 6months of experimental culture, adults produced second generation juvenile mussels. Juvenile mussel shells were examined for structural and crystallographic orientation of aragonite and calcite. At 1000μatm pCO2, juvenile mussels spawned and grown under this high pCO2 do not produce aragonite which is more vulnerable to carbonate under-saturation than calcite. Calcite and aragonite were produced at 380, 550 and 750μatm pCO2. Electron back scatter diffraction analyses reveal less constraint in crystallographic orientation with increased pCO2. Shell formation is maintained, although the nacre crystals appear corroded and crystals are not so closely layered together. The differences in ultrastructure and crystallography in shells formed by juveniles spawned from adults in high pCO2 conditions may prove instrumental in their ability to survive ocean acidification. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. The Southern Ocean biogeochemical divide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marinov, I; Gnanadesikan, A; Toggweiler, J R; Sarmiento, J L

    2006-06-22

    Modelling studies have demonstrated that the nutrient and carbon cycles in the Southern Ocean play a central role in setting the air-sea balance of CO(2) and global biological production. Box model studies first pointed out that an increase in nutrient utilization in the high latitudes results in a strong decrease in the atmospheric carbon dioxide partial pressure (pCO2). This early research led to two important ideas: high latitude regions are more important in determining atmospheric pCO2 than low latitudes, despite their much smaller area, and nutrient utilization and atmospheric pCO2 are tightly linked. Subsequent general circulation model simulations show that the Southern Ocean is the most important high latitude region in controlling pre-industrial atmospheric CO(2) because it serves as a lid to a larger volume of the deep ocean. Other studies point out the crucial role of the Southern Ocean in the uptake and storage of anthropogenic carbon dioxide and in controlling global biological production. Here we probe the system to determine whether certain regions of the Southern Ocean are more critical than others for air-sea CO(2) balance and the biological export production, by increasing surface nutrient drawdown in an ocean general circulation model. We demonstrate that atmospheric CO(2) and global biological export production are controlled by different regions of the Southern Ocean. The air-sea balance of carbon dioxide is controlled mainly by the biological pump and circulation in the Antarctic deep-water formation region, whereas global export production is controlled mainly by the biological pump and circulation in the Subantarctic intermediate and mode water formation region. The existence of this biogeochemical divide separating the Antarctic from the Subantarctic suggests that it may be possible for climate change or human intervention to modify one of these without greatly altering the other.

  13. Differential response to ocean acidification in physiological traits of Concholepas concholepas populations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lardies, Marco A.; Arias, María Belén; Poupin, María Josefina; Manríquez, Patricio H.; Torres, Rodrigo; Vargas, Cristian A.; Navarro, Jorge M.; Lagos, Nelson A.

    2014-07-01

    Phenotypic adaptation to environmental fluctuations frequently occurs by preexisting plasticity and its role as a major component of variation in physiological diversity is being widely recognized. Few studies have considered the change in phenotypic flexibility among geographic populations in marine calcifiers to ocean acidification projections, despite the fact that this type of study provides understanding about how the organism may respond to this chemical change in the ocean. We examined the geographic variation in CO2 seawater concentrations in the phenotype and in the reaction norm of physiological traits using a laboratory mesocosm approach with short-term acclimation in two contrasting populations (Antofagasta and Calfuco) of the intertidal snail Concholepas concholepas. Our results show that elevated pCO2 conditions increase standard metabolic rates in both populations of the snail juveniles, likely due to the higher energy cost of homeostasis. Juveniles of C. concholepas in the Calfuco (southern) population showed a lower increment of metabolic rate in high-pCO2 environments concordant with a lesser gene expression of a heat shock protein with respect to the Antofagasta (northern) population. Combined these results indicate a negative effect of ocean acidification on whole-organism functioning of C. concholepas. Finally, the significant Population × pCO2 level interaction in both studied traits indicates that there is variation between populations in response to high-pCO2 conditions.

  14. CO{sub 2} threshold for millennial-scale oscillations in the climate system: implications for global warming scenarios

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meissner, Katrin J.; Eby, Michael; Weaver, Andrew J. [University of Victoria, School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Victoria, BC (Canada); Saenko, Oleg A. [Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis, Victoria (Canada)

    2008-02-15

    We present several equilibrium runs under varying atmospheric CO{sub 2} concentrations using the University of Victoria Earth System Climate Model (UVic ESCM). The model shows two very different responses: for CO{sub 2} concentrations of 400 ppm or lower, the system evolves into an equilibrium state. For CO{sub 2} concentrations of 440 ppm or higher, the system starts oscillating between a state with vigorous deep water formation in the Southern Ocean and a state with no deep water formation in the Southern Ocean. The flushing events result in a rapid increase in atmospheric temperatures, degassing of CO{sub 2} and therefore an increase in atmospheric CO{sub 2} concentrations, and a reduction of sea ice cover in the Southern Ocean. They also cool the deep ocean worldwide. After the flush, the deep ocean warms slowly again and CO{sub 2} is taken up by the ocean until the stratification becomes unstable again at high latitudes thousands of years later. The existence of a threshold in CO{sub 2} concentration which places the UVic ESCM in either an oscillating or non-oscillating state makes our results intriguing. If the UVic ESCM captures a mechanism that is present and important in the real climate system, the consequences would comprise a rapid increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations of several tens of ppm, an increase in global surface temperature of the order of 1-2 C, local temperature changes of the order of 6 C and a profound change in ocean stratification, deep water temperature and sea ice cover. (orig.)

  15. The oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) off Chile as intense source of CO 2 and N 2O

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paulmier, A.; Ruiz-Pino, D.; Garcon, V.

    2008-12-01

    The oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) are recognized as intense sources of N 2O greenhouse gas (GHG) and could also be potential sources of CO 2, the most important GHG for the present climate change. This study evaluates, for one of the most intense and shallow OMZ, the Chilean East South Pacific OMZ, the simultaneous N 2O and CO 2 fluxes at the air-sea interface. Four cruises (2000-2002) and 1 year of monitoring (21°-30°-36°S) off Chile allowed the determination of the CO 2 and N 2O concentrations at the sea surface and the analysis of fluxes variations associated with different OMZ configurations. The Chilean OMZ area can be an intense GHG oceanic local source of both N 2O and CO 2. The mean N 2O fluxes are 5-10 times higher than the maximal previous historical source in an OMZ open area as in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. For CO 2, the mean fluxes are also positive and correspond to very high oceanic sources. Even if different coupling and decoupling between N 2O and CO 2 are observed along the Chilean OMZ, 65% of the situations represent high CO 2 and/or N 2O sources. The high GHG sources are associated with coastal upwelling transport of OMZ waters rich in N 2O and probably also in CO 2, located at a shallow depth. The integrated OMZ role on GHG should be better considered to improve our understanding of the past and future atmospheric CO 2 and N 2O evolutions.

  16. Origin of path independence between cumulative CO2 emissions and global warming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seshadri, Ashwin K.

    2017-11-01

    Observations and GCMs exhibit approximate proportionality between cumulative carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and global warming. Here we identify sufficient conditions for the relationship between cumulative CO2 emissions and global warming to be independent of the path of CO2 emissions; referred to as "path independence". Our starting point is a closed form expression for global warming in a two-box energy balance model (EBM), which depends explicitly on cumulative emissions, airborne fraction and time. Path independence requires that this function can be approximated as depending on cumulative emissions alone. We show that path independence arises from weak constraints, occurring if the timescale for changes in cumulative emissions (equal to ratio between cumulative emissions and emissions rate) is small compared to the timescale for changes in airborne fraction (which depends on CO2 uptake), and also small relative to a derived climate model parameter called the damping-timescale, which is related to the rate at which deep-ocean warming affects global warming. Effects of uncertainties in the climate model and carbon cycle are examined. Large deep-ocean heat capacity in the Earth system is not necessary for path independence, which appears resilient to climate modeling uncertainties. However long time-constants in the Earth system carbon cycle are essential, ensuring that airborne fraction changes slowly with timescale much longer than the timescale for changes in cumulative emissions. Therefore path independence between cumulative emissions and warming cannot arise for short-lived greenhouse gases.

  17. Role of CO2 and Southern Ocean winds in glacial abrupt climate change

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Montoya

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available The study of Greenland ice cores revealed two decades ago the abrupt character of glacial millennial-scale climate variability. Several triggering mechanisms have been proposed and confronted against growing proxy-data evidence. Although the implication of North Atlantic deep water (NADW formation reorganisations in glacial abrupt climate change seems robust nowadays, the final cause of these reorganisations remains unclear. Here, the role of CO2 and Southern Ocean winds is investigated using a coupled model of intermediate complexity in an experimental setup designed such that the climate system resides close to a threshold found in previous studies. An initial abrupt surface air temperature (SAT increase over the North Atlantic by 4 K in less than a decade, followed by a more gradual warming greater than 10 K on centennial timescales, is simulated in response to increasing atmospheric CO2 levels and/or enhancing southern westerlies. The simulated peak warming shows a similar pattern and amplitude over Greenland as registered in ice core records of Dansgaard-Oeschger (D/O events. This is accompanied by a strong Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC intensification. The AMOC strengthening is found to be caused by a northward shift of NADW formation sites into the Nordic Seas as a result of a northward retreat of the sea-ice front in response to higher temperatures. This leads to enhanced heat loss to the atmosphere as well as reduced freshwater fluxes via reduced sea-ice import into the region. In this way, a new mechanism that is consistent with proxy data is identified by which abrupt climate change can be promoted.

  18. Evaluation of a Prototype pCO2 Optical Sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanborn-Marsh, C.; Sutton, A.; Sabine, C. L.; Lawrence-Salvas, N.; Dietrich, C.

    2016-12-01

    Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, driving climate change and altering the ocean carbonate systems. Carbonate chemistry can be characterized by any two of the four parameters: pH, total alkalinity, dissolved inorganic carbon, and partial pressure of dissolved carbon dioxide gas (pCO2). To fully monitor these dynamic systems, researchers must deploy a more temporally and spatially comprehensive sensor network. Logistical challenges, such as the energy consumption, size, lifetime, depth range, and cost of pCO2 sensors have limited the network's reach so far. NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory has conducted assessment tests of a pCO2 optical sensor (optode), recently developed by Atamanchuk et al (2014). We hope to deploy this optode in the summer of 2017 on high-resolution moored profiler, along with temperature, salinity, and oxygen sensors. While most pCO2 optodes have energy consumptions of 3-10 W, this 36mm-diameter by 86mm-long instrument consumes a mere 7-80 mW. Initial testing showed that its accuracy varied within an absolute range of 2-75 μatm, depending on environmental conditions, including temperature, salinity, response time, and initial calibration. Further research independently examining the effects of each variable on the accuracy of the data will also be presented.

  19. Atmospheric CO2 and climate: Importance of the transient response

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schneider, S.H.; Thompson, S.L.

    1981-01-01

    Preliminary studies suggest that the thermal inertia of the upper layers of the oceans, combined with vertical mixing of deeper oceanic waters, could delay the response of the globally averaged surface temperature to an increasing atmospheric CO 2 concentration by a decade or so relative to equilibrium calculations. This study extends the global analysis of the transient response to zonal averages, using a hierarchy of simple energy balance models and vertical mixing assumptions for water exchange between upper and deeper oceanic layers. It is found that because of the latitudinal dependence of both thermal inertia and radiative and dynamic energy exchange mechanisms, the approach toward equilibrium of the surface temperature of various regions of the earth will be significantly different from the global average approach. This suggests that the actual time evolution of the horizontal surface temperature gradients--and any associated regional climatic anomalies-may well be significantly different from that suggested by equilibrium climatic modeling simulations (or those computed with a highly unrealistic geographic distribution of ocean thermal capacity). Also, the transient response as a function of latitude is significantly different between globally equivalent CO 2 and solar constant focusing runs. It is suggested that the nature of the transient response is a major uncertainty in characterizing the CO 2 problem and that study of this topic should become a major priority for future research. An appendix puts this issue in the context of the overall CO 2 problem

  20. Growth attenuation with developmental schedule progression in embryos and early larvae of Sterechinus neumayeri raised under elevated CO2.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pauline C Yu

    Full Text Available The Southern Ocean, a region that will be an ocean acidification hotspot in the near future, is home to a uniquely adapted fauna that includes a diversity of lightly-calcified invertebrates. We exposed the larvae of the echinoid Sterechinus neumayeri to environmental levels of CO(2 in McMurdo Sound (control: 410 µatm, Ω = 1.35 and mildly elevated pCO(2 levels, both near the level of the aragonite saturation horizon (510 µatm pCO(2, Ω = 1.12, and to under-saturating conditions (730 µatm, Ω = 0.82. Early embryological development was normal under these conditions with the exception of the hatching process, which was slightly delayed. Appearance of the initial calcium carbonate (CaCO(3 spicule nuclei among the primary mesenchyme cells of the gastrulae was synchronous between control and elevated pCO(2 treatments. However, by prism (7 days after the initial appearance of the spicule nucleus, elongating arm rod spicules were already significantly shorter in the highest CO(2 treatment. Unfed larvae in the 730 µatm pCO(2 treatment remained significantly smaller than unfed control larvae at days 15-30, and larvae in the 510 µatm treatment were significantly smaller at day 20. At day 30, the arm lengths were more differentiated between 730 µatm and control CO(2 treatments than were body lengths as components of total length. Arm length is the most plastic morphological aspect of the echinopluteus, and appears to exhibit the greatest response to high pCO(2/low pH/low carbonate, even in the absence of food. Thus, while the effects of elevated pCO(2 representative of near future climate scenarios are proportionally minor on these early developmental stages, the longer term effects on these long-lived invertebrates is still unknown.

  1. Crassulacean Acid Metabolism in the Epiphyte Tillandsia usneoides L. (Spanish Moss) : RESPONSES OF CO(2) EXCHANGE TO CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, C E; Siedow, J N

    1981-08-01

    Patterns of CO(2) exchange in Spanish moss under various experimental conditions were measured using an infrared gas analysis system. Plants were collected from a study site in North Carolina and placed in a gas exchange chamber for several days of continuous measurements. No substantial seasonal effects on CO(2) exchange were observed. High rates of nocturnal CO(2) uptake were observed under day/night temperature regimes of 25/10, 25/15, 25/20, 30/20, and 35/20 C; however, daytime temperatures of 40 C eliminated nighttime CO(2) uptake and a nighttime temperature of 5 C eliminated nocturnal CO(2) uptake, regardless of day temperature. Constant chamber conditions also inhibited nocturnal CO(2) uptake. Constant high relative humidity (RH) slightly stimulated CO(2) uptake while low nighttime RH reduced nocturnal CO(2) uptake.Reductions in daytime irradiance to approximately 25% full sunlight had no effect on CO(2) exchange. Continuous darkness resulted in continuous CO(2) loss by the plants, but a CO(2) exchange pattern similar to normal day/night conditions was observed under constant illumination. High tissue water content inhibited CO(2) uptake. Wetting of the tissue at any time of day or night resulted in net CO(2) loss. Abrupt increases in temperature or decreases in RH resulted in sharp decreases in net CO(2) uptake.The results indicate that Spanish moss is tolerant of a wide range of temperatures, irradiances, and water contents. They also indicate that high nighttime RH is a prerequisite for high rates of CO(2) uptake.

  2. Relationship between synoptic scale weather systems and column averaged atmospheric CO2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naja, M.; Yaremchuk, A.; Onishi, R.; Maksyutov, S.; Inoue, G.

    2005-12-01

    Analysis of the atmospheric CO2 observations with transport models contributes to the understanding of the geographical distributions of CO2 sources and sinks. Space-borne sensors could be advantageous for CO2 measurements as they can provide wider spatial and temporal coverage. Inversion studies have suggested requirement of better than 1% precision for the space-borne observations. Since sources and sinks are inferred from spatial and temporal gradients in CO2, the space-borne observations must have no significant geographically varying biases. To study the dynamical biases in column CO2 due to possible correlation between clouds and atmospheric CO2 at synoptic scale, we have made simulations of CO2 (1988-2003) using NIES tracer transport model. Model resolution is 2.5o x 2.5o in horizontal and it has 15 vertical sigma-layers. Fluxes for (1) fossil fuels, (2) terrestrial biosphere (CASA NEP), (3) the oceans, and (4) inverse model derived monthly regional fluxes from 11 land and 11 ocean regions are used. SVD truncation is used to filter out noise in the inverse model flux time series. Model reproduces fairly well CO2 global trend and observed time series at monitoring sites around the globe. Lower column CO2 concentration is simulated inside cyclonic systems in summer over North hemispheric continental areas. Surface pressure is used as a proxy for dynamics and it is demonstrated that anomalies in column averaged CO2 has fairly good correlation with the anomalies in surface pressure. Positive correlation, as high as 0.7, has been estimated over parts of Siberia and N. America in summer time. Our explanation is based on that the low-pressure system is associated the upward motion, which leads to lower column CO2 values over these regions due to lifting of CO2-depleted summertime PBL air, and higher column CO2 over source areas. A sensitivity study without inverse model fluxes shows same correlation. The low-pressure systems' induced negative biases are 0

  3. Food availability and pCO2 impacts on planulation, juvenile survival, and calcification of the azooxanthellate scleractinian coral, Balanophyllia elegans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crook, E. D.; Cooper, H.; Potts, D. C.; Lambert, T.; Paytan, A.

    2013-05-01

    Ocean acidification, the assimilation of atmospheric CO2 by the oceans that decreases the pH and CaCO3 saturation state (Ω) of seawater, is projected to have severe consequences for calcifying organisms. Strong evidence suggests that tropical reef-building corals containing algal symbionts (zooxanthellae) will experience dramatic declines in calcification over the next century. The responses of azooxanthellate corals to ocean acidification are less well understood, and because they cannot obtain extra photosynthetic energy from symbionts, they provide a system for studying the direct effects of acidification on the energy available for calcification. The orange cup coral Balanophyllia elegans is a solitary, azooxanthellate scleractinian species common on the California coast where it thrives in the low pH waters of an upwelling regime. During an 8 month study, we addressed the effects of three pCO2 treatments (410, 770, and 1230 μatm) and two feeding frequencies (High Food and Low Food) on adult Balanophyllia elegans planulation (larval release) rates, and on the survival, growth, and calcification of their juvenile offspring. Planulation rates were affected by food level but not pCO2, while juvenile survival was highest under 410 μatm and High Food conditions. Our results suggest that feeding rate has a greater impact on calcification of B. elegans than pCO2. Net calcification was positive even at 1230 μatm (~ 3 times current atmospheric pCO2), although the increase from 410 to 1230 μatm reduced overall calcification by ~ 25-45%, and reduced skeletal density by ~ 35-45%. Higher pCO2 also altered aragonite crystal morphology significantly. We discuss how feeding frequency affects azooxanthellate coral calcification, and how B. elegans may respond to ocean acidification in coastal upwelling waters.

  4. Deep Sea Memory of High Atmospheric CO2 Concentration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mathesius, Sabine; Hofmann, Matthias; Caldeira, Ken; Schellnhuber, Hans Joachim

    2015-04-01

    Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) from the atmosphere has been proposed as a powerful measure to mitigate global warming and ocean acidification. Planetary-scale interventions of that kind are often portrayed as "last-resort strategies", which need to weigh in if humankind keeps on enhancing the climate-system stock of CO2. Yet even if CDR could restore atmospheric CO2 to substantially lower concentrations, would it really qualify to undo the critical impacts of past emissions? In the study presented here, we employed an Earth System Model of Intermediate Complexity (EMIC) to investigate how CDR might erase the emissions legacy in the marine environment, focusing on pH, temperature and dissolved oxygen. Against a background of a world following the RCP8.5 emissions path ("business-as-usual") for centuries, we simulated the effects of two massive CDR interventions with CO2 extraction rates of 5 GtC yr-1 and 25 GtC yr-1, respectively, starting in 2250. We found that the 5 GtC yr-1 scheme would have only minor ameliorative influence on the oceans, even after several centuries of application. By way of contrast, the extreme 25 GtC yr-1 scheme eventually leads to tangible improvements. However, even with such an aggressive measure, past CO2 emissions leave a substantial legacy in the marine environment within the simulated period (i.e., until 2700). In summary, our study demonstrates that anthropogenic alterations of the oceans, caused by continued business-as-usual emissions, may not be reversed on a multi-centennial time scale by the most aspirational geoengineering measures. We also found that a transition from the RCP8.5 state to the state of a strong mitigation scenario (RCP2.6) is not possible, even under the assumption of extreme extraction rates (25 GtC yr-1). This is explicitly demonstrated by simulating additional scenarios, starting CDR already in 2150 and operating until the atmospheric CO2 concentration reaches 280 ppm and 180 ppm, respectively. The simulated

  5. Anticipating ocean acidification's economic consequences for commercial fisheries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cooley, Sarah R; Doney, Scott C

    2009-01-01

    Ocean acidification, a consequence of rising anthropogenic CO 2 emissions, is poised to change marine ecosystems profoundly by increasing dissolved CO 2 and decreasing ocean pH, carbonate ion concentration, and calcium carbonate mineral saturation state worldwide. These conditions hinder growth of calcium carbonate shells and skeletons by many marine plants and animals. The first direct impact on humans may be through declining harvests and fishery revenues from shellfish, their predators, and coral reef habitats. In a case study of US commercial fishery revenues, we begin to constrain the economic effects of ocean acidification over the next 50 years using atmospheric CO 2 trajectories and laboratory studies of its effects, focusing especially on mollusks. In 2007, the $3.8 billion US annual domestic ex-vessel commercial harvest ultimately contributed $34 billion to the US gross national product. Mollusks contributed 19%, or $748 million, of the ex-vessel revenues that year. Substantial revenue declines, job losses, and indirect economic costs may occur if ocean acidification broadly damages marine habitats, alters marine resource availability, and disrupts other ecosystem services. We review the implications for marine resource management and propose possible adaptation strategies designed to support fisheries and marine-resource-dependent communities, many of which already possess little economic resilience.

