South Atlantic interbasin exchanges of mass, heat, salt and anthropogenic carbon

Evans, G.R.; McDonagh, E.L.; King, B.A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1338-3234; Bryden, H.L.; Bakker, D.C.E.; Brown, P.J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1152-1114; Schuster, U.; Speer, K.G.; van Heuven, S.M.A.C.. 2017 South Atlantic interbasin exchanges of mass, heat, salt and anthropogenic carbon. Progress in Oceanography, 151. 62-82. 10.1016/j.pocean.2016.11.005

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© 2017 Elsevier B.V. This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Progress in Oceanography. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was published in Progress in Oceanography (doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2016.11.005)
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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2016.11.005

Abstract/Summary

The exchange of mass, heat, salt and anthropogenic carbon (Cant) between the South Atlantic, south of 24°S, and adjacent ocean basins is estimated from hydrographic data obtained during 2008–2009 using an inverse method. Transports of anthropogenic carbon are calculated across the western (Drake Passage), eastern (30°E) and northern (24°S) boundaries. The freshwater overturning transport of 0.09 Sv is southward, consistent with an overturning circulation that exports freshwater from the North Atlantic, and consistent with a bistable Meridional Overturning Circulation (MOC), under conditions of excess freshwater perturbation. At 30°E, net eastward Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) transport, south of the Subtropical Front, is compensated by a 15.9 ± 2.3 Sv westward flow along the Antarctic boundary. The region as a whole is a substantial sink for atmospheric anthropogenic carbon of 0.51 ± 0.37 Pg C yr−1, of which 0.18 ± 0.12 Pg C yr−1 accumulates and is stored within the water column. At 24°S, a 20.2 Sv meridional overturning is associated with a 0.11 Pg C yr−1 Cant overturning. The remainder is transported into the Atlantic Ocean north of 24°S (0.28 ± 0.16 Pg C yr−1) and Indian sector of Southern Ocean (1.12 ± 0.43 Pg C yr−1), having been enhanced by inflow through Drake Passage (1.07 ± 0.44 Pg C yr−1). This underlines the importance of the South Atlantic as a crucial element of the anthropogenic carbon sink in the global oceans.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1016/j.pocean.2016.11.005
ISSN:	00796611
Date made live:	15 Feb 2017 15:34 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/516235

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1016/j.pocean.2016.11.005

ISSN:

00796611

Date made live:

15 Feb 2017 15:34 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/516235