Reemergence of anthropogenic carbon into the ocean's mixed layer strongly amplifies transient climate sensitivity
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
A positive marine chemistry‐climate feedback was originally proposed by Revelle and Suess (1957, https://doi.org/10.3402/tellusa.v9i1.9075), whereby the invasion flux of anthropogenic carbon into the ocean serves to inhibit future marine CO2 uptake through reductions to the buffering capacity of surface seawater. Here we use an ocean circulation‐carbon cycle model to identify an upper limit on the impact of reemergence of anthropogenic carbon into the ocean's mixed layer on the cumulative airborne fraction of CO2 in the atmosphere. We find under an RCP8.5 emissions pathway (with steady circulation) that the cumulative airborne fraction of CO2 has a sevenfold reduction by 2100 when the CO2 buffering capacity of surface seawater is maintained at preindustrial levels. Our results indicate that the effect of reemergence of anthropogenic carbon into the mixed layer on the buffering capacity of CO2 amplifies the transient climate sensitivity of the Earth system.
Date Issued
2020-09-28
Date Acceptance
2020-08-26
Citation
Geophysical Research Letters, 2020, 47 (18), pp.1-9
ISSN
0094-8276
Publisher
Wiley
Start Page
1
End Page
9
Journal / Book Title
Geophysical Research Letters
Volume
47
Issue
18
Copyright Statement
©2020. The Authors.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
License URL
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000576634400057&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Geology
ocean</AUTHOR_KEYWORD>
feedback</AUTHOR_KEYWORD>
carbon cycle</AUTHOR_KEYWORD>
modeling</AUTHOR_KEYWORD>
ATMOSPHERIC CO2
SYSTEM
FORMULATION
EFFICIENCY
FEEDBACK
DIOXIDE
BUDGET
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN e2020GL089275
Date Publish Online
2020-09-02