  6. A Carbonic Anhydrase Serves as an Important Acid-Base Regulator in Pacific Oyster Crassostrea gigas Exposed to Elevated CO2: Implication for Physiological Responses of Mollusk to Ocean Acidification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiudan; Wang, Mengqiang; Jia, Zhihao; Qiu, Limei; Wang, Lingling; Zhang, Anguo; Song, Linsheng

    2017-02-01

    Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) have been demonstrated to play an important role in acid-base regulation in vertebrates. However, the classification and modulatory function of CAs in marine invertebrates, especially their responses to ocean acidification remain largely unknown. Here, a cytosolic α-CA (designated as CgCAII-1) was characterized from Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas and its molecular activities against CO 2 exposure were investigated. CgCAII-1 possessed a conserved CA catalytic domain, with high similarity to invertebrate cytoplasmic or mitochondrial α-CAs. Recombinant CgCAII-1 could convert CO 2 to HCO 3 - with calculated activity as 0.54 × 10 3  U/mg, which could be inhibited by acetazolamide (AZ). The mRNA transcripts of CgCAII-1 in muscle, mantle, hepatopancreas, gill, and hemocytes increased significantly after exposure to elevated CO 2 . CgCAII-1 could interact with the hemocyte membrane proteins and the distribution of CgCAII-1 protein became more concentrated and dense in gill and mantle under CO 2 exposure. The intracellular pH (pHi) of hemocytes under CO 2 exposure increased significantly (p ocean acidification and participate in acid-base regulation. Such cytoplasmic CA-based physiological regulation mechanism might explain other physiological responses of marine organisms to OA.

  7. Climate change feedbacks on future oceanic acidification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McNeil, Ben I.; Matear, Richard J.

    2007-01-01

    Oceanic anthropogenic CO 2 uptake will decrease both the pH and the aragonite saturation state (Oarag) of seawater leading to an oceanic acidification. However, the factors controlling future changes in pH and Oarag are independent and will respond differently to oceanic climate change feedbacks such as ocean warming, circulation and biological changes. We examine the sensitivity of these two CO 2 -related parameters to climate change feedbacks within a coupled atmosphere-ocean model. The ocean warming feedback was found to dominate the climate change responses in the surface ocean. Although surface pH is projected to decrease relatively uniformly by about 0.3 by the year 2100, we find pH to be insensitive to climate change feedbacks, whereas Oarag is buffered by ∼15%. Ocean carbonate chemistry creates a situation whereby the direct pH changes due to ocean warming are almost cancelled by the pH changes associated with dissolved inorganic carbon concentrations changes via a reduction in CO 2 solubility from ocean warming. We show that the small climate change feedback on future surface ocean pH is independent to the amount of ocean warming. Our analysis therefore implies that future projections of surface ocean acidification only need to consider future atmospheric CO 2 levels, not climate change induced modifications in the ocean

  8. Narrowing the uncertainty for deep-ocean injection efficiency

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Orr, J.C.; Aumont, O. [Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l' Environnement, CEA-CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Yool, A. [Southampton Oceanography Centre, Southampton (United Kingdom); Plattner, G.K.; Joos, F. [Bern Univ., Bern (Switzerland). Physics Inst.; Maier-Reimer, E. [Max Planck Inst. fuer Meteorologie, Hamburg (Germany); Weirig, M.F.; Schlitzer, R. [Alfred Wegener Inst. for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven (Germany); Caldeira, K.; Wickett, M.E. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, CA (United States); Matear, R.J. [Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organization, Hobart (Australia); Mignone, B.K.; Sarmiento, J.L. [Princeton Univ., Princeton, NJ (United States). AOS Program

    2005-07-01

    Ten ocean general circulation models (OCGMs) were compared as part of an international study investigating the ocean's ability to efficiently sequester carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}). The models were selected for their ability to simulate radiocarbon and CFC-11. All of the model simulations neglected the influence of marine biota, and the simulations used only dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) as a tracer in order to conserve computing resources. The models were integrated using standard ocean carbon-cycle model intercomparison project (OCMIP) formulations for gas exchange boundary conditions to obtain pre-industrial conditions. All models used the same predefined atmospheric CO{sub 2} records compiled from 1765 to 2000, as well as future scenarios in which atmospheric CO{sub 2} was stabilized at 650 ppm. Injections occurred over a period of 100 years. Results of the study showed that global budgets for CFC-11 and radiocarbon were correlated with global efficiencies for a 3000 m injection simulation. The 3000 m injection efficiency was then correlated with the global mean for deep natural radiocarbon. Results showed that simultaneously accounting for constraints from both CFC-11 and natural radiocarbon narrowed the range for a 3000 m injection efficiency in the year 2500 by a factor of 4. The study showed that models must be able to simulate global inventories for CFC-11 as well as global means for radiocarbon in deep ocean scenarios in order to be credible. It was concluded that models using both constraints will more accurately simulate global injection efficiencies.

  9. Natural high pCO2 increases autotrophy in Anemonia viridis (Anthozoa) as revealed from stable isotope (C, N) analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horwitz, Rael; Borell, Esther M; Yam, Ruth; Shemesh, Aldo; Fine, Maoz

    2015-03-05

    Contemporary cnidarian-algae symbioses are challenged by increasing CO2 concentrations (ocean warming and acidification) affecting organisms' biological performance. We examined the natural variability of carbon and nitrogen isotopes in the symbiotic sea anemone Anemonia viridis to investigate dietary shifts (autotrophy/heterotrophy) along a natural pCO2 gradient at the island of Vulcano, Italy. δ(13)C values for both algal symbionts (Symbiodinium) and host tissue of A. viridis became significantly lighter with increasing seawater pCO2. Together with a decrease in the difference between δ(13)C values of both fractions at the higher pCO2 sites, these results indicate there is a greater net autotrophic input to the A. viridis carbon budget under high pCO2 conditions. δ(15)N values and C/N ratios did not change in Symbiodinium and host tissue along the pCO2 gradient. Additional physiological parameters revealed anemone protein and Symbiodinium chlorophyll a remained unaltered among sites. Symbiodinium density was similar among sites yet their mitotic index increased in anemones under elevated pCO2. Overall, our findings show that A. viridis is characterized by a higher autotrophic/heterotrophic ratio as pCO2 increases. The unique trophic flexibility of this species may give it a competitive advantage and enable its potential acclimation and ecological success in the future under increased ocean acidification.

  10. Ocean acidification does not affect the physiology of the tropical coral Acropora digitifera during a 5-week experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takahashi, A.; Kurihara, H.

    2013-03-01

    The increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration, which has resulted from the burning of fossil fuels, is being absorbed by the oceans and is causing ocean acidification. Ocean acidification involves the decrease of both the pH and the calcium carbonate saturation state. Ocean acidification is predicted to impact the physiology of marine organisms and reduce the calcification rates of corals. In the present study, we measured the rates of calcification, respiration, photosynthesis, and zooxanthellae density of the tropical coral Acropora digitifera under near-natural summertime temperature and sunlight for a 5-week period. We found that these key physiological parameters were not affected by both mid-CO2 (pCO2 = 744 ± 38, pH = 7.97 ± 0.02, Ωarag = 2.6 ± 0.1) and high-CO2 conditions (pCO2 = 2,142 ± 205, pH = 7.56 ± 0.04, Ωarag = 1.1 ± 0.2) throughout the 35 days experimental period. Additionally, there was no significant correlation between calcification rate and seawater aragonite saturation (Ωarag). These results suggest that the impacts of ocean acidification on corals physiology may be more complex than have been previously proposed.

  11. CO2 Sink/Source Characteristics in the Tropical Indonesian Seas

    KAUST Repository

    Kartadikaria, Aditya R.; Watanabe, A.; Nadaoka, K.; Adi, N. S.; Prayitno, H. B.; Suharsono, S.; Muchtar, M.; Triyulianti, I.; Setiawan, A.; Suratno, S.; Khasanah, E. N.

    2015-01-01

    Two distinct CO2 sink/source characteristics are found in the tropical Indonesian seas from the compilation of observed data for the period 1984-2013. The western region persistently emits CO2 to the atmosphere, whereas the eastern region is dynamic and acts either as a small source or sink of CO2 to the atmosphere, depending on sites. The segregation is proximal to the Makassar Strait, which is located over the continental shelf and is one of the main routes of the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF). Lower salinity and higher silicate were found in the western region, suggesting a terrestrial influence in this area. Temperature has a limited influence in controlling different CO2 sink/source characteristics in the west and east. However, an SST change of -2.0°C during La Niña events effectively reduces the pCO2 difference between the atmosphere and surface seawater by 50% compared to normal year conditions. During La Niña events, higher wind speeds double the CO2 flux from the ocean to the atmosphere compared to that of a normal year. In the continental shelf area where the CO2 sink area was found, data of over 29 years show that the seawater pCO2 increased by 0.6-3.8 μatm yr−1. Overall, the seawater pCO2 of the Indonesian Seas is supersaturated relative to the atmosphere by 15.9 ± 8.6 μatm and thus acts as a source of CO2 to the atmosphere. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  12. CO2 Sink/Source Characteristics in the Tropical Indonesian Seas

    KAUST Repository

    Kartadikaria, Aditya R.

    2015-11-05

    Two distinct CO2 sink/source characteristics are found in the tropical Indonesian seas from the compilation of observed data for the period 1984-2013. The western region persistently emits CO2 to the atmosphere, whereas the eastern region is dynamic and acts either as a small source or sink of CO2 to the atmosphere, depending on sites. The segregation is proximal to the Makassar Strait, which is located over the continental shelf and is one of the main routes of the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF). Lower salinity and higher silicate were found in the western region, suggesting a terrestrial influence in this area. Temperature has a limited influence in controlling different CO2 sink/source characteristics in the west and east. However, an SST change of -2.0°C during La Niña events effectively reduces the pCO2 difference between the atmosphere and surface seawater by 50% compared to normal year conditions. During La Niña events, higher wind speeds double the CO2 flux from the ocean to the atmosphere compared to that of a normal year. In the continental shelf area where the CO2 sink area was found, data of over 29 years show that the seawater pCO2 increased by 0.6-3.8 μatm yr−1. Overall, the seawater pCO2 of the Indonesian Seas is supersaturated relative to the atmosphere by 15.9 ± 8.6 μatm and thus acts as a source of CO2 to the atmosphere. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  13. Ferruginous conditions: A dominant feature of the ocean through Earth’s history

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Poulton, Simon W.; Canfield, Donald Eugene

    2011-01-01

    , iron-rich (ferruginous) oceanic conditions often goes unrecognized, but refined techniques are currently providing evidence to suggest that ferruginous deep-ocean conditions were likely dominant throughout much of Earth's history. The prevalence of this redox state suggests that a detailed appraisal......The reconstruction of oceanic paleoredox conditions on Earth is essential for investigating links between biospheric oxygenation and major periods of biological innovation and extinction, and for unravelling feedback mechanisms associated with paleoenvironmental change. The occurrence of anoxic...

  14. Impact of elevated CO2 concentration on dynamics of leaf photosynthesis in Fagus sylvatica is modulated by sky conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Urban, Otmar; Klem, Karel; Holišová, Petra; Šigut, Ladislav; Šprtová, Mirka; Teslová-Navrátilová, Petra; Zitová, Martina; Špunda, Vladimír; Marek, Michal V; Grace, John

    2014-02-01

    It has been suggested that atmospheric CO2 concentration and frequency of cloud cover will increase in future. It remains unclear, however, how elevated CO2 influences photosynthesis under complex clear versus cloudy sky conditions. Accordingly, diurnal changes in photosynthetic responses among beech trees grown at ambient (AC) and doubled (EC) CO2 concentrations were studied under contrasting sky conditions. EC stimulated the daily sum of fixed CO2 and light use efficiency under clear sky. Meanwhile, both these parameters were reduced under cloudy sky as compared with AC treatment. Reduction in photosynthesis rate under cloudy sky was particularly associated with EC-stimulated, xanthophyll-dependent thermal dissipation of absorbed light energy. Under clear sky, a pronounced afternoon depression of CO2 assimilation rate was found in sun-adapted leaves under EC compared with AC conditions. This was caused in particular by stomata closure mediated by vapour pressure deficit. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  15. Species Interactions Drive Fish Biodiversity Loss in a High-CO2 World.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagelkerken, Ivan; Goldenberg, Silvan U; Ferreira, Camilo M; Russell, Bayden D; Connell, Sean D

    2017-07-24

    Accelerating climate change is eroding the functioning and stability of ecosystems by weakening the interactions among species that stabilize biological communities against change [1]. A key challenge to forecasting the future of ecosystems centers on how to extrapolate results from short-term, single-species studies to community-level responses that are mediated by key mechanisms such as competition, resource availability (bottom-up control), and predation (top-down control) [2]. We used CO 2 vents as potential analogs of ocean acidification combined with in situ experiments to test current predictions of fish biodiversity loss and community change due to elevated CO 2 [3] and to elucidate the potential mechanisms that drive such change. We show that high risk-taking behavior and competitive strength, combined with resource enrichment and collapse of predator populations, fostered already common species, enabling them to double their populations under acidified conditions. However, the release of these competitive dominants from predator control led to suppression of less common and subordinate competitors that did not benefit from resource enrichment and reduced predation. As a result, local biodiversity was lost and novel fish community compositions were created under elevated CO 2 . Our study identifies the species interactions most affected by ocean acidification, revealing potential sources of natural selection. We also reveal how diminished predator abundances can have cascading effects on local species diversity, mediated by complex species interactions. Reduced overfishing of predators could therefore act as a key action to stall diversity loss and ecosystem change in a high-CO 2 world. VIDEO ABSTRACT. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Ocean acidification challenges copepod phenotypic plasticity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Vehmaa

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Ocean acidification is challenging phenotypic plasticity of individuals and populations. Calanoid copepods (zooplankton are shown to be fairly plastic against altered pH conditions, and laboratory studies indicate that transgenerational effects are one mechanism behind this plasticity. We studied phenotypic plasticity of the copepod Acartia sp. in the course of a pelagic, large-volume mesocosm study that was conducted to investigate ecosystem and biogeochemical responses to ocean acidification. We measured copepod egg production rate, egg-hatching success, adult female size and adult female antioxidant capacity (ORAC as a function of acidification (fCO2  ∼  365–1231 µatm and as a function of quantity and quality of their diet. We used an egg transplant experiment to reveal whether transgenerational effects can alleviate the possible negative effects of ocean acidification on offspring development. We found significant negative effects of ocean acidification on adult female size. In addition, we found signs of a possible threshold at high fCO2, above which adaptive maternal effects cannot alleviate the negative effects of acidification on egg-hatching and nauplii development. We did not find support for the hypothesis that insufficient food quantity (total particulate carbon < 55 µm or quality (C : N weakens the transgenerational effects. However, females with high-ORAC-produced eggs with high hatching success. Overall, these results indicate that Acartia sp. could be affected by projected near-future CO2 levels.

  17. Ocean acidification challenges copepod reproductive plasticity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vehmaa, A.; Almén, A.-K.; Brutemark, A.; Paul, A.; Riebesell, U.; Furuhagen, S.; Engström-Öst, J.

    2015-11-01

    Ocean acidification is challenging phenotypic plasticity of individuals and populations. Calanoid copepods (zooplankton) are shown to be fairly plastic against altered pH conditions, and laboratory studies indicate that transgenerational effects are one mechanism behind this plasticity. We studied phenotypic plasticity of the copepod Acartia bifilosa in the course of a pelagic, large-volume mesocosm study that was conducted to investigate ecosystem and biogeochemical responses to ocean acidification. We measured copepod egg production rate, egg hatching success, adult female size and adult female antioxidant capacity (ORAC) as a function of acidification (fCO2 ~ 365-1231 μatm), and as a function of quantity and quality of their diet. We used an egg transplant experiment to reveal if transgenerational effects can alleviate the possible negative effects of ocean acidification on offspring development. We found significant negative effects of ocean acidification on adult female copepod size and egg hatching success. In addition, we found a threshold of fCO2 concentration (~ 1000 μatm), above which adaptive maternal effects cannot alleviate the negative effects of acidification on egg hatching and nauplii development. We did not find support for the hypothesis that insufficient food quantity (total particulate carbon ~ 55 μm) or quality (C : N) weakens the transgenerational effects. However, females with high ORAC produced eggs with high hatching success. Overall, these results indicate that A. bifilosa could be affected by projected near future CO2 levels.

  18. Climate change feedbacks on future oceanic acidification

    OpenAIRE

    McNeil, Ben I.; Matear, Richard J.

    2011-01-01

    Oceanic anthropogenic CO2 uptake will decrease both the pH and the aragonite saturation state (Ωarag) of seawater leading to an oceanic acidification. However, the factors controlling future changes in pH and Ωarag are independent and will respond differently to oceanic climate change feedbacks such as ocean warming, circulation and biological changes. We examine the sensitivity of these two CO2-related parameters to climate change feedbacks within a coupled atmosphere-ocean model. The ocean ...

  19. From up to date climate and ocean evidence with updated UN emissions projections, the time is now to recommend an immediate massive effort on CO2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter, Peter

    2017-04-01

    This paper provides further compelling evidence for 'an immediate, massive effort to control CO2 emissions, stopped by mid-century' (Cai, Lenton & Lontzek, 2016). Atmospheric CO2 which is above 405 ppm (actual and trend) still accelerating, despite flat emissions since 2014, with a 2015 >3ppm unprecedented spike in Earth history (A. Glikson),is on the worst case IPCC scenario. Atmospheric methane is increasing faster than its past 20-year rate, almost on the worst-case IPCC AR5 scenario (Global Carbon Project, 2016). Observed effects of atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution are increasing faster. This includes long-lived atmospheric GHG concentrations, radiative forcing, surface average warming, Greenland ice sheet melting, Arctic daily sea ice anomaly, ocean heat (and rate of going deeper), ocean acidification, and ocean de-oxygenation. The atmospheric GHG concentration of 485 ppm CO2 eq (WMO, 2015) commits us to 'about 2°C' equilibrium (AR5). 2°C by 2100 would require 'substantial emissions reductions over the next few decades' (AR5). Instead, the May 2016 UN update on 'intended' national emissions targets under the Paris Agreement projects global emissions will be 16% higher by 2030 and the November 2016 International Energy Agency update projects energy-related CO2 eq emissions will be 30% higher by 2030, leading to 'around 2.7°C by 2100 and above 3°C thereafter'. Climate change feedback will be positive this century and multiple large vulnerable sources of amplifying feedback exist (AR5). 'Extensive tree mortality and widespread forest die-back linked to drought and temperature stress have been documented on all vegetated continents' (AR5). 'Recent studies suggest a weakening of the land sink, further amplifying atmospheric growth of CO2' (WMO, 2016). Under all but the best-case IPCC AR5 scenario, surface temperature is projected to increase above 2°C by 2100, which is above 3°C (equilibrium) after 2100, with ocean acidification still increasing at

  20. Partial pressure (or fugacity) of carbon dioxide, salinity, oxygen and other variables collected from time series observations using Battelle Seaology pCO2 monitoring system (MApCO2) from MOORING Maria_Island_42S_148E deployment in the Tasman Sea, Pacific Ocean from 2012-04-17 to 2012-10-18 (NCEI Accession 0165305)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Measurements in the data set are made with a Battelle Seaology pCO2 monitoring system (MApCO2), a Seabird SBE16plusV2 CTD, mounted on a surface buoy similar to the...

  1. Simulation of anthropogenic CO2 uptake in the CCSM3.1 ocean circulation-biogeochemical model: comparison with data-based estimates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Khatiwala

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available The global ocean has taken up a large fraction of the CO2 released by human activities since the industrial revolution. Quantifying the oceanic anthropogenic carbon (Cant inventory and its variability is important for predicting the future global carbon cycle. The detailed comparison of data-based and model-based estimates is essential for the validation and continued improvement of our prediction capabilities. So far, three global estimates of oceanic Cant inventory that are "data-based" and independent of global ocean circulation models have been produced: one based on the Δ C* method, and two that are based on constraining surface-to-interior transport of tracers, the TTD method and a maximum entropy inversion method (GF. The GF method, in particular, is capable of reconstructing the history of Cant inventory through the industrial era. In the present study we use forward model simulations of the Community Climate System Model (CCSM3.1 to estimate the Cant inventory and compare the results with the data-based estimates. We also use the simulations to test several assumptions of the GF method, including the assumption of constant climate and circulation, which is common to all the data-based estimates. Though the integrated estimates of global Cant inventories are consistent with each other, the regional estimates show discrepancies up to 50 %. The CCSM3 model underestimates the total Cant inventory, in part due to weak mixing and ventilation in the North Atlantic and Southern Ocean. Analyses of different simulation results suggest that key assumptions about ocean circulation and air-sea disequilibrium in the GF method are generally valid on the global scale, but may introduce errors in Cant estimates on regional scales. The GF method should also be used with caution when predicting future oceanic anthropogenic carbon uptake.

