Articles | Volume 18, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2711-2021
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2711-2021
Research article
 | 
30 Apr 2021
Research article |  | 30 Apr 2021

Ocean carbon uptake under aggressive emission mitigation

Sean M. Ridge and Galen A. McKinley

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Short summary
Approximately 40 % of the CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion and cement production have been absorbed by the ocean. The goal of the UNFCCC Paris Agreement is to reduce humanity's emissions so as to limit global warming to no more than 2 °C, and ideally less than 1.5 °C. If we achieve this level of mitigation, the ocean's uptake of carbon will be strongly reduced. Excess carbon trapped in the near-surface ocean will begin to mix back to the surface and will limit additional uptake.
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