The Disproportionate Role of Ocean Topography on the Upwelling of Carbon in the Southern Ocean | CU Experts

The physical circulation of the Southern Ocean sets the surface; concentration and thus air-sea exchange of CO2. However, we have a; limited understanding of the three-dimensional circulation that brings; deep carbon-rich waters to the surface. Here, we introduce and analyze a; novel high-resolution ocean model simulation with active biogeochemistry; and online Lagrangian particle tracking. We focus our attention on a; subset of particles with high dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) that; originate below 1000 m and eventually upwell into the surface mixed; layer. We find that 71% of the DIC-enriched water upwelling across 1000; m is concentrated near topographic features, which occupy just 33% of; the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Once particles upwell to the surface; mixed layer, their DIC decorrelates on timescales of; ~1.5 months—an order of magnitude longer than their; residence time. Our results show that Southern Ocean bathymetry plays a; key role in delivering carbon-rich waters to the surface.

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