  2. Marine phytoplankton stoichiometry mediates nonlinear interactions between nutrient supply, temperature, and atmospheric CO2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreno, Allison R.; Hagstrom, George I.; Primeau, Francois W.; Levin, Simon A.; Martiny, Adam C.

    2018-05-01

    Marine phytoplankton stoichiometry links nutrient supply to marine carbon export. Deviations of phytoplankton stoichiometry from Redfield proportions (106C : 1P) could therefore have a significant impact on carbon cycling, and understanding which environmental factors drive these deviations may reveal new mechanisms regulating the carbon cycle. To explore the links between environmental conditions, stoichiometry, and carbon cycling, we compared four different models of phytoplankton C : P: a fixed Redfield model, a model with C : P given as a function of surface phosphorus concentration (P), a model with C P given as a function of temperature, and a new multi-environmental model that predicts C : P as a function of light, temperature, and P. These stoichiometric models were embedded into a five-box ocean circulation model, which resolves the three major ocean biomes (high-latitude, subtropical gyres, and tropical upwelling regions). Contrary to the expectation of a monotonic relationship between surface nutrient drawdown and carbon export, we found that lateral nutrient transport from lower C : P tropical waters to high C : P subtropical waters could cause carbon export to decrease with increased tropical nutrient utilization. It has been hypothesized that a positive feedback between temperature and pCO2, atm will play an important role in anthropogenic climate change, with changes in the biological pump playing at most a secondary role. Here we show that environmentally driven shifts in stoichiometry make the biological pump more influential, and may reverse the expected positive relationship between temperature and pCO2, atm. In the temperature-only model, changes in tropical temperature have more impact on the Δ pCO2, atm (˜ 41 ppm) compared to subtropical temperature changes (˜ 4.5 ppm). Our multi-environmental model predicted a decline in pCO2, atm of ˜ 46 ppm when temperature spanned a change of 10 °C. Thus, we find that variation in marine phytoplankton

  3. Simulated ocean acidification reveals winners and losers in coastal phytoplankton.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lennart T Bach

    Full Text Available The oceans absorb ~25% of the annual anthropogenic CO2 emissions. This causes a shift in the marine carbonate chemistry termed ocean acidification (OA. OA is expected to influence metabolic processes in phytoplankton species but it is unclear how the combination of individual physiological changes alters the structure of entire phytoplankton communities. To investigate this, we deployed ten pelagic mesocosms (volume ~50 m3 for 113 days at the west coast of Sweden and simulated OA (pCO2 = 760 μatm in five of them while the other five served as controls (380 μatm. We found: (1 Bulk chlorophyll a concentration and 10 out of 16 investigated phytoplankton groups were significantly and mostly positively affected by elevated CO2 concentrations. However, CO2 effects on abundance or biomass were generally subtle and present only during certain succession stages. (2 Some of the CO2-affected phytoplankton groups seemed to respond directly to altered carbonate chemistry (e.g. diatoms while others (e.g. Synechococcus were more likely to be indirectly affected through CO2 sensitive competitors or grazers. (3 Picoeukaryotic phytoplankton (0.2-2 μm showed the clearest and relatively strong positive CO2 responses during several succession stages. We attribute this not only to a CO2 fertilization of their photosynthetic apparatus but also to an increased nutrient competitiveness under acidified (i.e. low pH conditions. The stimulating influence of high CO2/low pH on picoeukaryote abundance observed in this experiment is strikingly consistent with results from previous studies, suggesting that picoeukaryotes are among the winners in a future ocean.

  4. Simulated ocean acidification reveals winners and losers in coastal phytoplankton.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bach, Lennart T; Alvarez-Fernandez, Santiago; Hornick, Thomas; Stuhr, Annegret; Riebesell, Ulf

    2017-01-01

    The oceans absorb ~25% of the annual anthropogenic CO2 emissions. This causes a shift in the marine carbonate chemistry termed ocean acidification (OA). OA is expected to influence metabolic processes in phytoplankton species but it is unclear how the combination of individual physiological changes alters the structure of entire phytoplankton communities. To investigate this, we deployed ten pelagic mesocosms (volume ~50 m3) for 113 days at the west coast of Sweden and simulated OA (pCO2 = 760 μatm) in five of them while the other five served as controls (380 μatm). We found: (1) Bulk chlorophyll a concentration and 10 out of 16 investigated phytoplankton groups were significantly and mostly positively affected by elevated CO2 concentrations. However, CO2 effects on abundance or biomass were generally subtle and present only during certain succession stages. (2) Some of the CO2-affected phytoplankton groups seemed to respond directly to altered carbonate chemistry (e.g. diatoms) while others (e.g. Synechococcus) were more likely to be indirectly affected through CO2 sensitive competitors or grazers. (3) Picoeukaryotic phytoplankton (0.2-2 μm) showed the clearest and relatively strong positive CO2 responses during several succession stages. We attribute this not only to a CO2 fertilization of their photosynthetic apparatus but also to an increased nutrient competitiveness under acidified (i.e. low pH) conditions. The stimulating influence of high CO2/low pH on picoeukaryote abundance observed in this experiment is strikingly consistent with results from previous studies, suggesting that picoeukaryotes are among the winners in a future ocean.

  5. Simulated ocean acidification reveals winners and losers in coastal phytoplankton

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alvarez-Fernandez, Santiago; Hornick, Thomas; Stuhr, Annegret; Riebesell, Ulf

    2017-01-01

    The oceans absorb ~25% of the annual anthropogenic CO2 emissions. This causes a shift in the marine carbonate chemistry termed ocean acidification (OA). OA is expected to influence metabolic processes in phytoplankton species but it is unclear how the combination of individual physiological changes alters the structure of entire phytoplankton communities. To investigate this, we deployed ten pelagic mesocosms (volume ~50 m3) for 113 days at the west coast of Sweden and simulated OA (pCO2 = 760 μatm) in five of them while the other five served as controls (380 μatm). We found: (1) Bulk chlorophyll a concentration and 10 out of 16 investigated phytoplankton groups were significantly and mostly positively affected by elevated CO2 concentrations. However, CO2 effects on abundance or biomass were generally subtle and present only during certain succession stages. (2) Some of the CO2-affected phytoplankton groups seemed to respond directly to altered carbonate chemistry (e.g. diatoms) while others (e.g. Synechococcus) were more likely to be indirectly affected through CO2 sensitive competitors or grazers. (3) Picoeukaryotic phytoplankton (0.22 μm) showed the clearest and relatively strong positive CO2 responses during several succession stages. We attribute this not only to a CO2 fertilization of their photosynthetic apparatus but also to an increased nutrient competitiveness under acidified (i.e. low pH) conditions. The stimulating influence of high CO2/low pH on picoeukaryote abundance observed in this experiment is strikingly consistent with results from previous studies, suggesting that picoeukaryotes are among the winners in a future ocean. PMID:29190760

  6. Risk assessment of excessive CO_2 emission on diatom heavy metal consumption

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Fengjiao; Li, Shunxing; Zheng, Fengying; Huang, Xuguang

    2016-01-01

    Diatoms are the dominant group of phytoplankton in the modern ocean, accounting for approximately 40% of oceanic primary productivity and critical foundation of coastal food web. Rising dissolution of anthropogenic CO_2 in seawater may directly/indirectly cause ocean acidification and desalination. However, little is known about dietary diatom-associated changes, especially for diatom heavy metal consumption sensitivity to these processes, which is important for seafood safety and nutrition assessment. Here we show some links between ocean acidification/desalination and heavy metal consumption by Thalassiosira weissflogii. Excitingly, under desalination stress, the relationships between Cu, Zn, and Cd were all positively correlated, especially between Cu and Zn (r = 0.989, total intracellular concentration) and between Zn and Cd (r = 0.962, single-cell intracellular concentration). Heavy metal consumption activity in decreasing order was acidification < acidification + desalination < desalination for Zn, acidification < desalination < acidification + desalination for Cu and Cd, i.e., heavy metal uptake (or release) were controlled by environmental stress. Our findings showed that heavy metal uptake (or release) was already responded to ongoing excessive CO_2 emission-driven acidification and desalination, which was important for risk assessment of climate change on diatom heavy metal consumption, food web and then seafood safety in future oceans. - Highlights: • Excessive CO_2 in seawater may causes ocean acidification and desalination. • The relationships between Cu, Zn, and Cd were all positively correlated by desalination. • Significant effects of salinity on intracellular concentration of Cu and Cd • Cu and Cd in marine phytoplankton could be regulated by metal excretion. • Heavy metal consumption was affect by excessive CO_2.

  7. Evaluation of the CO{sub 2} sequestration capacity for coal fly ash using a flow-through column reactor under ambient conditions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jo, Ho Young, E-mail: hyjo@korea.ac.kr [Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Korea University, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-713 (Korea, Republic of); Ahn, Joon-Hoon; Jo, Hwanju [Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Korea University, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-713 (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-11-30

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A conceptual in-situ mineral carbonation method using a coal ash pond is proposed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer CO{sub 2} uptake occurred by carbonation reaction of CO{sub 2} with Ca{sup 2+} ions from coal fly ash. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The CO{sub 2} sequestration capacity was affected by the solid dosage. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Seawater can be used as a solvent for mineral carbonation of coal fly ash. - Abstract: An in-situ CO{sub 2} sequestration method using coal ash ponds located in coastal regions is proposed. The CO{sub 2} sequestration capacity of coal fly ash (CFA) by mineral carbonation was evaluated in a flow-through column reactor under various conditions (solid dosage: 100-330 g/L, CO{sub 2} flow rate: 20-80 mL/min, solvent type: deionized (DI) water, 1 M NH{sub 4}Cl solution, and seawater). The CO{sub 2} sequestration tests were conducted on CFA slurries using flow-through column reactors to simulate more realistic flow-through conditions. The CO{sub 2} sequestration capacity increased when the solid dosage was increased, whereas it was affected insignificantly by the CO{sub 2} flow rate. A 1 M NH{sub 4}Cl solution was the most effective solvent, but it was not significantly different from DI water or seawater. The CO{sub 2} sequestration capacity of CFA under the flow-through conditions was approximately 0.019 g CO{sub 2}/g CFA under the test conditions (solid dosage: 333 g/L, CO{sub 2} flow rate: 40 mL/min, and solvent: seawater).

  8. Six commercially viable ways to remove CO2 from the atmosphere and/or reduce CO2 emissions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schuiling, O.; de Boer, P.L.

    2013-01-01

    Background The burning of fossil fuels is the main cause of rising CO2 levels of the atmosphere. This will probably result in climate change. Another consequence is ocean acidification. Although these consequences are not yet proven beyond doubt, the risk of doing nothing is too large. The simplest

  9. INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION ON CO2 SEQUESTRATION

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    H.J. Herzog; E.E. Adams

    2000-08-23

    The specific objective of our project on CO{sub 2} ocean sequestration is to investigate its technical feasibility and to improve the understanding of any associated environmental impacts. Our ultimate goal is to minimize any impacts associated with the eventual use of ocean carbon sequestration to reduce greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. The project will continue through March 31, 2002, with a field experiment to take place in the summer of 2001 off the Kona Coast of Hawaii. At GHGT-4 in Interlaken, we presented a paper detailing our plans. The purpose of this paper is to present an update on our progress to date and our plans to complete the project. The co-authors of this paper are members of the project's Technical Committee, which has been formed to supervise the technical aspects and execution of this project.

  10. Experimental Studies on the Interaction of scCO2 and scCO2-SO2 With Rock Forming Minerals at Conditions of Geologic Carbon Storages - First Results

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erzinger, J.; Wilke, F.; Wiersberg, T.; Vasquez Parra, M.

    2010-12-01

    Co-injection of SO2 (plus possibly NOx and O2) during CO2 storage in deep saline aquifers may cause stronger brine acidification than CO2 alone. Because of that, we investigate chemical corrosion of rocks and rock-forming minerals with impure supercritical CO2 (scCO2) at possible storage conditions of >73.7 bar and >31°C. Contaminates were chosen with respect to the composition of CO2 captured industrially from coal-fired power plants using the oxyfuel technology. The resulting data should build a base for the long-term prediction of the behavior of CO2 in geologic storage reservoirs. Experiments of up to 1000 hrs duration have been performed with 10 natural mineral concentrates (calcite, dolomite, siderite, anhydrite, hematite, albite, microcline, kaolinite, muscovite, biotite) in 3n NaCl solution and pure scCO2 or scCO2+SO2 (99.5+0.5 vol%). The NaCl reaction fluid resembles the average salinity of deep formation waters of the North German Basin and is not free of oxygen. To increase reaction rates all minerals were ground and the reagents agitated either by stirring or shaking in autoclaves of about one liter in volume. The autoclaves consist of Hastelloy™ or ferromagnetic stainless steel fully coated with PTFE. We used in average 15 g of solids, 700 ml liquid, and the vessels were pressurized up to 100 bars with CO2 or CO2-SO2 mixture. Experiments were run at temperatures up to 90°C. Before, during and after the experiments small amounts fluids were sampled and analyzed for dissolved constituents and pH. Solid phases were characterized by XRF, XRD, and EMPA before and after the experiments. Pure scCO2 corrodes all carbonates, reacts only slightly with anhydrite, albite, and microcline at a minimum pH of 4, and does not recognizably interact with the others. After the experiment, albite has gained in a, not yet fully identified, carbonate phase which might be dawsonite. Reaction fluids of the experiments with scCO2+SO2 have mostly lower pH than using scCO2

  11. Process studies of the carbonate system in coastal and ocean environments of the Atlantic Ocean

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Salt, L.A.

    2014-01-01

    The increase in anthropogenic, atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) has been largely mitigated by ocean uptake since the start of the Industrial Revolution, with the Atlantic Ocean providing the largest store of anthropogenic carbon. The thesis of Lesley Salt examines how the uptake of CO2 varies in

  12. Electrochemical CO2 Reduction by Ni-containing Iron Sulfides: How Is CO2 Electrochemically Reduced at Bisulfide-Bearing Deep-sea Hydrothermal Precipitates?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamaguchi, Akira; Yamamoto, Masahiro; Takai, Ken; Ishii, Takumi; Hashimoto, Kazuhito; Nakamura, Ryuhei

    2014-01-01

    The discovery of deep-sea hydrothermal vents on the late 1970's has led to many hypotheses concerning chemical evolution in the prebiotic ocean and the early evolution of energy metabolism in ancient Earth. Such studies stand on the quest for the bioenergetic evolution to utilize reducing chemicals such as H 2 for CO 2 reduction and carbon assimilation. In addition to the direct reaction of H 2 and CO 2 , the electrical current passing across a bisulfide-bearing chimney structure has pointed to the possible electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction at the cold ocean-vent interface (R. Nakamura, et al. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2010, 49, 7692 − 7694). To confirm the validity of this hypothesis, here, we examined the energetics of electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction by iron sulfide (FeS) deposits at slightly acidic pH. Although FeS deposits inefficiently reduced CO 2 , the efficiency of the reaction was substantially improved by the substitution of Fe with Ni to form FeNi 2 S 4 (violarite), of which surface was further modified with amine compounds. The potential-dependent activity of CO 2 reduction demonstrated that CO 2 reduction by H 2 in hydrothermal fluids was involved in a strong endergonic electron transfer reaction, suggesting that a naturally occurring proton-motive force (PMF) as high as 200 mV would be established across the hydrothermal vent chimney wall. However, in the chimney structures, H 2 generation competes with CO 2 reduction for electrical current, resulting in rapid consumption of the PMF. Therefore, to maintain the PMF and the electrosynthesis of organic compounds in hydrothermal vent mineral deposits, we propose a homeostatic pH regulation mechanism of FeS deposits, in which elemental hydrogen stored in the hydrothermal mineral deposits is used to balance the consumption of the electrochemical gradient by H 2 generation

  13. Capture and geological storage of CO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2013-03-01

    Capture and geological storage of CO 2 could be a contribution to reduce CO 2 emissions, and also a way to meet the factor 4 objective of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. This publication briefly presents the capture and storage definitions and principles, and comments some key data related to CO 2 emissions, and their natural trapping by oceans, soils and forests. It discusses strengths (a massive and perennial reduction of CO 2 emissions, a well defined regulatory framework) and weaknesses (high costs and uncertain cost reduction perspectives, a technology which still consumes a lot of energy, geological storage capacities still to be determined, health environmental impacts and risks to be controlled, a necessary consultation of population for planned projects) of this option. Actions undertaken by the ADEME are briefly reviewed

  14. The competition between H2O and CO2 adhesion at reservoir conditions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sølling, Theis Ivan; Budi, Akin; Mogensen, K.

    2015-01-01

    Density functional theory was applied (B3LYP) to answer whether conditions exist where CO2 adhesion to three different lithologies becomes stronger than H2O adhesion. The answer is that it does not seem to be the case. This is taken to indicate that the reservoirs that we have represented by simple...

  15. Adaptation and acclimatization to ocean acidification in marine ectotherms: an in situ transplant experiment with polychaetes at a shallow CO2 vent system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calosi, Piero; Rastrick, Samuel P S; Lombardi, Chiara; de Guzman, Heidi J; Davidson, Laura; Jahnke, Marlene; Giangrande, Adriana; Hardege, Jörg D; Schulze, Anja; Spicer, John I; Gambi, Maria-Cristina

    2013-01-01

    Metabolic rate determines the physiological and life-history performances of ectotherms. Thus, the extent to which such rates are sensitive and plastic to environmental perturbation is central to an organism's ability to function in a changing environment. Little is known of long-term metabolic plasticity and potential for metabolic adaptation in marine ectotherms exposed to elevated pCO2. Consequently, we carried out a series of in situ transplant experiments using a number of tolerant and sensitive polychaete species living around a natural CO2 vent system. Here, we show that a marine metazoan (i.e. Platynereis dumerilii) was able to adapt to chronic and elevated levels of pCO2. The vent population of P. dumerilii was physiologically and genetically different from nearby populations that experience low pCO2, as well as smaller in body size. By contrast, different populations of Amphiglena mediterranea showed marked physiological plasticity indicating that adaptation or acclimatization are both viable strategies for the successful colonization of elevated pCO2 environments. In addition, sensitive species showed either a reduced or increased metabolism when exposed acutely to elevated pCO2. Our findings may help explain, from a metabolic perspective, the occurrence of past mass extinction, as well as shed light on alternative pathways of resilience in species facing ongoing ocean acidification.

  16. Reversal of ocean acidification enhances net coral reef calcification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albright, Rebecca; Caldeira, Lilian; Hosfelt, Jessica; Kwiatkowski, Lester; Maclaren, Jana K; Mason, Benjamin M; Nebuchina, Yana; Ninokawa, Aaron; Pongratz, Julia; Ricke, Katharine L; Rivlin, Tanya; Schneider, Kenneth; Sesboüé, Marine; Shamberger, Kathryn; Silverman, Jacob; Wolfe, Kennedy; Zhu, Kai; Caldeira, Ken

    2016-03-17

    Approximately one-quarter of the anthropogenic carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere each year is absorbed by the global oceans, causing measurable declines in surface ocean pH, carbonate ion concentration ([CO3(2-)]), and saturation state of carbonate minerals (Ω). This process, referred to as ocean acidification, represents a major threat to marine ecosystems, in particular marine calcifiers such as oysters, crabs, and corals. Laboratory and field studies have shown that calcification rates of many organisms decrease with declining pH, [CO3(2-)], and Ω. Coral reefs are widely regarded as one of the most vulnerable marine ecosystems to ocean acidification, in part because the very architecture of the ecosystem is reliant on carbonate-secreting organisms. Acidification-induced reductions in calcification are projected to shift coral reefs from a state of net accretion to one of net dissolution this century. While retrospective studies show large-scale declines in coral, and community, calcification over recent decades, determining the contribution of ocean acidification to these changes is difficult, if not impossible, owing to the confounding effects of other environmental factors such as temperature. Here we quantify the net calcification response of a coral reef flat to alkalinity enrichment, and show that, when ocean chemistry is restored closer to pre-industrial conditions, net community calcification increases. In providing results from the first seawater chemistry manipulation experiment of a natural coral reef community, we provide evidence that net community calcification is depressed compared with values expected for pre-industrial conditions, indicating that ocean acidification may already be impairing coral reef growth.

  17. Light intensity modulates the response of two Antarctic diatom species to ocean acidification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jasmin Pascale Heiden

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available It is largely unknown how rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations and changes in the upper mixed layer depth, with its subsequent effects on light availability will affect phytoplankton physiology in the Southern Ocean. Linking seasonal variations in the availability of CO2 and light to abundances and physiological traits of key phytoplankton species could aid to understand their abilities to acclimate to predicted future climatic conditions. To investigate the combined effects of CO2 and light on two ecologically relevant Antarctic diatoms (Fragilariopsis curta and Odontella weisflogii a matrix of three light intensities (LL=20, ML=200, HL=500 µmol photons m-2 s-1 and three pCO2 levels (low=180, ambient=380, high=1000 µatm was applied assessing their effects on growth, particulate organic carbon (POC fixation and photophysiology. Under ambient pCO2, POC production rates were highest already at low light in Fragilariopsis, indicating saturation of photosynthesis, while in Odontella highest rates were only reached at medium irradiances. In both species ocean acidification did not stimulate, but rather inhibited, growth and POC production under low and medium light. This effect was, however, amended under high growth irradiances. Low pCO2 levels inhibited growth and POC production in both species at low and medium light, and further decreased absETRs under high light. Our results suggest that Southern Ocean diatoms were sensitive to changes in pCO2, showing species-specific responses, which were further modulated by light intensity. The two diatom species represent distinct ecotypes and revealed discrete physiological traits that matched their seasonal occurrence with the related physical conditions in Antarctic coastal waters.

