Theo Stein Friday, December 3, 2021 / Categories: Research Headlines, Climate Southern Ocean confirmed as strong carbon dioxide sink New research utilizes airborne measurements of carbon dioxide to estimate ocean uptake Research published in recent years has suggested the Southern Ocean might be absorbing less carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere than previously thought. But a new study published this week in the journal Science confirms the role of the Southern Ocean as a significant carbon sink. Using observations from research aircraft flown during three field projects over nearly a decade, as well as a collection of atmospheric models, researchers found that the Southern Ocean absorbs 550 million tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere every year, or about 18 percent of the amount absorbed by all the world’s oceans. The study highlighted the value of airborne observations when investigating the global carbon cycle. “You can’t fool the atmosphere,” said NCAR scientist Matthew Long, the paper’s lead author. “While measurements taken from the ocean surface and from land are important, they are too sparse to provide a reliable picture of air-sea carbon flux. The atmosphere, however, can integrate fluxes over large expanses.” Samples captured over the Southern Ocean during three airborne research missions, including ATom, helped to confirm that the Southern Ocean is a major carbon sink. Credit: Sam Hall/NCAR. NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory measured CO2 from the samples collected during the airborne projects and provided atmospheric CO2 records from the surface monitoring stations of its Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network. “Airborne measurements have the advantage of a very large footprint, over the scale of thousands of kilometers,” said Colm Sweeney, a scientist with NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory and a co-author. “These measurements allow us to see the strong summer uptake and near-neutral winter outgassing over the Southern Ocean.” Uncertainty about the role of the Southern Ocean Once CO2 emissions enter the atmosphere, some is taken up by plants, and some is absorbed into the ocean. These land and ocean “sinks” slow the increases in atmospheric CO2 levels. As society continues to emit more CO2, understanding the location, scale and variability of carbon sinks is crucial to understanding the future trajectory of climate change, and evaluating the impact of future emission reductions measures and CO2 removal technologies. Piecing airborne measurements from three different field projects (HIPPO, ORCAS, ATom) with deployments stretching over nearly a decade, the scientists showed that the Southern Ocean takes in significantly more CO2 in the summer than it loses during the winter. In the summer, blooms of photosynthetic algae, or phytoplankton, play a key role in driving CO2 uptake into the ocean. “It’s critical that we have a finger on the pulse of the carbon cycle as we enter a period when global society is taking action to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere,” Long said. “These observations can help us do just that.” The research was funded by the National Science Foundation, which is NCAR’s sponsor, as well as by NOAA and NASA. This story was adapted from an NCAR press release. For more information contact Theo Stein, NOAA Communications, at theo.stein@noaa.gov. Previous Article Craig N. McLean, director of NOAA Research, to retire Next Article Arctic Report Card: Climate change transforming Arctic into ‘dramatically different state’ Print 8596 Tags: Carbon Dioxide Climate Change CO2 NCAR NASA Carbon Cycle ATom carbon sink Southern Ocean Global Monitoring Laboratory DC-8 Related articles National Academy of Science honors NOAA's Kirk Bryan for pioneering ocean and climate science Atmospheric Rivers: What are they and how does NOAA study them? When volcanoes roar: protecting the public and tracking long-term climate impacts NOAA Research's top accomplishments from 2022 Global atmospheric carbon dioxide levels continue to rise
Atmospheric Rivers: What are they and how does NOAA study them? 11Jan2023 Read more You may have heard of atmospheric rivers in the news lately due to the intense rainfall and flooding along the U.S. West Coast. These naturally occurring air currents can bring both severe disruption and great benefit through the heavy rain and mountain snows that contribute to regional water supply. NOAA studies atmospheric rivers to improve forecasting capabilities as well as to improve our understanding of atmospheric river impacts on communities and the physical environment. Read more
Global atmospheric carbon dioxide levels continue to rise 14Nov2022 Read more Global carbon dioxide emissions in 2022 remain at record levels and natural carbon sinks are being impacted by climate change, according to a report published last week by the Global Carbon Project. Read more
One facility makes a big contribution to Salt Lake’s winter brown cloud 25Jan2023 Read more The 2.4 million people who live along Utah’s Wasatch Front experience some of the most severe winter particulate matter air pollution in the nation. Now, analysis of measurements taken during NOAA research flights in 2017 indicates that emissions from a single source, a magnesium refinery, may be responsible for a significant fraction of the fine particles that form the dense winter brown clouds that hang over Salt Lake City. Read more
NOAA Research's top accomplishments from 2022 20Dec2022 Read more Major hurricanes, intense wildfires, increasing concentrations of greenhouse gasses, deep sea discoveries, and more made 2022 an eventful year for NOAA Research. As we enter the final days of the year, we’re taking a look back at some of our biggest accomplishments from the last 12 months. Read more
When volcanoes roar: protecting the public and tracking long-term climate impacts 5Jan2023 Read more 2022 was a busy year for volcanic eruptions with Hawaii's Mauna Loa and Kilaeau erupting simultaneously, along with Mount Semeru, Indonesia and the Hunga undersea volcano in Tonga. While the United States Geological Survey is the primary agency that monitors volcanic activity in the United States, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) oversees safety systems for tsunamis and other volcano-related threats, as well as studies the impact of volcanic gasses on our global climate. Read more