Anthropogenic carbon storage and its decadal changes in the Atlantic between 1990–2020

Steinfeldt, Reiner; Rhein, Monika; Kieke, Dagmar

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3839-2024

Articles | Volume 21, issue 16

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3839-2024

© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3839-2024

© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 21, issue 16

Research article

|

29 Aug 2024

Research article |

| 29 Aug 2024

Anthropogenic carbon storage and its decadal changes in the Atlantic between 1990–2020

Reiner Steinfeldt, Monika Rhein, and Dagmar Kieke

Data sets

The annual update GLODAPv2.2023: the global interior ocean biogeochemical data product (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/data/oceans/ncei/ocads/data/0283442/) S. K. Lauvset et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-2047-2024

The GEOTRACES Intermediate Data Product 2017 (https://www.bodc.ac.uk/geotraces/data/idp2017/) R. Schlitzer et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2018.05.040

A global ocean carbon climatology: Results from Global Data Analysis Project (GLODAP) (https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/ocads/oceans/glodap/GlopDV.html) R. M. Key et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2004GB002247

Reconstruction of the history of anthropogenic CO2 concentrations in the ocean (http://kelvin.earth.ox.ac.uk/spk/Research/AnthropogenicCarbon/) S. Khatiwala et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08526

Physical oceanography and anthropogenic tracers measured on water bottle samples during Maria S R. Steinfeldt et al. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.962044

Physical oceanography, anthropogenic tracers and noble gases during Maria S R. Steinfeldt et al. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.962113

Short summary

We calculate the amount of anthropogenic carbon (C_ant) in the Atlantic for the years 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020. C_ant is the carbon that is taken up by the ocean as a result of humanmade CO₂ emissions. To determine the amount of C_ant, we apply a technique that is based on the observations of other humanmade gases (e.g., chlorofluorocarbons). Regionally, changes in ocean ventilation have an impact on the storage of C_ant. Overall, the increase in C_ant is driven by the rising CO₂ in the atmosphere.