  18. The persistent and pernicious myth of the early CO2-N2 atmospheres of terrestrial planets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaw, G. H.

    2009-12-01

    The accepted model for early atmospheres of terrestrial planets has settled on a CO2-N2 composition. Unfortunately, while it is largely based on a brilliant geological analysis by Rubey, there is no compelling evidence whatsoever for such a composition as the first “permanent” atmosphere for Earth or any other planet. In fact, geological discoveries of the past 50+ years reveal several problems with a CO2-N2 atmosphere, some of which Rubey recognized in his own analysis. He clearly addressed the problem of timing of degassing, concluding that early massive degassing of CO2 would produce readily observed and profound effects, which are not evident. Modeling and constraints on the timing of planetary accretion and core formation indicate massive early degassing. If early degassing emitted CO2-N2, the effects are concealed. Plate tectonic recycling is not a solution, as conditions would have persisted beyond the time of the earliest rocks, which do not show the effects. Attempts to return degassed CO2 to the mantle are not only ad hoc, but inconsistent with early thermal structure of the Earth. Second, production of prebiotic organic compounds from a CO2-N2 atmosphere has been a nagging problem. At best this has been addressed by invoking hydrogen production from the mantle to provide reducing capacity. While hydrogen may be emitted in volcanic eruptions, it is exceedingly difficult to imagine this process generating enough organics to yield high concentrations in a global ocean. The recent fashion of invoking organic synthesis at deep-sea vents suffers from the same problem: how to achieve sufficient concentrations of organics in a global ocean by abiotic synthesis when hydrothermal activity stirs the solution and carries the prebiotic products off to great dilution? Suggesting life began at deep-sea vents, and continues to carry on chemosynthesis there, begs the question. Unless you get high enough concentrations of prebiotics by abiotic processes, you simply

  19. CO2 maximum in the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paulmier, A.; Ruiz-Pino, D.; Garçon, V.

    2011-02-01

    Oxygen minimum zones (OMZs), known as suboxic layers which are mainly localized in the Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems, have been expanding since the 20th "high CO2" century, probably due to global warming. OMZs are also known to significantly contribute to the oceanic production of N2O, a greenhouse gas (GHG) more efficient than CO2. However, the contribution of the OMZs on the oceanic sources and sinks budget of CO2, the main GHG, still remains to be established. We present here the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) structure, associated locally with the Chilean OMZ and globally with the main most intense OMZs (O2Chile during 4 cruises (2000-2002) and a monthly monitoring (2000-2001) in one of the shallowest OMZs, along with international DIC and O2 databases and climatology for other OMZs. High DIC concentrations (>2225 μmol kg-1, up to 2350 μmol kg-1) have been reported over the whole OMZ thickness, allowing the definition for all studied OMZs a Carbon Maximum Zone (CMZ). Locally off Chile, the shallow cores of the OMZ and CMZ are spatially and temporally collocated at 21° S, 30° S and 36° S despite different cross-shore, long-shore and seasonal configurations. Globally, the mean state of the main OMZs also corresponds to the largest carbon reserves of the ocean in subsurface waters. The CMZs-OMZs could then induce a positive feedback for the atmosphere during upwelling activity, as potential direct local sources of CO2. The CMZ paradoxically presents a slight "carbon deficit" in its core (~10%), meaning a DIC increase from the oxygenated ocean to the OMZ lower than the corresponding O2 decrease (assuming classical C/O molar ratios). This "carbon deficit" would be related to regional thermal mechanisms affecting faster O2 than DIC (due to the carbonate buffer effect) and occurring upstream in warm waters (e.g., in the Equatorial Divergence), where the CMZ-OMZ core originates. The "carbon deficit" in the CMZ core would be mainly compensated locally at the

  20. History of CO/sub 2/

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Degens, E T

    1979-01-01

    Upon arrival on earth, the reduced carbon pool split into a series of compartments: core, mantle, crust, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. This distribution pattern is caused by the ability of carbon to adjust structurally to a wide range of pressure and temperature, and to form simple and complex molecules with oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen. Transformation also involved oxidation of carbon to CO/sub 2/ which is mediated at depth by minerals, such as magnetite, and by water vapor above critical temperature. Guided by mineral-organic interactions, simple carbon compounds evolved in near surface environments towards physiologically interesting biochemicals. Life, as an autocatalytic system, is considered an outgrowth of such a development. This article discusses environmental parameters that control the CO/sub 2/ system, past and present. Mantle and crustal evolution is the dynamo recharging the CO/sub 2/ in sea and air; the present rate of CO/sub 2/ release from the magma is 0.05 x 10/sup 15/ g C per year. Due to the enormous buffer capacity of the chemical system ocean, such rates are too small to seriously effect the level of CO/sub 2/ in our atmosphere. In the light of geological field data and stable isotope work, it is concluded that the CO/sub 2/ content in the atmosphere has remained fairly uniform since early Precambrian time; CO/sub 2/ should thus have had little impact on paleoclimate. In contrast, the massive discharge of man-made CO/sub 2/ into our atmosphere may have serious consequences for climate, environment and society in the years to come.

  1. The Design of The Monitoring Tools Of Clean Air Condition And Dangerous Gas CO, CO2 CH4 In Chemical Laboratory By Using Fuzzy Logic Based On Microcontroller

    Science.gov (United States)

    Widodo, Slamet; Miftakul, Amin M.; Sutrisman, Adi

    2018-02-01

    There are many phenomena that human are exposed to toxins from certain types such as of CO2, CO2 and CH4 gases. The device used to detect large amounts of CO, CO2, and CH4 gas in air in enclosed spaces using MQ 135 gas sensors of different types based on the three sensitivity of the Gas. The results of testing the use of sensors MQ 135 on the gas content of CO, CO2 and CH4 received by the sensor is still in the form of ppm based on the maximum ppm detection range of each sensor. Active sensor detects CO 120 ppm gas, CO2 1600 ppm and CH4 1ppm "standby 1" air condition with intermediate rotary fan. Active sensor detects CO 30 ppm gas, CO2 490 ppm and CH4 7 ppm "Standby 2" with low rotating fan output. Fuzzy rulebase logic for motor speed when gas detection sensor CO, CO2, and CH4 output controls the motion speed of the fan blower. Active sensors detect CO 15 ppm, CO2 320 ppm and CH4 45 ppm "Danger" air condition with high fan spin fan. At the gas level of CO 15 ppm, CO2 390 ppm and CH4 3 ppm detect "normal" AC sensor with fan output stop spinning.

  2. Asymmetric Hollow Fiber Membranes for Separation of CO 2 from Hydrocarbons and Fluorocarbons at High-Pressure Conditions Relevant to C 2 F 4 Polymerization

    KAUST Repository

    Kosuri, Madhava R.

    2009-12-02

    Separation of high-pressure carbon dioxide from fluorocarbons is important for the production of fluoropolymers such as poly(tetrafluoroethylene). Typical polymeric membranes plasticize under high CO2 partial pressure conditions and fail to provide adequate selective separations. Torlon, a polyamide-imide polymer, with the ability to form interchain hydrogen bonding, is shown to provide stability against aggressive CO2 plasticization. Torlon membranes in the form of asymmetric hollow fibers (the most productive form of membranes) are considered for an intended separation of CO 2/C2F4. To avoid safety issues with tetrafluoroethylene (C2F4), which could detonate under testing conditions, safer surrogate mixtures (C2H2F 2 and C2H4) are considered in this paper. Permeation measurements (at 35 °C) indicate that the Torlon membranes are not plasticized even up to 1250 psi of CO2. The membranes provide mixed gas CO2/C2H2F2 and CO 2/C2H4 selectivities of 100 and 30, respectively, at 1250 psi partial pressures of CO2. On the basis of the measured separation performances of CO2/C2H 2F2 and CO2/C2H4 mixtures, the selectivity of the CO2/C2F4 mixture is expected to be greater than 100. Long-term stability studies indicate that the membranes provide stable separations over a period of 5 days at 1250 psi partial pressures of CO2, thereby making the membrane approach attractive. © 2009 American Chemical Society.

  3. Asymmetric Hollow Fiber Membranes for Separation of CO 2 from Hydrocarbons and Fluorocarbons at High-Pressure Conditions Relevant to C 2 F 4 Polymerization

    KAUST Repository

    Kosuri, Madhava R.; Koros, William J.

    2009-01-01

    Separation of high-pressure carbon dioxide from fluorocarbons is important for the production of fluoropolymers such as poly(tetrafluoroethylene). Typical polymeric membranes plasticize under high CO2 partial pressure conditions and fail to provide adequate selective separations. Torlon, a polyamide-imide polymer, with the ability to form interchain hydrogen bonding, is shown to provide stability against aggressive CO2 plasticization. Torlon membranes in the form of asymmetric hollow fibers (the most productive form of membranes) are considered for an intended separation of CO 2/C2F4. To avoid safety issues with tetrafluoroethylene (C2F4), which could detonate under testing conditions, safer surrogate mixtures (C2H2F 2 and C2H4) are considered in this paper. Permeation measurements (at 35 °C) indicate that the Torlon membranes are not plasticized even up to 1250 psi of CO2. The membranes provide mixed gas CO2/C2H2F2 and CO 2/C2H4 selectivities of 100 and 30, respectively, at 1250 psi partial pressures of CO2. On the basis of the measured separation performances of CO2/C2H 2F2 and CO2/C2H4 mixtures, the selectivity of the CO2/C2F4 mixture is expected to be greater than 100. Long-term stability studies indicate that the membranes provide stable separations over a period of 5 days at 1250 psi partial pressures of CO2, thereby making the membrane approach attractive. © 2009 American Chemical Society.

  4. Water Contact Angle Dependence with Hydroxyl Functional Groups on Silica Surfaces under CO2 Sequestration Conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Cong; Zhang, Ning; Li, Weizhong; Song, Yongchen

    2015-12-15

    Functional groups on silica surfaces under CO2 sequestration conditions are complex due to reactions among supercritical CO2, brine and silica. Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to investigate the effects of hydroxyl functional groups on wettability. It has been found that wettability shows a strong dependence on functional groups on silica surfaces: silanol number density, space distribution, and deprotonation/protonation degree. For neutral silica surfaces with crystalline structure (Q(3), Q(3)/Q(4), Q(4)), as silanol number density decreases, contact angle increases from 33.5° to 146.7° at 10.5 MPa and 318 K. When Q(3) surface changes to an amorphous structure, water contact angle increases 20°. Water contact angle decreases about 12° when 9% of silanol groups on Q(3) surface are deprotonated. When the deprotonation degree increases to 50%, water contact angle decreases to 0. The dependence of wettability on silica surface functional groups was used to analyze contact angle measurement ambiguity in literature. The composition of silica surfaces is complicated under CO2 sequestration conditions, the results found in this study may help to better understand wettability of CO2/brine/silica system.

  5. Ocean life breaking rules by building shells in acidic extremes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doubleday, Zoë A; Nagelkerken, Ivan; Connell, Sean D

    2017-10-23

    Rising levels of carbon dioxide (CO 2 )from fossil fuel combustion is acidifying our oceans [1,2]. This acidification is expected to have negative effects on calcifying animals because it affects their ability to build shells [3,4]. However, the effects of ocean acidification in natural environments, subject to ecological and evolutionary processes (such as predation, competition, and adaptation), is uncertain [5,6]. These processes may buffer, or even reverse, the direct, short-term effects principally measured in laboratory experiments (for example, [6]). Here we describe the discovery of marine snails living at a shallow-water CO 2 vent in the southwest Pacific, an environment 30 times more acidic than normal seawater (Figure 1). By measuring the chemical fingerprints locked within the shell material, we show that these snails have a restricted range of movement, which suggests that they live under these conditions for their entire lives. The existence of these snails demonstrates that calcifying animals can build their shells under the acidic and corrosive conditions caused by extreme CO 2 enrichment. This unforeseen capacity, whether driven by ecological or adaptive processes, is key to understanding whether calcifying life may survive a high-CO 2 future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Estimating surface CO2 fluxes from space-borne CO2 dry air mole fraction observations using an ensemble Kalman Filter

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Dance

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available We have developed an ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF to estimate 8-day regional surface fluxes of CO2 from space-borne CO2 dry-air mole fraction observations (XCO2 and evaluate the approach using a series of synthetic experiments, in preparation for data from the NASA Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO. The 32-day duty cycle of OCO alternates every 16 days between nadir and glint measurements of backscattered solar radiation at short-wave infrared wavelengths. The EnKF uses an ensemble of states to represent the error covariances to estimate 8-day CO2 surface fluxes over 144 geographical regions. We use a 12×8-day lag window, recognising that XCO2 measurements include surface flux information from prior time windows. The observation operator that relates surface CO2 fluxes to atmospheric distributions of XCO2 includes: a the GEOS-Chem transport model that relates surface fluxes to global 3-D distributions of CO2 concentrations, which are sampled at the time and location of OCO measurements that are cloud-free and have aerosol optical depths 2 profiles to XCO2, accounting for differences between nadir and glint measurements, and the associated scene-dependent observation errors. We show that OCO XCO2 measurements significantly reduce the uncertainties of surface CO2 flux estimates. Glint measurements are generally better at constraining ocean CO2 flux estimates. Nadir XCO2 measurements over the terrestrial tropics are sparse throughout the year because of either clouds or smoke. Glint measurements provide the most effective constraint for estimating tropical terrestrial CO2 fluxes by accurately sampling fresh continental outflow over neighbouring oceans. We also present results from sensitivity experiments that investigate how flux estimates change with 1 bias and unbiased errors, 2 alternative duty cycles, 3 measurement density and correlations, 4 the spatial resolution of estimated flux estimates, and 5 reducing the length of the lag window and the

  7. Kinetics of CO(2) fluxes outgassing from champagne glasses in tasting conditions: the role of temperature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liger-Belair, Gérard; Villaume, Sandra; Cilindre, Clara; Jeandet, Philippe

    2009-03-11

    Measurements of CO(2) fluxes outgassing from a flute poured with a standard Champagne wine initially holding about 11 g L(-1) of dissolved CO(2) were presented, in tasting conditions, all along the first 10 min following the pouring process. Experiments were performed at three sets of temperature, namely, 4 degrees C, 12 degrees C, and 20 degrees C, respectively. It was demonstrated that the lower the champagne temperature, the lower CO(2) volume fluxes outgassing from the flute. Therefore, the lower the champagne temperature, the lower its progressive loss of dissolved CO(2) concentration with time, which constitutes the first analytical proof that low champagne temperatures prolong the drink's chill and helps retains its effervescence. A correlation was also proposed between CO(2) volume fluxes outgassing from the flute poured with champagne and its continuously decreasing dissolved CO(2) concentration. Finally, the contribution of effervescence to the global kinetics of CO(2) release was discussed and modeled by the use of results developed over recent years. The temperature dependence of the champagne viscosity was found to play a major role in the kinetics of CO(2) outgassing from a flute. On the basis of this bubbling model, the theoretical influence of champagne temperature on CO(2) volume fluxes outgassing from a flute was discussed and found to be in quite good accordance with our experimental results.

  8. Equilibria of ternary system Acetic Acid—Water—CO2 under subcritical conditions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    JIMENEZ GUTIERREZ, Jose M. (Chema); Mussatto, Solange I.; TSOU, Joana

    Carbon dioxide has been subject of research in the past decades, with special attention targeting different uses of this “greenhouse” gas as raw material, technological fluid, building block or as a carbon supply for fuels, turning it from a pollutant to a green resource. Albeit likely...... it will be returned to the atmosphere (as part of the carbon cycle), CO2 is an inexpensive and clean source with numerous industrial applications in diverse fields: from chemical processes to biotechnological purposes [1]. Many of these studies have been focused on supercritical CO2, due to its broad potential uses...... in a very wide range of applications. However, those conditions, especially the levels of high pressure required at larger scale, involve certain equipment limitations. An alternative to overcome those restrictions is to use subcritical carbon dioxide. In order to understand the different systems...

  9. Behavioural disturbances in a temperate fish exposed to sustained high-CO2 levels.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fredrik Jutfelt

    Full Text Available As atmospheric CO2 levels rise, the CO2 concentration in ocean surface waters increases through a process commonly referred to as ocean acidification. Recently, surprising behavioural modifications has been detected in the early life stages of tropical coral reef fish exposed to ocean acidification-relevant CO2 concentrations, but it has been unclear if this effect could occur in temperate waters. Here we show several severe behavioural disturbances, including effects on boldness, exploratory behaviour, lateralisation, and learning in a temperate fish, the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus. The behavioural effects were consistent throughout the exposure period and increased in effect size with exposure time. We observed the effects on adult sticklebacks, a species known to be tolerant to other environmental stressors. Our findings suggest that behavioural abnormalities that stem from CO2 exposure are not restricted to sensitive tropical species or early life stages and may therefore affect fish on a global scale. The severity of disturbances and the possibility of a serious behavioural problem for fish across the globe is cause for concern.

  10. A scenario of human thermal comfort in Mexico City for 2CO{sub 2} conditions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jauregui, Ernesto [Centro de Ciencias de la Atmosfera de la UNAM, Mexico, D.F. (Mexico); Tejeda, Adalberto [Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz (Mexico)

    2001-07-01

    Applying the concept of effective temperature (ET), a scenario of human bioclimatic conditions for Mexico City is presented by using results from both GCM regional predictions for CO{sub 2} doubling and temperature trend projections from an urban station. Current and future bioclimatic maps for Mexico City and their conurbation are presented. Current environmental conditions will likely change toward a warmer atmosphere due to both the urbanization process and global greenhouse effect. The impact on the population will be more important during the warm season (March- May) when the bioclimate of the city will likely shift away from current neutrality to the next comfort scale category (ET 24-27 Celsius degrees) of warm conditions covering most of the capital city. [Spanish] A partir de la aplicacion del concepto de temperatura efectiva (ET) se presenta un escenario de las condiciones de bioclima humano para la Ciudad de Mexico y zona conurbada para la segunda mitad del proximo siglo. Se usaron resultados de predicciones regionales de modelos de circulacion general (GCM) para una duplicacion del CO{sub 2} y tambien las tendencias de temperatura de una estacion urbana. Se muestran mapas de las condiciones actuales y futuras de confort termico. La combinacion del efecto invernadero y la urbanizacion, muy probablemente impacten en la poblacion principalmente en la estacion calida (marzo a mayo), cuando se pase de la categoria de confort actual a la inmediata superior (ET 24-27 Celsius degrees) en la mayor parte de la capital del pais.

  11. Influence of pyrolysis conditions on the CO2/CH4 and O2/N2 perm selectivity of supported carbon molecular sieve membranes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohd Fikri Abdul Rahman; Wan Mohd Hafiz Faizal Wan Harun; Mohd Azmier Ahmad

    2010-01-01

    This work focused on the effect of pyrolysis conditions onto supported carbon molecular sieve membranes performance in pure gas permeation and perm selectivity. The membrane support was synthesis by carbonization of titania mixed with cellulose acetate at temperature of 125 degree Celsius. The molecular sieving membrane layer was obtained by coating the polyvinyl alcohol-glutaraldehyde solution onto the membrane support before heated at various pyrolysis temperatures and holding times. The optimum preparation conditions were found at pyrolysis temperature and holding time of 400 degree Celsius and 30 minutes, respectively. At this point, the CO 2 and O 2 permeation flux were 2.63 ml/ min and 2.67 ml/ min, respectively. Meanwhile, the perm selectivities of CO 2 / CH 4 and O 2 / N 2 were 1.87 and 1.92, respectively. (author)

  12. Trichodesmium’s strategies to alleviate phosphorus limitation in the future acidified oceans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spungin, Dina; Berman-Frank, Ilana; Levitan, Orly

    2014-06-01

    Global warming may exacerbate inorganic nutrient limitation, including phosphorus (P), in the surface waters of tropical oceans that are home to extensive blooms of the marine diazotrophic cyanobacterium, Trichodesmium. We examined the combined effects of P limitation and pCO(2), forecast under ocean acidification scenarios, on Trichodesmium erythraeum IMS101 cultures. We measured nitrogen acquisition,glutamine synthetase activity, C uptake rates, intracellular Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) concentration and the pool sizes of related key proteins. Here, we present data supporting the idea that cellular energy re-allocation enables the higher growth and N(2) fixation rates detected in Trichodesmium cultured under high pCO(2). This is reflected in altered protein abundance and metabolic pools. Also modified are particulate organic carbon and nitrogen production rates,enzymatic activities, and cellular ATP concentrations. We suggest that adjusting these cellular pathways to changing environmental conditions enables Trichodesmium to compensate for low P availability and to thrive in acidified oceans. Moreover, elevated pCO(2) could provide Trichodesmium with a competitive dominance that would extend its niche, particularly in P-limited regions of the tropical and subtropical oceans.

  13. Ocean acidification in the Mediterranean Sea: pelagic mesocosm experiments. A synthesis

    OpenAIRE

    Maugendre , L.; Guieu , C.; Gattuso , J.-P.; Gazeau , F.

    2017-01-01

    International audience; Planet Earth has entered a new geological era, the Anthropocene, in which geologically significant conditions and processes are profoundly altered by human activities (Waters et al., 2016). Among many impacts, human activities have released excessive amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere leading to warming and ocean acidification: a decrease in pH and CO32- concentration and an increase in CO2 and HCO3- concentrations (Gattuso and Hansson, 2011). On average...

