Air-Sea CO$_2$ Fluxes Localized By Topography in a Southern Ocean Channel | CU Experts

Air-sea exchange of carbon dioxide (CO$_2$) in the Southern Ocean; plays an important role in the global carbon budget. Previous studies; have suggested that flow around topographic features of the Southern; Ocean enhances the upward supply of carbon from the deep to the surface,; influencing air-sea CO$_2$ exchange. Here, we investigate the role of; seafloor topography on the transport of carbon and associated air-sea; CO$_2$ flux in an idealized channel model. We find elevated CO$_2$; outgassing downstream of a seafloor ridge, driven by anomalous advection; of dissolved inorganic carbon. Argo-like Lagrangian particles in our; channel model sample heterogeneously in the vicinity of the seafloor; ridge, which could impact float-based estimates of CO$_2$ flux.

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