  14. Effects of ocean acidification on the physiological performance and carbon production of the Antarctic sea ice diatom Nitzschia sp. ICE-H.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qu, Chang-Feng; Liu, Fang-Ming; Zheng, Zhou; Wang, Yi-Bin; Li, Xue-Gang; Yuan, Hua-Mao; Li, Ning; An, Mei-Ling; Wang, Xi-Xi; He, Ying-Ying; Li, Lu-Lu; Miao, Jin-Lai

    2017-07-15

    Ocean acidification (OA) resulting from increasing atmospheric CO 2 strongly influences marine ecosystems, particularly in the polar ocean due to greater CO 2 solubility. Here, we grew the Antarctic sea ice diatom Nitzschia sp. ICE-H in a semicontinuous culture under low (~400ppm) and high (1000ppm) CO 2 levels. Elevated CO 2 resulted in a stimulated physiological response including increased growth rates, chlorophyll a contents, and nitrogen and phosphorus uptake rates. Furthermore, high CO 2 enhanced cellular particulate organic carbon production rates, indicating a greater shift from inorganic to organic carbon. However, the cultures grown in high CO 2 conditions exhibited a decrease in both extracellular and intracellular carbonic anhydrase activity, suggesting that the carbon concentrating mechanisms of Nitzschia sp. ICE-H may be suppressed by elevated CO 2 . Our results revealed that OA would be beneficial to the survival of this sea ice diatom strain, with broad implications for global carbon cycles in the future ocean. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  15. Anthropogenic CO2 in the oceans estimated using transit time distributions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Waugh, D.W.; McNeil, B.I.

    2006-01-01

    The distribution of anthropogenic carbon (Cant) in the oceans is estimated using the transit time distribution (TTD) method applied to global measurements of chlorofluorocarbon-12 (CFC12). Unlike most other inference methods, the TTD method does not assume a single ventilation time and avoids the large uncertainty incurred by attempts to correct for the large natural carbon background in dissolved inorganic carbon measurements. The highest concentrations and deepest penetration of anthropogenic carbon are found in the North Atlantic and Southern Oceans. The estimated total inventory in 1994 is 134 Pg-C. To evaluate uncertainties the TTD method is applied to output from an ocean general circulation model (OGCM) and compared the results to the directly simulated Cant. Outside of the Southern Ocean the predicted Cant closely matches the directly simulated distribution, but in the Southern Ocean the TTD concentrations are biased high due to the assumption of 'constant disequilibrium'. The net result is a TTD overestimate of the global inventory by about 20%. Accounting for this bias and other centred uncertainties, an inventory range of 94-121 Pg-C is obtained. This agrees with the inventory of Sabine et al., who applied the DeltaC* method to the same data. There are, however, significant differences in the spatial distributions: The TTD estimates are smaller than DeltaC* in the upper ocean and larger at depth, consistent with biases expected in DeltaC* given its assumption of a single parcel ventilation time

  16. Mesoscale modelling of atmospheric CO2 across Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lansø, Anne Sofie

    2016-01-01

    of the simulated atmospheric CO2 across Denmark was, in particular, affected by the Danish terrestrial surface exchanges and its temporal variability. This study urges all future modelling studies of air–sea CO2 to include short-term variability in pCO2. To capture the full heterogeneity of the surface exchanges......It is scientifically well-established that the increase of atmospheric CO2 affects the entire globe and will lead to higher surface temperatures. Although anthropogenic CO2is emitted straight into the atmosphere, it does not all contribute to the existing atmospheric CO2 reservoir. Approximately 29......% is taken up by the global oceans, due to under-saturation of CO2 in the surface waters, while another 33 % is taken up by the terrestrial biosphere, via photosynthesis. In order to estimate the effects of increasing anthropogenic emissions of CO2 more accurately in the future, it is essential to understand...

  17. CO2 capture by gas hydrate crystallization: Application on the CO2-N2 mixture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bouchemoua, A.

    2012-01-01

    CO 2 capture and sequestration represent a major industrial and scientific challenge of this century. There are different methods of CO 2 separation and capture, such as solid adsorption, amines adsorption and cryogenic fractionation. Although these processes are well developed at industrial level, they are energy intensive. Hydrate formation method is a less energy intensive and has an interesting potential to separate carbon dioxide. Gas hydrates are Document crystalline compounds that consist of hydrogen bonded network of water molecules trapping a gas molecule. Gas hydrate formation is favored by high pressure and low temperature. This study was conducted as a part of the SECOHYA ANR Project. The objective is to study the thermodynamic and kinetic conditions of the process to capture CO 2 by gas hydrate crystallization. Firstly, we developed an experimental apparatus to carry out experiments to determine the thermodynamic and kinetic formation conditions of CO 2 -N 2 gas hydrate mixture in water as liquid phase. We showed that the operative pressure may be very important and the temperature very low. For the feasibility of the project, we used TBAB (Tetrabutylammonium Bromide) as thermodynamic additive in the liquid phase. The use of TBAB may reduce considerably the operative pressure. In the second part of this study, we presented a thermodynamic model, based on the van der Waals and Platteeuw model. This model allows the estimation of thermodynamic equilibrium conditions. Experimental equilibrium data of CO 2 -CH 4 and CO 2 -N 2 mixtures are presented and compared to theoretical results. (author)

  18. Revised budget for the oceanic uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarmiento, J.L.; Sundquist, E.T.

    1992-01-01

    TRACER-CALIBRATED models of the total uptake of anthropogenic CO2 by the world's oceans give estimates of about 2 gigatonnes carbon per year1, significantly larger than a recent estimate2 of 0.3-0.8 Gt C yr-1 for the synoptic air-to-sea CO2 influx. Although both estimates require that the global CO2 budget must be balanced by a large unknown terrestrial sink, the latter estimate implies a much larger terrestrial sink, and challenges the ocean model calculations on which previous CO2 budgets were based. The discrepancy is due in part to the net flux of carbon to the ocean by rivers and rain, which must be added to the synoptic air-to-sea CO2 flux to obtain the total oceanic uptake of anthropogenic CO2. Here we estimate the magnitude of this correction and of several other recently proposed adjustments to the synoptic air-sea CO2 exchange. These combined adjustments minimize the apparent inconsistency, and restore estimates of the terrestrial sink to values implied by the modelled oceanic uptake.

  19. Reactivity of hydrocarbons in response to injection of a CO2/O2 mixture under depleted reservoir conditions: experimental and numerical modeling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pacini-Petitjean, Claire

    2015-01-01

    The geological storage of CO 2 (CO 2 Capture-Storage - CCS) and the Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) by CO 2 injection into petroleum reservoirs could limit CO 2 atmospheric accumulation. However, CO 2 can be associated with oxygen. To predict the hydrocarbon evolution under these conditions involves the study of oxidation mechanisms. Oxidation experiment and kinetic detailed modeling were carried out with pure compounds. The comparison between experimental and modeling results led to the construction of a hydrocarbon oxidation kinetic model and emphasized the parameters leading to auto ignition. The good agreement between our experiments and modeling are promising for the development of a tool predicting the critical temperature leading to auto-ignition and the evolution of hydrocarbon composition, to estimate the stability of a petroleum system in CO 2 injection context. (author) [fr

  20. Simulating low frequency changes in atmospheric CO2 during the last 740 000 years

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Köhler

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Atmospheric CO2 measured in Antarctic ice cores shows a natural variability of 80 to 100 ppmv during the last four glacial cycles and variations of approximately 60 ppmv in the two cycles between 410 and 650 kyr BP. We here use various paleo-climatic records from the EPICA Dome C Antarctic ice core and from oceanic sediment cores covering the last 740 kyr to force the ocean/atmosphere/biosphere box model of the global carbon cycle BICYCLE in a forward mode over this time in order to interpret the natural variability of CO2. Our approach is based on the previous interpretation of carbon cycle variations during Termination I (Köhler et al., 2005a. In the absense of a process-based sediment module one main simplification of BICYCLE is that carbonate compensation is approximated by the temporally delayed restoration of deep ocean [CO32−]. Our results match the low frequency changes in CO2 measured in the Vostok and the EPICA Dome C ice core for the last 650 kyr BP (r2≈0.75. During these transient simulations the carbon cycle reaches never a steady state due to the ongoing variability of the overall carbon budget caused by the time delayed response of the carbonate compensation to other processes. The average contributions of different processes to the rise in CO2 during Terminations I to V and during earlier terminations are: the rise in Southern Ocean vertical mixing: 36/22 ppmv, the rise in ocean temperature: 26/11 ppmv, iron limitation of the marine biota in the Southern Ocean: 20/14 ppmv, carbonate compensation: 15/7 ppmv, the rise in North Atlantic deep water formation: 13/0 ppmv, the rise in gas exchange due to a decreasing sea ice cover: −8/−7 ppmv, sea level rise: −12/−4 ppmv, and rising terrestrial carbon storage: −13/−6 ppmv. According to our model the smaller interglacial CO2 values in the pre-Vostok period prior to Termination V are mainly caused by smaller interglacial Southern Ocean SST and an Atlantic THC which stayed

  1. Rapid establishment of the CO2 sink associated with Kerguelen's bloom observed during the KEOPS2/OISO20 cruise

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lo Monaco, C.; Metzl, N.; D'Ovidio, F.; Llort, J.; Ridame, C.

    2014-12-01

    Iron and light are the main factors limiting the biological pump of CO2 in the Southern Ocean. Iron fertilization experiments have demonstrated the potential for increased uptake of atmospheric CO2, but little is known about the evolution of fertilized environnements. This paper presents observations collected in one of the largest phytoplankton bloom of the Southern Ocean sustained by iron originating from the Kerguelen Plateau. We first complement previous studies by investigating the mechanisms that control air-sea CO2 fluxes over and downstream of the Kerguelen Plateau at the onset of the bloom based on measurements obtained in October-November 2011. These new observations show the rapid establishment of a strong CO2 sink in waters fertilized with iron as soon as vertical mixing is reduced. The magnitude of the CO2 sink was closely related to chlorophyll a and iron concentrations. Because iron concentration strongly depends on the distance from the iron source and the mode of delivery, we identified lateral advection as the main mechanism controlling air-sea CO2 fluxes downtream the Kerguelen Plateau during the growing season. In the southern part of the bloom, situated over the Plateau (iron source), the CO2 sink was stronger and spatially more homogeneous than in the plume offshore. However, we also witnessed a substantial reduction in the uptake of atmospheric CO2 over the Plateau following a strong winds event. Next, we used all the data available in this region in order to draw the seasonal evolution of air-sea CO2 fluxes. The CO2 sink is rapidly reduced during the course of the growing season, which we attribute to iron and silicic acid depletion. South of the Polar Front, where nutrients depletion is delayed, we suggest that the amplitude and duration of the CO2 sink is mainly controlled by vertical mixing. The impact of iron fertilization on air-sea CO2 fluxes is revealed by comparing the uptake of CO2 integrated over the productive season in the bloom

  2. Risk assessment of excessive CO{sub 2} emission on diatom heavy metal consumption

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Fengjiao; Li, Shunxing, E-mail: shunxing_li@aliyun.com; Zheng, Fengying; Huang, Xuguang

    2016-10-01

    Diatoms are the dominant group of phytoplankton in the modern ocean, accounting for approximately 40% of oceanic primary productivity and critical foundation of coastal food web. Rising dissolution of anthropogenic CO{sub 2} in seawater may directly/indirectly cause ocean acidification and desalination. However, little is known about dietary diatom-associated changes, especially for diatom heavy metal consumption sensitivity to these processes, which is important for seafood safety and nutrition assessment. Here we show some links between ocean acidification/desalination and heavy metal consumption by Thalassiosira weissflogii. Excitingly, under desalination stress, the relationships between Cu, Zn, and Cd were all positively correlated, especially between Cu and Zn (r = 0.989, total intracellular concentration) and between Zn and Cd (r = 0.962, single-cell intracellular concentration). Heavy metal consumption activity in decreasing order was acidification < acidification + desalination < desalination for Zn, acidification < desalination < acidification + desalination for Cu and Cd, i.e., heavy metal uptake (or release) were controlled by environmental stress. Our findings showed that heavy metal uptake (or release) was already responded to ongoing excessive CO{sub 2} emission-driven acidification and desalination, which was important for risk assessment of climate change on diatom heavy metal consumption, food web and then seafood safety in future oceans. - Highlights: • Excessive CO{sub 2} in seawater may causes ocean acidification and desalination. • The relationships between Cu, Zn, and Cd were all positively correlated by desalination. • Significant effects of salinity on intracellular concentration of Cu and Cd • Cu and Cd in marine phytoplankton could be regulated by metal excretion. • Heavy metal consumption was affect by excessive CO{sub 2}.

  3. Rolling stones. Fast weathering of olivine in shallow seas for cost-effective CO2 capture and mitigation of global warming and ocean acidification

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schuiling, R.D.; De Boer, P.L. [Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80.021, 3508TA Utrecht (Netherlands)

    2011-07-01

    Human CO2 emissions may drive the Earth into a next greenhouse state. They can be mitigated by accelerating weathering of natural rock under the uptake of CO2. We disprove the paradigm that olivine weathering in nature would be a slow process, and show that it is not needed to mill olivine to very fine, 10 {mu}m-size grains in order to arrive at a complete dissolution within 1-2 year. In high-energy shallow marine environments olivine grains and reaction products on the grain surfaces, that otherwise would greatly retard the reaction, are abraded so that the chemical reaction is much accelerated. When kept in motion even large olivine grains rubbing and bumping against each other quickly produce fine clay- and silt-sized olivine particles that show a fast chemical reaction. Spreading of olivine in the world's 2% most energetic shelf seas can compensate a year's global CO2 emissions and counteract ocean acidification against a price well below that of carbon credits.

  4. Sea urchin response to rising pCO2 shows ocean acidification may fundamentally alter the chemistry of marine skeletons

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. BRAY

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Ocean acidification caused by an increase in pCO2 is expected to drastically affect marine ecosystem composition, yet there is much uncertainty about the mechanisms through which ecosystems may be affected. Here we studied sea urchins that are common and important grazers in the Mediterranean (Paracentrotus lividus and Arbacia lixula. Our study included a natural CO2 seep plus reference sites in the Aegean Sea off Greece. The distribution of A. lixula was unaffected by the low pH environment, whereas densities of P. lividus were much reduced. There was skeletal degradation in both species living in acidified waters compared to reference sites and remarkable increases in skeletal manganese levels (P. lividus had a 541% increase, A. lixula a 243% increase, presumably due to changes in mineral crystalline structure. Levels of strontium and zinc were also altered. It is not yet known whether such dramatic changes in skeletal chemistry will affect coastal systems but our study reveals a mechanism that may alter inter-species interactions.

  5. Economic Vulnerability Assessment of U.S. Fishery Revenues to Ocean Acidification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooley, S. R.; Doney, S. C.

    2008-12-01

    Ocean acidification, a predictable consequence of rising anthropogenic CO2 emissions, is poised to change marine ecosystems profoundly by decreasing average ocean pH and the carbonate mineral saturation state worldwide. These conditions slow or reverse marine plant and animal calcium carbonate shell growth, thereby harming economically valuable species. In 2006, shellfish and crustaceans provided 50% of the 4 billion U.S. domestic commercial harvest value; value added to commercial fishery products contributed 35 billion to the gross national product that year. Laboratory studies have shown that ocean acidification decreases shellfish calcification; ocean acidification--driven declines in commercial shellfish and crustacean harvests between now and 2060 could decrease nationwide time-integrated primary commercial revenues by 860 million to 14 billion (net present value, 2006 dollars), depending on CO2 emissions, discount rates, biological responses, and fishery structure. This estimate excludes losses from coral reef damage and possible fishery collapses if ocean acidification pushes ecosystems past ecological tipping points. Expanding job losses and indirect economic costs will follow harvest decreases as ocean acidification broadly damages marine habitats and alters marine resource availability. Losses will harm many regions already possessing little economic resilience. The only true solution to ocean acidification is reducing atmospheric CO2 emissions, but implementing regional adaptive responses now from an ecosystem-wide, fisheries perspective will help better preserve sustainable ecosystem function and economic yields. Comprehensive management strategies must include monitoring critical fisheries, explicitly accounting for ocean acidification in management models, reducing fishing pressure and environmental stresses, and supporting regional economies most sensitive to acidification's impacts.

  6. CO2 and circulation in the deglacial North Pacific

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, B.; Rae, J. W. B.; Gray, W. R.; Rees-Owen, R. L.; Burke, A.

    2017-12-01

    The North Pacific is the largest carbon reservoir in the global ocean, but has not typically been thought to play an active role in deglacial CO2 rise based on its modern stratified state. Recent studies (Okazaki et al., 2010; Rae et al., 2014; Max et al., 2017), however, have suggested that a more dynamic circulation regime operated in the glacial and deglacial North Pacific and, as such, the role of the North Pacific in deglacial CO2 rise may have been underestimated. We present two new high-resolution boron isotope records of surface water pCO2 from the North West and North East Pacific spanning the last 22 kyrs. The two records show remarkable coherence over key intervals during the last deglaciation and highlight major changes over a number of abrupt climate events. At both sites, following the LGM, pCO2(sw) rises, coincident with a younging of North Pacific intermediate and deep waters. This suggests that increased local overturning mixed CO2-rich deep waters throughout the water column, likely contributing to CO2 outgassing during Heinrich Stadial 1 (HS1). Both records exhibit decreases in pCO2(sw) during the latter stages of HS1, which are immediately followed by a rapid increase in pCO2(sw) at the onset of the Bølling-Allerød (B/A). Radiocarbon and δ13C data indicate a collapse in North Pacific Intermediate Water formation at the onset of the B/A, which, combined with enhanced wind stress curl, would have allowed CO2-rich waters to mix into the surface ocean from intermediate-depths. The combination of high nutrient availability and a seasonally well-stratified mixed layer likely led to the abrupt increase in export productivity across the region; the excess surface water CO2 shows that alleviation of iron or light limitation could not have been its primary cause. Our new records highlight the importance of overturning circulation in the North Pacific in controlling productivity and CO2 release on glacial/interglacial timescales.

  7. Gas hydrate dissociation prolongs acidification of the Anthropocene oceans

    OpenAIRE

    Boudreau, B.P.; Luo, Y.; Meysman, F.J.R.; Middelburg, J

    2015-01-01

    Anthropogenic warming of the oceans can release methane (CH4) currently stored in sediments as gas hydrates. This CH4 will be oxidized to CO2, thus increasing the acidification of the oceans. We employ a biogeochemical model of the multimillennial carbon cycle to determine the evolution of the oceanic dissolved carbonate system over the next 13?kyr in response to CO2 from gas hydrates, combined with a reasonable scenario for long-term anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Hydrate-derived CO2 will appr...

  8. Anticipating ocean acidification's economic consequences for commercial fisheries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cooley, Sarah R; Doney, Scott C [Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543 (United States)], E-mail: scooley@whoi.edu

    2009-06-15

    Ocean acidification, a consequence of rising anthropogenic CO{sub 2} emissions, is poised to change marine ecosystems profoundly by increasing dissolved CO{sub 2} and decreasing ocean pH, carbonate ion concentration, and calcium carbonate mineral saturation state worldwide. These conditions hinder growth of calcium carbonate shells and skeletons by many marine plants and animals. The first direct impact on humans may be through declining harvests and fishery revenues from shellfish, their predators, and coral reef habitats. In a case study of US commercial fishery revenues, we begin to constrain the economic effects of ocean acidification over the next 50 years using atmospheric CO{sub 2} trajectories and laboratory studies of its effects, focusing especially on mollusks. In 2007, the $3.8 billion US annual domestic ex-vessel commercial harvest ultimately contributed $34 billion to the US gross national product. Mollusks contributed 19%, or $748 million, of the ex-vessel revenues that year. Substantial revenue declines, job losses, and indirect economic costs may occur if ocean acidification broadly damages marine habitats, alters marine resource availability, and disrupts other ecosystem services. We review the implications for marine resource management and propose possible adaptation strategies designed to support fisheries and marine-resource-dependent communities, many of which already possess little economic resilience.

  9. Experimental characterization and modelling of the alteration of fractured cement under CO2 storage conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdoulghafour, Halidi

    2012-01-01

    The main purpose of this thesis was to characterize and to model the hydrodynamic and thermochemical processes leading to the alteration of the wellbore cement materials under borehole conditions. Percolation experiments were performed on fractured cement samples under CO 2 storage conditions (60 C and 10 MPa). Injection flow rate was dictated by the fracture aperture of each sample. CO 2 enriched brine was flowed along the fracture aperture, and permeability changes as well as chemical evolution of major cations were continuously acquired during the experiment time. Reaction paths developed by the alteration of the cement were characterized using microtomography and ESEM images. The experiments conducted using samples presenting large fracture apertures during 5 h showed that permeability was maintained constant during the experiment time. Three reacted layers were displaying by the alteration of portlandite and CSH. Long term experiment (26 h) conducted with large initial fracture aperture showed a decrease of the permeability after 15 hours of CO 2 exposure. Otherwise, experiments performed on samples presenting narrow apertures indicated the conversion of portlandite and CSH to calcite leading to the permeability reduction and the fracture clogging. Assemblages of phases and chemical changes were modelled using GEMS-PSI speciation code. We studied also using a coupled transport-reactive model the conditions leading to the cement alteration and the formation of associated layers. (author)

  10. Measurements and trend analysis of O2, CO2 and δ13C of CO2 from the high altitude research station Junfgraujoch, Switzerland - A comparison with the observations from the remote site Puy de Dome, France

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Valentino, Francesco L.; Leuenberger, Markus; Uglietti, Chiara; Sturm, Patrick

    2008-01-01

    Atmospheric O 2 and CO 2 flask measurements from the high altitude research station Jungfraujoch, Switzerland, and from the observatory at Puy de Dome, France, are presented. Additionally, the Jungfraujoch δ 13 C record of CO 2 is discussed. The observations on flask samples collected at the Jungfraujoch station show, since 2003, an enhancement of the oxygen trend which amounts to about 45 per meg/year with a corresponding CO 2 increase of around 2.4 ppm/year. This enhancement is comparable with that observed at the Puy de Dome station where oxygen, since mid 2002, has decreased with a rate of about 50 per meg/year whilst the CO 2 increase was of around 1.7 ppm/year but exhibiting a higher variability. Several processes influence δO 2 /N 2 . However, these processes are marked with different oxidation ratios (O 2 :CO 2 ) that can be used to distinguish them. The apparent slopes calculated from correlation plots between de-trended CO 2 and δO 2 /N 2 records as well as between corresponding trends are significantly larger than the observed terrestrial exchange and fossil fuel emission slopes indicating a strong oceanic influence. Since ocean-atmosphere exchange can have very variable O 2 :CO 2 ratios depending on processes within the ocean, it is to our understanding the only possibility to explain our observations. The stability of the δO 2 /N 2 scale is critical in this regard, therefore, it is addressed here and we found no significant scale drift which would influence our trend calculations. In our view more important are criterions on the data selection before trend analysis

  11. The oceanic response to carbon emissions over the next century: investigation using three ocean carbon cycle models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chuck, A.; Tyrrell, T.; Holligan, P.M.; Totterdell, I.J.

    2005-01-01

    A recent study of coupled atmospheric carbon dioxide and the biosphere found alarming sensitivity of next-century atmospheric pCO 2 (and hence planetary temperature) to uncertainties in terrestrial processes. Here we investigate whether there is similar sensitivity associated with uncertainties in the behaviour of the ocean carbon cycle. We investigate this important question using three models of the ocean carbon cycle of varying complexity: (1) a new three-box oceanic carbon cycle model; (2) the HILDA multibox model with high vertical resolution at low latitudes; (3) the Hadley Centre ocean general circulation model (HadOCC). These models were used in combination to assess the quantitative significance (to year 2100 pCO 2 ) of potential changes to the ocean stimulated by global warming and other anthropogenic activities over the period 2000-2100. It was found that an increase in sea surface temperature and a decrease in the mixing rate due to stratification give rise to the greatest relative changes in pCO 2 , both being positive feedbacks. We failed to find any comparable large sensitivity due to the ocean

  12. Influence of the dissolution of increasing quantities of CO2 in the sea water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poitou, J.

    2007-03-01

    By the increase of carbon dioxide quantity in the atmosphere, the acidity of the ocean, which absorbs a part of this CO 2 , will increase. This acidity level is going to modify the shells and calcareous bases formation of many sea species. The author details the principle of the acidity evolution by the CO 2 increase, the consequences on the ocean fauna and the impacts for the humans. (A.L.B.)

  13. Significant discharge of CO2 from hydrothermalism associated with the submarine volcano of El Hierro Island

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santana-Casiano, J. M.; Fraile-Nuez, E.; González-Dávila, M.; Baker, E. T.; Resing, J. A.; Walker, S. L.

    2016-05-01

    The residual hydrothermalism associated with submarine volcanoes, following an eruption event, plays an important role in the supply of CO2 to the ocean. The emitted CO2 increases the acidity of seawater. The submarine volcano of El Hierro, in its degasification stage, provided an excellent opportunity to study the effect of volcanic CO2 on the seawater carbonate system, the global carbon flux, and local ocean acidification. A detailed survey of the volcanic edifice was carried out using seven CTD-pH-ORP tow-yo studies, localizing the redox and acidic changes, which were used to obtain surface maps of anomalies. In order to investigate the temporal variability of the system, two CTD-pH-ORP yo-yo studies were conducted that included discrete sampling for carbonate system parameters. Meridional tow-yos were used to calculate the amount of volcanic CO2 added to the water column for each surveyed section. The inputs of CO2 along multiple sections combined with measurements of oceanic currents produced an estimated volcanic CO2 flux = 6.0 105 ± 1.1 105 kg d-1 which is ~0.1% of global volcanic CO2 flux. Finally, the CO2 emitted by El Hierro increases the acidity above the volcano by ~20%.

  14. An interplay between plasticity and parental phenotype determines impacts of ocean acidification on a reef fish

    KAUST Repository

    Schunter, Celia Marei

    2017-12-15

    The impacts of ocean acidification will depend on the ability of marine organisms to tolerate, acclimate and eventually adapt to changes in ocean chemistry. Here, we use a unique transgenerational experiment to determine the molecular response of a coral reef fish to short-term, developmental and transgenerational exposure to elevated CO2, and to test how these responses are influenced by variations in tolerance to elevated CO2 exhibited by the parents. Within-generation responses in gene expression to end-of-century predicted CO2 levels indicate that a self-amplifying cycle in GABAergic neurotransmission is triggered, explaining previously reported neurological and behavioural impairments. Furthermore, epigenetic regulator genes exhibited a within-generation specific response, but with some divergence due to parental phenotype. Importantly, we find that altered gene expression for the majority of within-generation responses returns to baseline levels following parental exposure to elevated CO2 conditions. Our results show that both parental variation in tolerance and cross-generation exposure to elevated CO2 are crucial factors in determining the response of reef fish to changing ocean chemistry.

  15. An interplay between plasticity and parental phenotype determines impacts of ocean acidification on a reef fish.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schunter, Celia; Welch, Megan J; Nilsson, Göran E; Rummer, Jodie L; Munday, Philip L; Ravasi, Timothy

    2018-02-01

    The impacts of ocean acidification will depend on the ability of marine organisms to tolerate, acclimate and eventually adapt to changes in ocean chemistry. Here, we use a unique transgenerational experiment to determine the molecular response of a coral reef fish to short-term, developmental and transgenerational exposure to elevated CO 2 , and to test how these responses are influenced by variations in tolerance to elevated CO 2 exhibited by the parents. Within-generation responses in gene expression to end-of-century predicted CO 2 levels indicate that a self-amplifying cycle in GABAergic neurotransmission is triggered, explaining previously reported neurological and behavioural impairments. Furthermore, epigenetic regulator genes exhibited a within-generation specific response, but with some divergence due to parental phenotype. Importantly, we find that altered gene expression for the majority of within-generation responses returns to baseline levels following parental exposure to elevated CO 2 conditions. Our results show that both parental variation in tolerance and cross-generation exposure to elevated CO 2 are crucial factors in determining the response of reef fish to changing ocean chemistry.

  16. An interplay between plasticity and parental phenotype determines impacts of ocean acidification on a reef fish

    KAUST Repository

    Schunter, Celia Marei; Welch, Megan J.; Nilsson, Gö ran E.; Rummer, Jodie L.; Munday, Philip L.; Ravasi, Timothy

    2017-01-01

    The impacts of ocean acidification will depend on the ability of marine organisms to tolerate, acclimate and eventually adapt to changes in ocean chemistry. Here, we use a unique transgenerational experiment to determine the molecular response of a coral reef fish to short-term, developmental and transgenerational exposure to elevated CO2, and to test how these responses are influenced by variations in tolerance to elevated CO2 exhibited by the parents. Within-generation responses in gene expression to end-of-century predicted CO2 levels indicate that a self-amplifying cycle in GABAergic neurotransmission is triggered, explaining previously reported neurological and behavioural impairments. Furthermore, epigenetic regulator genes exhibited a within-generation specific response, but with some divergence due to parental phenotype. Importantly, we find that altered gene expression for the majority of within-generation responses returns to baseline levels following parental exposure to elevated CO2 conditions. Our results show that both parental variation in tolerance and cross-generation exposure to elevated CO2 are crucial factors in determining the response of reef fish to changing ocean chemistry.

  17. Influence of the dissolution of increasing quantities of CO{sub 2} in the sea water; Influence de la dissolution de quantites croissantes de CO{sub 2} dans l'eau de mer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Poitou, J

    2007-03-15

    By the increase of carbon dioxide quantity in the atmosphere, the acidity of the ocean, which absorbs a part of this CO{sub 2}, will increase. This acidity level is going to modify the shells and calcareous bases formation of many sea species. The author details the principle of the acidity evolution by the CO{sub 2} increase, the consequences on the ocean fauna and the impacts for the humans. (A.L.B.)

  18. Reducing of CO2 emissions and its depositing into underground

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaroslava Koudelková

    2005-11-01

    Full Text Available Increasing CO2 emissions caused especially by the combustion of fossil fuels rises a question of how this can be problem solved in the long term. There is several solutions which differ technically and financially. This paper deals with the CO2 capture from combustion processes or power plant processes, (CO2 can be captured from the flue gas, after combustion in oxygen and recirculated flue gas or from a synthesis gas before combustion. This paper presents possibilities of CO2 storagex captured in this way into underground (deep ocean, oil and gas fields, coal bed, aquifers.

  19. Fern Stomatal Responses to ABA and CO2 Depend on Species and Growth Conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hõrak, Hanna; Kollist, Hannes; Merilo, Ebe

    2017-06-01

    Changing atmospheric CO 2 levels, climate, and air humidity affect plant gas exchange that is controlled by stomata, small pores on plant leaves and stems formed by guard cells. Evolution has shaped the morphology and regulatory mechanisms governing stomatal movements to correspond to the needs of various land plant groups over the past 400 million years. Stomata close in response to the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA), elevated CO 2 concentration, and reduced air humidity. Whether the active regulatory mechanisms that control stomatal closure in response to these stimuli are present already in mosses, the oldest plant group with stomata, or were acquired more recently in angiosperms remains controversial. It has been suggested that the stomata of the basal vascular plants, such as ferns and lycophytes, close solely hydropassively. On the other hand, active stomatal closure in response to ABA and CO 2 was found in several moss, lycophyte, and fern species. Here, we show that the stomata of two temperate fern species respond to ABA and CO 2 and that an active mechanism of stomatal regulation in response to reduced air humidity is present in some ferns. Importantly, fern stomatal responses depend on growth conditions. The data indicate that the stomatal behavior of ferns is more complex than anticipated before, and active stomatal regulation is present in some ferns and has possibly been lost in others. Further analysis that takes into account fern species, life history, evolutionary age, and growth conditions is required to gain insight into the evolution of land plant stomatal responses. © 2017 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

  20. Advances in Geological CO{sub 2} Sequestration and Co-Sequestration with O{sub 2}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Verba, Circe A; O& #x27; Connor, William K.; Ideker, J.H.

    2012-10-28

    The injection of CO{sub 2} for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) and sequestration in brine-bearing formations for long term storage has been in practice or under investigation in many locations globally. This study focused on the assessment of cement wellbore seal integrity in CO{sub 2}- and CO{sub 2}-O{sub 2}-saturated brine and supercritical CO{sub 2} environments. Brine chemistries (NaCl, MgCl{sub 2}, CaCl{sub 2}) at various saline concentrations were investigated at a pressure of 28.9 MPa (4200 psi) at both 50{degree}C and 85{degree}C. These parameters were selected to simulate downhole conditions at several potential CO{sub 2} injection sites in the United States. Class H portland cement is not thermodynamically stable under these conditions and the formation of carbonic acid degrades the cement. Dissociation occurs and leaches cations, forming a CaCO{sub 3} buffered zone, amorphous silica, and other secondary minerals. Increased temperature affected the structure of C-S-H and the hydration of the cement leading to higher degradation rates.

  1. Coastal upwelling fluxes of O2, N2O, and CO2 assessed from continuous atmospheric observations at Trinidad, California

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. J. Lueker

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Continuous atmospheric records of O2/N2, CO2 and N2O obtained at Trinidad, California document the effects of air-sea exchange during coastal upwelling and plankton bloom events. The atmospheric records provide continuous observations of air-sea fluxes related to synoptic scale upwelling events over several upwelling seasons. Combined with satellite, buoy and local meteorology data, calculated anomalies in O2/N2 and N2O were utilized in a simple atmospheric transport model to compute air-sea fluxes during coastal upwelling. CO2 fluxes were linked to the oceanic component of the O2 fluxes through local hydrographic data and estimated as a function of upwelling intensity (surface ocean temperature and wind speed. Regional air-sea fluxes of O2/N2, N2O, and CO2 during coastal upwelling were estimated with the aid of satellite wind and SST data. Upwelling CO2 fluxes were found to represent ~10% of export production along the northwest coast of North America. Synoptic scale upwelling events impact the net exchange of atmospheric CO2 along the coastal margin, and will vary in response to the frequency and duration of alongshore winds that are subject to climate change.

  2. Ocean acidification impacts spine integrity but not regenerative capacity of spines and tube feet in adult sea urchins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emerson, Chloe E.; Reinardy, Helena C.; Bates, Nicholas R.

    2017-01-01

    Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) has resulted in a change in seawater chemistry and lowering of pH, referred to as ocean acidification. Understanding how different organisms and processes respond to ocean acidification is vital to predict how marine ecosystems will be altered under future scenarios of continued environmental change. Regenerative processes involving biomineralization in marine calcifiers such as sea urchins are predicted to be especially vulnerable. In this study, the effect of ocean acidification on regeneration of external appendages (spines and tube feet) was investigated in the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus exposed to ambient (546 µatm), intermediate (1027 µatm) and high (1841 µatm) partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) for eight weeks. The rate of regeneration was maintained in spines and tube feet throughout two periods of amputation and regrowth under conditions of elevated pCO2. Increased expression of several biomineralization-related genes indicated molecular compensatory mechanisms; however, the structural integrity of both regenerating and homeostatic spines was compromised in high pCO2 conditions. Indicators of physiological fitness (righting response, growth rate, coelomocyte concentration and composition) were not affected by increasing pCO2, but compromised spine integrity is likely to have negative consequences for defence capabilities and therefore survival of these ecologically and economically important organisms. PMID:28573022

  3. Ocean acidification impacts spine integrity but not regenerative capacity of spines and tube feet in adult sea urchins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emerson, Chloe E; Reinardy, Helena C; Bates, Nicholas R; Bodnar, Andrea G

    2017-05-01

    Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) has resulted in a change in seawater chemistry and lowering of pH, referred to as ocean acidification. Understanding how different organisms and processes respond to ocean acidification is vital to predict how marine ecosystems will be altered under future scenarios of continued environmental change. Regenerative processes involving biomineralization in marine calcifiers such as sea urchins are predicted to be especially vulnerable. In this study, the effect of ocean acidification on regeneration of external appendages (spines and tube feet) was investigated in the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus exposed to ambient (546 µatm), intermediate (1027 µatm) and high (1841 µatm) partial pressure of CO 2 ( p CO 2 ) for eight weeks. The rate of regeneration was maintained in spines and tube feet throughout two periods of amputation and regrowth under conditions of elevated p CO 2 . Increased expression of several biomineralization-related genes indicated molecular compensatory mechanisms; however, the structural integrity of both regenerating and homeostatic spines was compromised in high p CO 2 conditions. Indicators of physiological fitness (righting response, growth rate, coelomocyte concentration and composition) were not affected by increasing p CO 2 , but compromised spine integrity is likely to have negative consequences for defence capabilities and therefore survival of these ecologically and economically important organisms.

  4. A laboratory study of supercritical CO2 adsorption on cap rocks in the geological storage conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jedli, Hedi; Jbara, Abdessalem; Hedfi, Hachem; Bouzgarrou, Souhail; Slimi, Khalifa

    2017-04-01

    In the present study, various cap rocks have been experimentally reacted in water with supercritical CO2 in geological storage conditions ( P = 8 × 106 Pa and T = 80 °C) for 25 days. To characterize the potential CO2-water-rock interactions, an experimental setup has been built to provide additional information concerning the effects of structure, thermal and surface characteristics changes due to CO2 injection with cap rocks. In addition, CO2 adsorption capacities of different materials (i.e., clay evaporate and sandstone) are measured. These samples were characterized by XRD technique. The BET specific surface area was determined by nitrogen isotherms. In addition, thermal characteristics of untreated adsorbents were analyzed via TGA method and topography surfaces are identified by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Taking into account pressure and temperature, the physical as well as chemical mechanisms of CO2 retention were determined. Isotherm change profiles of samples for relative pressure range indicate clearly that CO2 was adsorbed in different quantities. In accordance with the X-ray diffraction, a crystalline phase was formed due to the carbonic acid attack and precipitation of some carbonate.

  5. Effect of ocean acidification on the nutritional quality of phytoplankton for copepod reproduction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyers, M.; Cochlan, W. P.; Kimmerer, W.; Carpenter, E. J.

    2016-02-01

    Phytoplankton are the oceans' primary producers of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), which provide marine organisms with nutrients needed for health and reproduction. It is hypothesized that future ocean acidification (OA) conditions could change the availability of phytoplankton PUFAs for ecologically significant predators such as copepods, affecting their reproductive success. Three species of phytoplankton (Rhodomonas salina, Skeletonema marinoi, Prorocentrum micans) were cultured under present-day (400ppm CO2, pH 8.1) and predicted future (1000ppm CO2, pH 7.8) oceanic conditions. For four days, female Acartia tonsa copepods were fed a phytoplankton mixture from either the present-day or predicted-future treatment. To assess changes in phytoplankton PUFA content, fatty acid profiles were analyzed via capillary gas chromatography. Copepod egg production (EP), hatching success (HS), and egg viability (EV) were determined to assess copepod reproductive success. Fatty acid analysis shows essential PUFAs comprise a smaller percentage of total fatty acids in phytoplankton cultured under high pCO2 (Rho 21.5%; Ske 14.1%; Pro 14.4%) compared to those cultured under present-day pCO2 (Rho 28.8%, Ske 32.7%, Pro 39.3%). Copepod reproduction data demonstrate that females fed phytoplankton cultured under high pCO2 have significantly lower EP (μ=14.3 eggs female-1), HS (μ=35.8%), and EV (μ=12.5%) compared to reproductive success of females fed phytoplankton cultured under present-day CO2 (EP μ=27.0 eggs female-1; HS μ=91.5%; EV μ=96.6%). This study demonstrates that OA can change the nutritional quality of primary producers, which can affect the reproductive success of fundamental secondary consumers.

  6. Effect of Elevated CO2 in Different Fertilizer Conditions on Physiological Traits in Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis at Greenhouse

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M Shoor

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations and nutrients supply are generally expected to enhance photosynthesis and growth of crops as a result considerably increase yields. The present study aims to investigate effects of elevated CO2 and different fertilizer conditions on physiological traits in Lemon balm. A factorial experiment was conducted based on completely randomized design with three replications and nine treatments at the greenhouse in 2010. The experiment factors were included three CO2 concentrations (380, 700 and 1050 ppm and three kinds of conditions fertilizer (no fertilizer, manure fertilizer and nitrogen fertilizer. The results indicated that increasing of CO2 from 380 to 1050 ppm led to improve in leaf area, plant height, relative growth ratio, total dry matter and final yield of individual plant. The highest and the lowest amount of measured traits related to with and without nitrogen fertilizer, respectively. Impact of elevated CO2 in conjunction with nitrogen and manure fertilizers increased. These effects were more on total dry matter and final yield than other growth indices. Therefore, it can be concluded that, whereas increase of temperature caused by rising CO2 is not considered or there is not any limitation for resources, CO2 enrichment will be improved lemon balm production.

  7. Downscaling Ocean Conditions: Initial Results using a Quasigeostrophic and Realistic Ocean Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katavouta, Anna; Thompson, Keith

    2014-05-01

    Previous theoretical work (Henshaw et al, 2003) has shown that the small-scale modes of variability of solutions of the unforced, incompressible Navier-Stokes equation, and Burgers' equation, can be reconstructed with surprisingly high accuracy from the time history of a few of the large-scale modes. Motivated by this theoretical work we first describe a straightforward method for assimilating information on the large scales in order to recover the small scale oceanic variability. The method is based on nudging in specific wavebands and frequencies and is similar to the so-called spectral nudging method that has been used successfully for atmospheric downscaling with limited area models (e.g. von Storch et al., 2000). The validity of the method is tested using a quasigestrophic model configured to simulate a double ocean gyre separated by an unstable mid-ocean jet. It is shown that important features of the ocean circulation including the position of the meandering mid-ocean jet and associated pinch-off eddies can indeed be recovered from the time history of a small number of large-scales modes. The benefit of assimilating additional time series of observations from a limited number of locations, that alone are too sparse to significantly improve the recovery of the small scales using traditional assimilation techniques, is also demonstrated using several twin experiments. The final part of the study outlines the application of the approach using a realistic high resolution (1/36 degree) model, based on the NEMO (Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean) modeling framework, configured for the Scotian Shelf of the east coast of Canada. The large scale conditions used in this application are obtained from the HYCOM (HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model) + NCODA (Navy Coupled Ocean Data Assimilation) global 1/12 degree analysis product. Henshaw, W., Kreiss, H.-O., Ystrom, J., 2003. Numerical experiments on the interaction between the larger- and the small-scale motion of

  8. CO{sub 2} emissions - sequestration, costs; Emisja CO{sub 2} - sekwestracja, koszty

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rakowski, J. [Inst. of Power Industry, Warsaw (Poland). Thermal Process Department

    2004-07-01

    The paper discusses and compares costs of technologies for limiting emissions of carbon dioxide in both before and after combustion in power generation - natural gas combined cycle; coal power unit with pulverised fuel boiler at both supercritical conditions and ultra supercritical conditions; and integrated gasification combined cycle. It then discusses in some detail the concept of an IGCC unit adapted to the removal of CO{sub 2} with the simultaneous production of hydrogen, and the use of an oxygen plant with CO{sub 2} recycling. 17 refs., 2 figs., 10 tabs.

  9. Interfacial tension measurement between CO2 and brines under high temperature and elevated pressure conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, X.; Boek, E. S.; Maitland, G. C.; Trusler, J. P. M.

    2012-04-01

    We have investigated the dependence of interfacial tension of (CO2 + brine) on temperature, pressure and salinity (including both salt type and molality) over the range of conditions applicable to CO2 storage in saline aquifers. The study covered a wide range of measurements of the interfacial tensions between carbon dioxide and (NaCl + KCl)(aq), CaCl2(aq), MgCl2(aq), Na2SO4(aq), KHCO3(aq), NaHCO3(aq) and two laboratory constructed brines with molality ranging from (0.3 to 5.0) mol·kg-1. The measurements were made at temperatures between (298 and 448) K at various pressures up to 50 MPa, using the pendant drop method in a high-pressure view cell filled with water-saturated CO2. The drop to be imaged was created by injecting brine from a high-pressure syringe pump into a capillary sealed through the top of the cell. The expanded uncertainties of the experimental state variables at 95 % confidence are +0.05 K in temperature and +70 kPa in pressure. For the interfacial tension, the overall expanded relative uncertainty at 95 % confidence was +1.6%. The experimental results show that interfacial tension for all the systems increases linearly with molality, indicating that relatively few measurements and simple interpolation procedures are adequate for describing this property accurately over wide ranges of conditions.

  10. Synergism between elevated pCO2 and temperature on the Antarctic sea ice diatom Nitzschia lecointei

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Torstensson

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Polar oceans are particularly susceptible to ocean acidification and warming. Diatoms play a significant role in sea ice biogeochemistry and provide an important food source to grazers in ice-covered oceans, especially during early spring. However, the ecophysiology of ice-living organisms has received little attention in terms of ocean acidification. In this study, the synergism between temperature and partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2 was investigated in relationship to the optimal growth temperature of the Antarctic sea ice diatom Nitzschia lecointei. Diatoms were kept in cultures at controlled levels of pCO2 (∼390 and ∼960 μatm and temperature (−1.8 and 2.5 °C for 14 days. Synergism between temperature and pCO2 was detected in growth rate and acyl lipid fatty acid (FA content. Optimal growth rate was observed around 5 °C in a separate experiment. Carbon enrichment only promoted (6% growth rate closer to the optimal growth, but not at the control temperature (−1.8 °C. At −1.8 °C and at ∼960 μatm pCO2, the total FA content was reduced relative to the ∼390 μatm treatment, although no difference between pCO2 treatments was observed at 2.5 °C. A large proportion (97% of the total FAs comprised on average of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA at −1.8 °C. Cellular PUFA content was reduced at ∼960 relative to ∼390 μatm pCO2. Effects of carbon enrichment may be different depending on ocean warming scenario or season, e.g. reduced cellular FA content in response to elevated CO2 at low temperatures only, reflected as reduced food quality for higher trophic levels. Synergy between warming and acidification may be particularly important in polar areas since a narrow thermal window generally limits cold-water organisms.

  11. A study of CO2 precipitation method considering an ionic CO2 and Ca(OH)2 slurry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Sangwon; Jo, Hoyong; Kang, Dongwoo; Park, Jinwon

    2014-01-01

    CCS (carbon capture and storage) is the most popular technology used for the reduction of CO 2 in the post-combustion stage. However, the CCS process has some disadvantages including uncertainty about the stability of the land that is used to store the separated CO 2 . Consequently, CCU (carbon capture and utilization) technologies have recently received increased attention as a possible replacement for CCS. In this study, we utilized CO 2 fixation methods by using the metal carbonate mechanism. We selected 5 and 30 wt% MEA (mono-ethanolamine) solutions to rapidly make a carbonate and Ca(OH) 2 slurry. In all of the experiments, normal temperature and pressure conditions were maintained (except during desorption to check for residual CO 2 in the MEA solution). Consequently, most of the CO 2 was converted to carbonate. The MEA converted CO 2 to ionic CO 2 and rapidly created calcium carbonate. Also the formed solids that were observed were determined to be CaCO 3 and Ca(OH) 2 by X-ray diffractometry. Also, the MEA solution could be reused to absorb CO 2 . Therefore, we have confirmed the development of our suggested CCS process. This process has the ability not only to reuse emitted CO 2 , but it can also be employed to reuse construction wastes that include heavy metals. - Highlights: • We propose novel CO 2 conversion technology by utilizing an amine solution. • In this study, alkaline solutions were used to produce CO 2 precipitate. • The MEA (mono-ethanolamine) solution has a sufficient potential to fix CO 2 with metal sources under moderate condition. • Also, the Ca(OH) 2 slurry yielded enough Ca 2+ ions to make carbonate

  12. Effects of ocean acidification on juvenile red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus and Tanner crab (Chionoecetes bairdi growth, condition, calcification, and survival.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    William Christopher Long

    Full Text Available Ocean acidification, a decrease in the pH in marine waters associated with rising atmospheric CO2 levels, is a serious threat to marine ecosystems. In this paper, we determine the effects of long-term exposure to near-future levels of ocean acidification on the growth, condition, calcification, and survival of juvenile red king crabs, Paralithodes camtschaticus, and Tanner crabs, Chionoecetes bairdi. Juveniles were reared in individual containers for nearly 200 days in flowing control (pH 8.0, pH 7.8, and pH 7.5 seawater at ambient temperatures (range 4.4-11.9 °C. In both species, survival decreased with pH, with 100% mortality of red king crabs occurring after 95 days in pH 7.5 water. Though the morphology of neither species was affected by acidification, both species grew slower in acidified water. At the end of the experiment, calcium concentration was measured in each crab and the dry mass and condition index of each crab were determined. Ocean acidification did not affect the calcium content of red king crab but did decrease the condition index, while it had the opposite effect on Tanner crabs, decreasing calcium content but leaving the condition index unchanged. This suggests that red king crab may be able to maintain calcification rates, but at a high energetic cost. The decrease in survival and growth of each species is likely to have a serious negative effect on their populations in the absence of evolutionary adaptation or acclimatization over the coming decades.

  13. Comparison of the Carbon System Parameters at the Global CO2 Survey Crossover Locations in the North and South Pacific Ocean, 1990-1996

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Feely, Richard A [NOAA, Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL); Lamb, Marilyn F. [NOAA, Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL); Greeley, Dana J. [NOAA, Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL); Wanninkhof, Rik [NOAA, Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML)

    1999-10-01

    As a collaborative program to measure global ocean carbon inventories and provide estimates of the anthropogenic carbon dioxide (C02) uptake by the oceans. the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Department of Energy have sponsored the collection of ocean carbon measurements as part of the World Ocean Circulation Experiment and Ocean-Atmosphere Carbon Exchange Study cruises. The cruises discussed here occurred in the North and South Pacific from 1990 through 1996. The carbon parameters from these 30 crossover locations have been compared to ensure that a consistent global data set emerges from the survey cruises. !'he results indicate that for dissolved inorganic carbon. fugacity of C02• and pH. the a~:,rreements at most crossover locations are well within the design specifications for the global CO) survey: whereas. in the case of total alkaliniry. the agreement between crossover locations is not as close.

  14. The causes of alkalinity variations in the global surface ocean

    OpenAIRE

    Fry, Claudia Helen

    2016-01-01

    Human activities have caused the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) to increase by 120 ppmv from pre-industrial times to 2014. The ocean takes up approximately a quarter of the anthropogenic CO2, causing ocean acidification (OA). Therefore it is necessary to study the ocean carbonate system, including alkalinity, to quantify the flux of CO2 into the ocean and understand OA. Since the 1970s, carbonate system measurements have been undertaken which can be analyzed to quantify the...

  15. The equilibrium response to doubling atmospheric CO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mitchell, J.F.B.

    1990-01-01

    The equilibrium response of climate to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide as simulated by general circulation models is assessed. Changes that are physically plausible are summarized, along with an indication of the confidence attributable to those changes. The main areas of uncertainty are highlighted. They include: equilibrium experiments with mixed-layer oceans focusing on temperature, precipitation, and soil moisture; equilibrium studies with dynamical ocean-atmosphere models; results deduced from equilibrium CO 2 experiments; and priorities for future research to improve atmosphere models

  16. Turf algal epiphytes metabolically induce local pH increase, with implications for underlying coralline algae under ocean acidification

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Short, J.A.; Pedersen, Ole; Kendrick, G.A.

    2015-01-01

    The presence of epiphytic turf algae may modify the effects of ocean acidification on coralline algal calcification rates by altering seawater chemistry within the diffusive boundary layer (DBL) above coralline algal crusts. We used microelectrodes to measure the effects of turf algal epiphytes...... on seawater pH and the partial pressure of oxygen (pO2) within the DBL at the surface of Hydrolithoideae coralline algal crusts under ambient (36 Pa) CO2 and an ocean acidification scenario with elevated CO2 (200 Pa). Turf algae significantly increased the mean diel amplitude of pH and pO2, and this effect...... was more pronounced under elevated CO2. We suggest that increases in seawater CO2 under ocean acidification conditions may drive an increase in the abundance of epiphytic turf algae, consequently modifying the chemistry within the DBL. Thus, the effect of epiphytic turf algae on microscale pH is striking...

  17. Species-Specific Responses of Juvenile Rockfish to Elevated pCO2: From Behavior to Genomics.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Scott L Hamilton

    Full Text Available In the California Current ecosystem, global climate change is predicted to trigger large-scale changes in ocean chemistry within this century. Ocean acidification-which occurs when increased levels of atmospheric CO2 dissolve into the ocean-is one of the biggest potential threats to marine life. In a coastal upwelling system, we compared the effects of chronic exposure to low pH (elevated pCO2 at four treatment levels (i.e., pCO2 = ambient [500], moderate [750], high [1900], and extreme [2800 μatm] on behavior, physiology, and patterns of gene expression in white muscle tissue of juvenile rockfish (genus Sebastes, integrating responses from the transcriptome to the whole organism level. Experiments were conducted simultaneously on two closely related species that both inhabit kelp forests, yet differ in early life history traits, to compare high-CO2 tolerance among species. Our findings indicate that these congeners express different sensitivities to elevated CO2 levels. Copper rockfish (S. caurinus exhibited changes in behavioral lateralization, reduced critical swimming speed, depressed aerobic scope, changes in metabolic enzyme activity, and increases in the expression of transcription factors and regulatory genes at high pCO2 exposure. Blue rockfish (S. mystinus, in contrast, showed no significant changes in behavior, swimming physiology, or aerobic capacity, but did exhibit significant changes in the expression of muscle structural genes as a function of pCO2, indicating acclimatization potential. The capacity of long-lived, late to mature, commercially important fish to acclimatize and adapt to changing ocean chemistry over the next 50-100 years is likely dependent on species-specific physiological tolerances.

  18. Bacterial Biogeography across the Amazon River-Ocean Continuum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mary Doherty

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Spatial and temporal patterns in microbial biodiversity across the Amazon river-ocean continuum were investigated along ∼675 km of the lower Amazon River mainstem, in the Tapajós River tributary, and in the plume and coastal ocean during low and high river discharge using amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA genes in whole water and size-fractionated samples (0.22.0 μm and >2.0 μm. River communities varied among tributaries, but mainstem communities were spatially homogeneous and tracked seasonal changes in river discharge and co-varying factors. Co-occurrence network analysis identified strongly interconnected river assemblages during high (May and low (December discharge periods, and weakly interconnected transitional assemblages in September, suggesting that this system supports two seasonal microbial communities linked to river discharge. In contrast, plume communities showed little seasonal differences and instead varied spatially tracking salinity. However, salinity explained only a small fraction of community variability, and plume communities in blooms of diatom-diazotroph assemblages were strikingly different than those in other high salinity plume samples. This suggests that while salinity physically structures plumes through buoyancy and mixing, the composition of plume-specific communities is controlled by other factors including nutrients, phytoplankton community composition, and dissolved organic matter chemistry. Co-occurrence networks identified interconnected assemblages associated with the highly productive low salinity near-shore region, diatom-diazotroph blooms, and the plume edge region, and weakly interconnected assemblages in high salinity regions. This suggests that the plume supports a transitional community influenced by immigration of ocean bacteria from the plume edge, and by species sorting as these communities adapt to local environmental conditions. Few studies have explored patterns of microbial diversity in

  19. Stem photosynthesis in a desert ephemeral, Eriogonum inflatum : Characterization of leaf and stem CO2 fixation and H2O vapor exchange under controlled conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osmond, C B; Smith, S D; Gui-Ying, B; Sharkey, T D

    1987-07-01

    The gas exchange characteristics of photosynthetic tissues of leaves and stems of Eriogonum inflatum are described. Inflated stems were found to contain extraordinarily high internal CO 2 concentrations (to 14000 μbar), but fixation of this internal CO 2 was 6-10 times slower than fixation of atmospheric CO 2 by these stems. Although the pool of CO 2 is a trivial source of CO 2 for stem photosynthesis, it may result in higher water-use efficiency of stem tissues. Leaf and stem photosynthetic activities were compared by means of CO 2 fixation in CO 2 response curves, light and temperature response curves in IRGA systems, and by means of O 2 exchange at CO 2 saturation in a leaf disc O 2 electrode system. On an area basis leaves contain about twice the chlorophyll and nitrogen as stems, and are capable of up to 4-times the absolute CO 2 and O 2 exchange rates. However, the stem shape is such that lighting of the shaded side leads to a substantial increase in overall stem photosynthesis on a projected area basis, to about half the leaf rate in air. Stem conductance is lower than leaf conductance under most conditions and is less sensitive to high temperature or high VPD. Under most conditions, the ratio C i /C a is lower in stems than in leaves and stems show greater water-use efficiency (higher ratio assimilation/transpiration) as a function of VPD. This potential advantage of stem photosynthesis in a water limited environment may be offset by the higher VPD conditions in the hotter, drier part of the year when stems are active after leaves have senesced. Stem and leaf photosynthesis were similarly affected by decreasing plant water potential.

  20. Detecting the anthropogenic influences on recent changes in ocean carbon uptake

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seferian, Roland; Ribes, Aurelien; Bopp, Laurent

    2014-01-01

    Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions have modified the rate at which oceans have absorbed atmospheric CO 2 over the last centuries through rising atmospheric CO 2 and modifications in climate. However, there are still missing pieces in our understanding of the recent evolution of air-sea CO 2 exchanges related to the magnitude of their response to anthropogenic forcing versus that controlled by the internal variability. Here, to detect and attribute anthropogenic influences on oceanic CO 2 uptake between 1960 and 2005, we compare an ensemble of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) climate model simulations forced by individual drivers to ocean-only model reconstructions. We demonstrate that the evolution of the global oceanic carbon sink over the last decades can be understood without invoking climate change, attributing rising atmospheric CO 2 as prominent driver of the oceanic sink. Nonetheless, at regional scale, the influence of climate change on air-sea CO 2 exchanges seems to emerge from the internal variability within the low-latitude oceans. (authors)

  1. Influences of Different Preparation Conditions on Catalytic Activity of Ag2O-Co3O4/γ-Al2O3 for Hydrogenation of Coal Pyrolysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lei Zhang

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A series of catalysts of Ag2O-Co3O4/γ-Al2O3 was prepared by equivalent volume impregnation method. The effects of the metal loading, calcination time, and calcination temperatures of Ag and Co, respectively, on the catalytic activity were investigated. The optimum preparing condition of Ag2O-Co3O4/γ-Al2O3 was decided, and then the influence of different preparation conditions on catalytic activity of Ag2O-Co3O4/γ-Al2O3 was analyzed. The results showed the following: (1 at the same preparation condition, when silver loading was 8%, the Ag2O-Co3O4/γ-Al2O3 showed higher catalyst activity, (2 the catalyst activity had obviously improved when the cobalt loading was 8%, while it was weaker at loadings 5% and 10%, (3 the catalyst activity was influenced by different calcination temperatures of silver, but the influences were not marked, (4 the catalyst activity can be influenced by calcination time of silver, (5 different calcination times of cobalt can also influence the catalyst activity of Ag2O-Co3O4/γ-Al2O3, and (6 the best preparation conditions of the Ag2O-Co3O4/γ-Al2O3 were silver loading of 8%, calcination temperature of silver of 450°C, and calcinations time of silver of 4 h, while at the same time the cobalt loading was 8%, the calcination temperature of cobalt was 450°C, and calcination time of cobalt was 4 h.

  2. Long-Term Observations of Atmospheric CO2, O3 and BrO over the Transitioning Arctic Ocean Pack-ice: The O-Buoy Chemical Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matrai, P.

    2016-02-01

    Autonomous, sea ice-tethered O-Buoys have been deployed (2009-2016) across the Arctic sea ice for long-term atmospheric measurements (http://www.o-buoy.org). O-Buoys (15) provide in-situ concentrations of three sentinel atmospheric chemicals, ozone, CO2 and BrO, as well as meteorological parameters and imagery, over the frozen ocean. O-Buoys were designed to transmit daily data over a period of 2 years while deployed in sea ice, as part of automated ice-drifting stations that include snow/ice measurement systems (e.g. Ice Mass Balance buoys) and oceanographic measurements (e.g. Ice Tethered Profilers). Seasonal changes in Arctic atmospheric chemistry are influenced by changes in the characteristics and presence of the sea ice vs. open water as well as air mass trajectories, especially during the winter-spring and summer-fall transitions when sea ice is melting and freezing, respectively. The O-Buoy Chemical Network provides the unique opportunity to observe these transition periods in real-time with high temporal resolution, and to compare them with those collected on land-based monitoring stations located. Due to the logistical challenges of measurements over the Arctic Ocean region, most long term, in-situ observations of atmospheric chemistry have been made at coastal or island sites around the periphery of the Arctic Ocean, leaving large spatial and temporal gaps that O-Buoys overcome. Advances in floatation, communications, power management, and sensor hardware have been made to overcome the challenges of diminished Arctic sea ice. O-Buoy data provide insights into enhanced seasonal, interannual and spatial variability in atmospheric composition, atmospheric boundary layer control on the amount of halogen activation, enhancement of the atmospheric CO2 signal over the more variable and porous pack ice, and to develop an integrated picture of the coupled ocean/ice/atmosphere system. As part of the Arctic Observing Network, we provide data to the community (www.aoncadis.org).

  3. Last Glacial Maximum CO2 and d13C successfully reconciled

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bouttes, N.; Paillard, D.; Roche, D.M.V.A.P.; Brovkin, V.; Bopp, L.

    2011-01-01

    During the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, ∼21,000 years ago) the cold climate was strongly tied to low atmospheric CO2 concentration (∼190 ppm). Although it is generally assumed that this low CO2 was due to an expansion of the oceanic carbon reservoir, simulating the glacial level

  4. Ocean zoning for conservation, fisheries and marine renewable energy: assessing trade-offs and co-location opportunities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yates, Katherine L; Schoeman, David S; Klein, Carissa J

    2015-04-01

    Oceans, particularly coastal areas, are getting busier and within this increasingly human-dominated seascape, marine biodiversity continues to decline. Attempts to maintain and restore marine biodiversity are becoming more spatial, principally through the designation of marine protected areas (MPAs). MPAs compete for space with other uses, and the emergence of new industries, such as marine renewable energy generation, will increase competition for space. Decision makers require guidance on how to zone the ocean to conserve biodiversity, mitigate conflict and accommodate multiple uses. Here we used empirical data and freely available planning software to identified priority areas for multiple ocean zones, which incorporate goals for biodiversity conservation, two types of renewable energy, and three types of fishing. We developed an approached to evaluate trade-offs between industries and we investigated the impacts of co-locating some fishing activities within renewable energy sites. We observed non-linear trade-offs between industries. We also found that different subsectors within those industries experienced very different trade-off curves. Incorporating co-location resulted in significant reductions in cost to the fishing industry, including fisheries that were not co-located. Co-location also altered the optimal location of renewable energy zones with planning solutions. Our findings have broad implications for ocean zoning and marine spatial planning. In particular, they highlight the need to include industry subsectors when assessing trade-offs and they stress the importance of considering co-location opportunities from the outset. Our research reinforces the need for multi-industry ocean-zoning and demonstrates how it can be undertaken within the framework of strategic conservation planning. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Oceanic ecosystem dynamics during gigantic volcanic episodes: the Ontong Java and Manihiki Plateaus recorded by calcareous nannoplankton. (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erba, E.

    2010-12-01

    Earth's volcanic activity introduces environmental stress that biota are forced to survive. There is a general consensus on the role of volcanogenic carbon dioxide increases, and implicit tectonic-igneous events, triggering major climate changes and profound variations in chemical, physical and trophic characteristics of the oceans through the Phanerozoic. Cretaceous geological records indicate conditions of excess atmCO2 (up to 2000-3000 ppm) derived from construction of Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs). In such “high CO2 world” and greenhouse conditions, the deep ocean became depleted of oxygen promoting the accumulation and burial of massive amounts of organic matter; such episodes are recognized as Oceanic Anoxic Events (OAEs) and their geological records merit careful examination of how the Earth system, and Life in particular, can overcome extreme experiments of global change. The Early Aptian (˜ 120 million years ago) OAE1a is a complex example of volcanicCO2-induced environmental stress. There is a general consensus on the causes of this case-history, namely excess CO2 derived from the construction of the Ontong Java-Manihiki LIP. Multi- and inter-disciplinary studies of the OAE1a have pointed out C, O, Os, Sr isotopic anomalies, a biocalcification crisis in pelagic and neritic settings, enhanced fertility and primary productivity, as well as ocean acidification. Available cyclochronology allows high-resolution dating of biotic and environmental fluctuations, providing the precision necessary for understanding the role of volcanogenic CO2 on nannoplankton biocalcification, adaptations, evolutionary innovation and/or extinctions. The reconstructed sequence of volcanogenic CO2 pulses, and perhaps some clathrate melting, triggered a climate change to supergreenhouse conditions, anoxia and ocean acidification. The demise of heavily calcified nannoconids and reduced calcite paleofluxes marks beginning of the pre-OAE1a calcification crisis. Ephemeral coccolith

  6. Nitrate limitation and ocean acidification interact with UV-B to reduce photosynthetic performance in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, W.; Gao, K.; Beardall, J.

    2015-04-01

    It has been proposed that ocean acidification (OA) will interact with other environmental factors to influence the overall impact of global change on biological systems. Accordingly we investigated the influence of nitrogen limitation and OA on the physiology of diatoms by growing the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin under elevated (1000 μatm; high CO2 - HC) or ambient (390 μatm; low CO2 - LC) levels of CO2 with replete (110 μmol L-1; high nitrate - HN) or reduced (10 μmol L-1; low nitrate - LN) levels of NO3- and subjecting the cells to solar radiation with or without UV irradiance to determine their susceptibility to UV radiation (UVR, 280-400 nm). Our results indicate that OA and UVB induced significantly higher inhibition of both the photosynthetic rate and quantum yield under LN than under HN conditions. UVA or/and UVB increased the cells' non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) regardless of the CO2 levels. Under LN and OA conditions, activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were enhanced, along with the highest sensitivity to UVB and the lowest ratio of repair to damage of PSII. HC-grown cells showed a faster recovery rate of yield under HN but not under LN conditions. We conclude therefore that nutrient limitation makes cells more prone to the deleterious effects of UV radiation and that HC conditions (ocean acidification) exacerbate this effect. The finding that nitrate limitation and ocean acidification interact with UV-B to reduce photosynthetic performance of the diatom P. tricornutum implies that ocean primary production and the marine biological C pump will be affected by OA under multiple stressors.

  7. Silent oceans: ocean acidification impoverishes natural soundscapes by altering sound production of the world's noisiest marine invertebrate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossi, Tullio; Connell, Sean D; Nagelkerken, Ivan

    2016-03-16

    Soundscapes are multidimensional spaces that carry meaningful information for many species about the location and quality of nearby and distant resources. Because soundscapes are the sum of the acoustic signals produced by individual organisms and their interactions, they can be used as a proxy for the condition of whole ecosystems and their occupants. Ocean acidification resulting from anthropogenic CO2 emissions is known to have profound effects on marine life. However, despite the increasingly recognized ecological importance of soundscapes, there is no empirical test of whether ocean acidification can affect biological sound production. Using field recordings obtained from three geographically separated natural CO2 vents, we show that forecasted end-of-century ocean acidification conditions can profoundly reduce the biological sound level and frequency of snapping shrimp snaps. Snapping shrimp were among the noisiest marine organisms and the suppression of their sound production at vents was responsible for the vast majority of the soundscape alteration observed. To assess mechanisms that could account for these observations, we tested whether long-term exposure (two to three months) to elevated CO2 induced a similar reduction in the snapping behaviour (loudness and frequency) of snapping shrimp. The results indicated that the soniferous behaviour of these animals was substantially reduced in both frequency (snaps per minute) and sound level of snaps produced. As coastal marine soundscapes are dominated by biological sounds produced by snapping shrimp, the observed suppression of this component of soundscapes could have important and possibly pervasive ecological consequences for organisms that use soundscapes as a source of information. This trend towards silence could be of particular importance for those species whose larval stages use sound for orientation towards settlement habitats. © 2016 The Author(s).

  8. Evidence for CO2 reactive adsorption on nanoporous S- and N-doped carbon at ambient conditions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bandosz, Teresa J. [City College of New York, NY (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Seredych, Mykola [City College of New York, NY (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Rodríguez-Castellón, Enrique [Univ. of Malaga (Spain). Dept. of Inorganic Chemistry; Cheng, Yongqiang [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Chemical and Engineering Materials Division; Daemen, Luke L. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Chemical and Engineering Materials Division; Ramírez-Cuesta, Anibal J. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Chemical and Engineering Materials Division

    2015-10-08

    CO2 interactions with nanoporous S- and N-doped polymer-derived carbon and commercial wood-based carbon were investigated in a broad range of conditions. The results showed that during CO2 adsorption nitrogen and sulfur species as well as water were released from the carbon surface as a result of chemical reactions of the surface groups with CO2. Inelastic neutron scattering experiments provided the unprecedented ability to characterize very small amounts of CO2 and H2O and revealed for the first time their physical/chemical status in the confined space of nanoporous carbons. The results obtained suggest that the reactivity of the carbon surface should be considered when CO2 storage media are chosen and when CO2 is used as a probe to determine the microporosity of carbon materials.

  9. Southern Ocean biogeochemical control of glacial/interglacial carbon dioxide change

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sigman, D. M.

    2014-12-01

    In the effort to explain the lower atmospheric CO2 concentrations observed during ice ages, two of the first hypotheses involved redistributing dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) within the ocean. Broecker (1982) proposed a strengthening of the ocean's biological pump during ice ages, which increased the dissolved inorganic carbon gradient between the dark, voluminous ocean interior and the surface ocean's sun-lit, wind-mixed layer. Boyle (1988) proposed a deepening in the ocean interior's pool of DIC associated with organic carbon regeneration, with its concentration maximum shifting from intermediate to abyssal depths. While not irrefutable, evidence has arisen that these mechanisms can explain much of the ice age CO2 reduction and that both were activated by changes in the Southern Ocean. In the Antarctic Zone, reduced exchange of water between the surface and the underlying ocean sequestered more DIC in the ocean interior (the biological pump mechanism). Dust-borne iron fertilization of the Subantarctic surface lowered CO2 partly by the biological pump mechanism and partly by Boyle's carbon deepening. Each mechanism owes a part of its CO2 effect to a transient increase in seafloor calcium carbonate dissolution, which raised the ice age ocean's alkalinity, causing it to absorb more CO2. However, calcium carbonate cycling also sets limits on these mechanisms and their CO2 effects, such that the combination of Antarctic and Subantarctic changes is needed to achieve the full (80-100 ppm) ice age CO2 decline. Data suggest that these changes began at different phases in the development of the last ice age, 110 and 70 ka, respectively, explaining a 40 ppm CO2 drop at each time. We lack a robust understanding of the potential causes for both the implied reduction in Antarctic surface/deep exchange and the increase in Subantarctic dust supply during ice ages. Thus, even if the evidence for these Southern Ocean changes were to become incontrovertible, conceptual gaps stand

  10. A uniform, quality controlled Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT)

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Pfeil, B.; Olsen, A; Bakker, D.C.E.; Hankin, S.; Koyuk, H.; Kozyr, A; Malczyk, J.; Manke, A; Metzl, N.; Sabine, C.L.; Akl, J.; Alin, S.R.; Bates, N.; Bellerby, R.G.J.; Borges, A; Boutin, J.; Brown, P.J.; Cai, W.-J.; Chavez, F.P.; Chen, A; Cosca, C.; Fassbender, A.J.; Feely, R.A.; Gonzalez-Davila, M.; Goyet, C.; Hales, B.; Hardman-Mountford, N.; Heinze, C.; Hood, M.; Hoppema, M.; Hunt, C.W.; Hydes, D.; Ishii, M.; Johannessen, T.; Jones, S.D.; Key, R.M.; Kortzinger, A.; Landschutzer, P.; Lauvset, S.K.; Lefevre, N.; Lenton, A.; Lourantou, A.; Merlivat, L.; Midorikawa, T.; Mintrop, L.; Miyazaki, C.; Murata, A.; Nakadate, A.; Nakano, Y.; Nakaoka, S.; Nojiri, Y.; Omar, A.M.; Padin, X.A.; Park, G.-H.; Paterson, K.; Perez, F.F.; Pierrot, D.; Poisson, A.; Rios, A.F.; Santana-Casiano, J.M.; Salisbury, J.; Sarma, V.V.S.S.; et al

    by the international marine carbon science community in 2007 with the aim of providing a comprehensive, publicly available, regularly updated, global data set of marine surface CO2, which had been subject to quality control (QC). Many additional CO2 data, not yet made...

  11. Transgenerational exposure of North Atlantic bivalves to ocean acidification renders offspring more vulnerable to low pH and additional stressors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griffith, Andrew W; Gobler, Christopher J

    2017-09-12

    While early life-stage marine bivalves are vulnerable to ocean acidification, effects over successive generations are poorly characterized. The objective of this work was to assess the transgenerational effects of ocean acidification on two species of North Atlantic bivalve shellfish, Mercenaria mercenaria and Argopecten irradians. Adults of both species were subjected to high and low pCO 2 conditions during gametogenesis. Resultant larvae were exposed to low and ambient pH conditions in addition to multiple, additional stressors including thermal stress, food-limitation, and exposure to a harmful alga. There were no indications of transgenerational acclimation to ocean acidification during experiments. Offspring of elevated pCO 2 -treatment adults were significantly more vulnerable to acidification as well as the additional stressors. Our results suggest that clams and scallops are unlikely to acclimate to ocean acidification over short time scales and that as coastal oceans continue to acidify, negative effects on these populations may become compounded and more severe.

  12. Multi-core MgO NPs(at)C core-shell nanospheres for selective CO2 capture under mild conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tae Kyung Kim; Kyung Joo Lee; Hoi Ri Moon; Junhan Yuh; Sang Kyu Kwak

    2014-01-01

    The core-shell structures have attracted attention in catalysis, because the outer shells isolate the catalytically active NP cores and prevent the possibility of sintering of core particles during catalytic reaction under physically and chemically harsh conditions. We aimed to adopt this core-shell system for CO 2 sorption materials. In this study, a composite material of multi-core 3 nm-sized magnesium oxide nanoparticles embedded in porous carbon nanospheres (MgO NPs(at)C) was synthesized by a gas phase reaction via a solvent-free process. It showed selective CO 2 adsorption capacity over N 2 under mild regeneration conditions. (authors)

  13. Ocean acidification compromises recruitment success of the threatened Caribbean coral Acropora palmata.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albright, Rebecca; Mason, Benjamin; Miller, Margaret; Langdon, Chris

    2010-11-23

    Ocean acidification (OA) refers to the ongoing decline in oceanic pH resulting from the uptake of atmospheric CO(2). Mounting experimental evidence suggests that OA will have negative consequences for a variety of marine organisms. Whereas the effect of OA on the calcification of adult reef corals is increasingly well documented, effects on early life history stages are largely unknown. Coral recruitment, which necessitates successful fertilization, larval settlement, and postsettlement growth and survivorship, is critical to the persistence and resilience of coral reefs. To determine whether OA threatens successful sexual recruitment of reef-building corals, we tested fertilization, settlement, and postsettlement growth of Acropora palmata at pCO(2) levels that represent average ambient conditions during coral spawning (∼400 μatm) and the range of pCO(2) increases that are expected to occur in this century [∼560 μatm (mid-CO(2)) and ∼800 μatm (high-CO(2))]. Fertilization, settlement, and growth were all negatively impacted by increasing pCO(2), and impairment of fertilization was exacerbated at lower sperm concentrations. The cumulative impact of OA on fertilization and settlement success is an estimated 52% and 73% reduction in the number of larval settlers on the reef under pCO(2) conditions projected for the middle and the end of this century, respectively. Additional declines of 39% (mid-CO(2)) and 50% (high-CO(2)) were observed in postsettlement linear extension rates relative to controls. These results suggest that OA has the potential to impact multiple, sequential early life history stages, thereby severely compromising sexual recruitment and the ability of coral reefs to recover from disturbance.

  14. ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF CO2 SEQUESTRATION TECHNOLOGIES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bert R. Bock; Richard G. Rhudy; David E. Nichols

    2001-07-01

    In order to plan for potential CO{sub 2} mitigation mandates, utilities need better information on CO{sub 2} mitigation options, especially carbon sequestration options that involve non-utility operations. One of the major difficulties in evaluating CO{sub 2} sequestration technologies and practices, both geologic storage of captured CO{sub 2} and storage in biological sinks, is obtaining consistent, transparent, accurate, and comparable economics. This project is comparing the economics of major technologies and practices under development for CO{sub 2} sequestration, including captured CO{sub 2} storage options such as active oil reservoirs, depleted oil and gas reservoirs, deep aquifers, coal beds, and oceans, as well as the enhancement of biological sinks such as forests and croplands. An international group of experts has been assembled to compare on a consistent basis the economics of this diverse array of CO{sub 2} sequestration options. Designs and data collection are nearly complete for each of the CO{sub 2} sequestration options being compared. Initial spreadsheet development has begun on concepts involving storage of captured CO{sub 2}. No significant problems have been encountered, but some additional outside expertise will be accessed to supplement the team's expertise in the areas of life cycle analysis, oil and gas exploration and production, and comparing CO{sub 2} sequestration options that differ in timing and permanence of CO{sub 2} sequestration. Plans for the next reporting period are to complete data collection and a first approximation of the spreadsheet. We expect to complete this project on time and on budget.

  15. Ocean acidification causes structural deformities in juvenile coral skeletons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foster, Taryn; Falter, James L; McCulloch, Malcolm T; Clode, Peta L

    2016-02-01

    Rising atmospheric CO2 is causing the oceans to both warm and acidify, which could reduce the calcification rates of corals globally. Successful coral recruitment and high rates of juvenile calcification are critical to the replenishment and ultimate viability of coral reef ecosystems. Although elevated Pco2 (partial pressure of CO2) has been shown to reduce the skeletal weight of coral recruits, the structural changes caused by acidification during initial skeletal deposition are unknown. We show, using high-resolution three-dimensional x-ray microscopy, that ocean acidification (Pco2 ~900 μatm, pH ~7.7) not only causes reduced overall mineral deposition but also a deformed and porous skeletal structure in newly settled coral recruits. In contrast, elevated temperature (+3°C) had little effect on skeletal formation except to partially mitigate the effects of elevated Pco2. The striking structural deformities we observed show that new recruits are at significant risk, being unable to effectively build their skeletons in the Pco2 conditions predicted to occur for open ocean surface waters under a "business-as-usual" emissions scenario [RCP (representative concentration pathway) 8.5] by the year 2100.

  16. CO2 dynamics on three habitats of mangrove ecosystem in Bintan Island, Indonesia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dharmawan, I. W. E.

    2018-02-01

    Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) has increased over time, implied on global warming and climate change. Blue carbon is one of interesting options to reduce CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. Indonesia has the largest mangrove area in the world which would be potential to mitigate elevated CO2 concentrations. A quantitative study on CO2 dynamic was conducted in the habitat-variable and pristine mangrove of Bintan island. The study was aimed to estimate CO2 flux on three different mangrove habitats, i.e., lagoon, oceanic and riverine. Even though all habitats were dominated by Rhizophora sp, they were significantly differed one another by species composition, density, and soil characteristics. Averagely, CO2 dynamics had the positive budget by ∼0.668 Mmol/ha (82.47%) which consisted of sequestration, decomposition, and soil efflux at 0.810 Mmol/ha/y, -0.125 Mmol/ha/y and -0.017 Mmol/ha/y, respectively. The study found that the fringing habitat had the highest CO2 capturing rate and the lowest rate of litter decomposition which was contrast to the riverine site. Therefore, oceanic mangrove was more efficient in controlling CO2 dynamics due to higher carbon storage on their biomass. A recent study also found that soil density and organic matter had a significant impact on CO2 dynamics.

  17. Parametrized overview of CO_2 power cycles for different operation conditions and configurations – An absolute and relative performance analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cardemil, José M.; Silva, Alexandre K. da

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Thermodynamic modeling of CO_2-based power cycles. • A multi-parameter analysis for different cycle configurations. • Performance comparison between CO_2 and four other fluids. • Detailed discussion considering optimized operational parameters (i.e., pressure, HX size). • Overview of the technical applicability of the CO_2. - Abstract: This thermodynamically based study focuses on the thermal performance of power cycles using CO_2 as the working fluid. The work considers numerous aspects that can influence the cycle's performance, such as the type of cycle (i.e., Rankine or Brayton), its configuration (i.e., with and without a recuperator), and different operational conditions (i.e., heat source temperature and the upper and lower operating pressures of the CO_2). To account for all possible scenarios, a thermodynamic routine was especially implemented and linked to a library that contained all the thermodynamics properties of CO_2. The results are mostly presented in terms of the absolute and relative 1st and 2nd Law efficiencies of CO_2 as well as the cycle's scale, here represented by the global conductance (UA) of the heat exchangers used within the cycle. For the relative performance assessment, four other working fluids, commonly used in energy conversion cycles, were considered (i.e., ethane, toluene, D4 siloxane and water). As expected, the absolute performance results indicate a strong dependence of the cycle's efficiencies on the operational conditions. As for the relative performance, the results suggest that while the CO_2's 1st Law efficiency might be lower than other fluids, its exergetic efficiency can be significantly higher. Furthermore, the calculations also indicate that the CO_2's needed global conductance is potentially lower than competing fluids (e.g., toluene) for certain operational conditions, which suggests that CO_2-based power plants can be more compact, since they might require smaller heat exchangers to produce

  18. Indian Ocean radiocarbon: Data from the INDIGO 1, 2, and 3 cruises

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sepanski, R.J.

    1991-01-01

    This document presents 14 C activities (expressed in the internationally adopted Δ 14 C scale) from water samples taken at various locations and depths in the Indian and Southern oceans through the Indien Gaz Ocean (INDIGO) project. These data were collected as part of the INDIGO 1, INDIGO 2, and INDIGO 3 cruises, which took place during the years 1985, 1986, and 1987, respectively. These data have been used to estimate the penetration of anthropogenic CO 2 in the Indian and Southern oceans. The document also presents supporting data for potential temperature, salinity, density (sigma-theta), δ 13 C, and total CO 2 . All radiocarbon measurements have been examined statistically for quality of sample counts and stability of counting efficiency and background. In addition, all data have been reviewed by the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center and assessed for gross accuracy and consistency (absence of obvious outliers and other anomalous values). These data are available free of charge as a numeric data package (NDP) from the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center. The NDP consists of this document and a magnetic tape containing machine-readable files. This document provides sample listing of the Indian Ocean radiocarbon data as they appear on the magnetic tape, as well as a complete listing of these data in tabular form. This document also offers retrieval program listings, furnishes information on sampling methods and data selection, defines limitations and restrictions of the data, and provides reprints of pertinent literature. 13 refs., 4 tabs

  19. Impacts of Ocean Acidification and Temperature Change on Zooxanthellae Density in Coral Stylophora pistillata

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pantaleo, G. E.; Martínez Fernández, A.; Paytan, A.

    2016-12-01

    As ocean conditions continue to change, marine ecosystems are significantly impacted. Many calcifying organisms are being affected by the gradual changes in ocean pH and temperature that continue to occur over time. Corals are organisms that engage in a symbiotic relationship with Symbiodinium dinoflagellates (zooxanthellae). Symbiodinium are responsible for photosynthetic activity within oligotrophic waters. Corals depend on high levels of aragonite saturation state of seawater in order to build their skeletal structure. Most corals have a relatively narrow optimal range of temperature and pH in which they thrive. However, it is thought that corals residing in the Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea) are resilient to the effects of increasing temperature. Stylophora pistillata's response to environmental impacts was tested via a simulation of ocean conditions at a high temperature and high CO2 emission scenario (pH 7.65) and lower CO2 emission scenario (pH 7.85) that are predicted for the end of this century. We present the difference in zooxanthellae density following a short term experiment where corals were placed in seawater tanks at pH 7.65, 7.85 and 8.1 and temperature was increased by 4 degrees C above seawater temperature in order to measure the response of Stylophora pistillata to potential future ocean conditions.

  20. Ocean uptake of carbon dioxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peng, Tsung-Hung; Takahashi, Taro

    1993-01-01

    Factors controlling the capacity of the ocean for taking up anthropogenic C0 2 include carbon chemistry, distribution of alkalinity, pCO 2 and total concentration of dissolved C0 2 , sea-air pCO 2 difference, gas exchange rate across the sea-air interface, biological carbon pump, ocean water circulation and mixing, and dissolution of carbonate in deep sea sediments. A general review of these processes is given and models of ocean-atmosphere system based on our understanding of these regulating processes axe used to estimate the magnitude of C0 2 uptake by the ocean. We conclude that the ocean can absorb up to 35% of the fossil fuel emission. Direct measurements show that 55% Of C0 2 from fossil fuel burning remains in the atmosphere. The remaining 10% is not accounted for by atmospheric increases and ocean uptake. In addition, it is estimated that an amount equivalent to 30% of recent annual fossil fuel emissions is released into the atmosphere as a result of deforestation and farming. To balance global carbon budget, a sizable carbon sink besides the ocean is needed. Storage of carbon in terrestrial biosphere as a result of C0 2 fertilization is a potential candidate for such missing carbon sinks