Basing a remaining carbon budget on warming targets is subject to uncertainty due to uncertainty in the relationship between carbon emissions and warming. Framing emissions targets using a warming target therefore may not prevent dangerous change throughout the entire Earth system. Here, we use a climate emulator to constrain a remaining carbon budget that is more representative of the entire Earth system by using a combination of both warming and ocean acidification targets. The warming targets considered are the Paris Agreement targets of 1.5 and 2 °C; the acidification targets are −0.17 and −0.21 pH units, informed by aragonite saturation states where coral growth begins to be compromised. The aim of the dual targets is to prevent not only damage associated with warming, but damage to corals associated with atmospheric carbon and ocean acidification. We find that considering acidification targets in conjunction with warming targets narrows the uncertainty in the remaining carbon budget, especially in situations where the acidification target is more stringent than, or of similar stringency to, the warming target. Considering a strict combination of the two more stringent targets (both targets of 1.5 °C warming and −0.17 acidification must be met), the carbon budget ranges from −74.0 to 129.8PgC. This reduces uncertainty in the carbon budget from by 29% (from 286.2PgC to 203.8PgC). This reduction comes from reducing the high-end estimate of the remaining carbon budget derived from just a warming target. Assuming an emissions rate held constant since 2021 (which is a conservative assumption), the budget towards both targets was either spent by 2019 or will be spent by 2026.
Continue reading ‘Assessing the remaining carbon budget through the lens of policy-driven acidification and temperature targets’Posts Tagged 'globalmodeling'
Assessing the remaining carbon budget through the lens of policy-driven acidification and temperature targets
Published 18 September 2023 Science ClosedTags: chemistry, globalmodeling, modeling, policy
Seasonal variability of the surface ocean carbon cycle: a synthesis
Published 4 September 2023 Science ClosedTags: chemistry, globalmodeling, modeling, review
Abstract
The seasonal cycle is the dominant mode of variability in the air-sea CO2 flux in most regions of the global ocean, yet discrepancies between different seasonality estimates are rather large. As part of the Regional Carbon Cycle Assessment and Processes phase 2 project (RECCAP2), we synthesize surface ocean pCO2 and air-sea CO2 flux seasonality from models and observation-based estimates, focusing on both a present-day climatology and decadal changes between the 1980s and 2010s. Four main findings emerge: First, global ocean biogeochemistry models (GOBMs) and observation-based estimates (pCO2 products) of surface pCO2 seasonality disagree in amplitude and phase, primarily due to discrepancies in the seasonal variability in surface DIC. Second, the seasonal cycle in pCO2 has increased in amplitude over the last three decades in both pCO2 products and GOBMs. Third, decadal increases in pCO2 seasonal cycle amplitudes in subtropical biomes for both pCO2 products and GOBMs are driven by increasing DIC concentrations stemming from the uptake of anthropogenic CO2 (Cant). In subpolar and Southern Ocean biomes, however, the seasonality change for GOBMs is dominated by Cant invasion, whereas for pCO2 products an indeterminate combination of Cant invasion and climate change modulates the changes. Fourth, biome-aggregated decadal changes in the amplitude of pCO2 seasonal variability are largely detectable against both mapping uncertainty (reducible) and natural variability uncertainty (irreducible), but not at the gridpoint scale over much of the northern subpolar oceans and over the Southern Ocean, underscoring the importance of sustained high-quality seasonally-resolved measurements over these regions.
Key Points
- pCO2 seasonal cycle amplitude changes over 1985-2018 are detectable against both mapping uncertainty and natural variability uncertainty
- The dominant driver of pCO2 amplitude increases over decadal timescales is attributed to the direct effect of Cant invasion
- A discrepancy is found with surface DIC seasonality being systematically less in GOBMs than in surface DIC observation-based products
Drivers of surface ocean acidity extremes in an Earth system model
Published 23 August 2023 Science ClosedTags: chemistry, globalmodeling, modeling
Abstract
Oceanic uptake of anthropogenic carbon causes acidification, a process that describes the increase in hydrogen ion concentrations ([H+]) and decrease in calcium carbonate mineral saturation states (Ω). Of particular concern are ocean acidity extreme (OAX) events, which pose a significant threat to many calcifying marine organisms. However, the mechanisms driving such extreme events are not well understood. Here, we use high-frequency output from a fully-coupled Earth system model of all processes that influence the surface ocean temperature and carbon budgets and ultimately [H+] and Ω anomalies to quantify the driving mechanisms of the onset and decline of high [H+] and low Ω extreme events. We show that enhanced temperature plays a crucial role in driving [H+] extremes, with increased net ocean heat uptake being the dominant driver of the event onset in the subtropics. In the mid-to-high latitudes, decreased downward vertical diffusion and mixing of warm surface waters during summer, and increased vertical mixing with warm and carbon-rich subsurface waters during winter are the main drivers of high [H+] extreme event onset. In the tropics, increases in vertical advection of carbon-rich subsurface waters are the primary driver of the onset of high [H+] extremes. In contrast, low Ω extremes are driven in most regions by increases in surface carbon concentration due to increased vertical mixing with carbon-rich subsurface waters. Our study highlights the complex interplay between heat and carbon anomalies driving OAX events and provides a first foundation for more accurate prediction of their future evolution.
Key Points
- The physical and biogeochemical drivers of surface ocean acidity extremes are analysed using high-frequency output of an Earth system model
- Higher temperatures due to enhanced ocean heat uptake drive the onset of high [H+] extremes in the subtropics
- In contrast, higher carbon concentrations due to increased vertical mixing and advection cause low Ω extremes in most regions
Implementing a coral reef CaCO3 production module in the iLOVECLIM climate model
Published 20 July 2023 Science ClosedTags: biological response, corals, globalmodeling, methods, modeling
Coral reef development is intricately linked to both climate and the concentration of atmospheric CO2, specifically through temperature and carbonate chemistry in the upper ocean. In turn, the calcification of corals modifies the concentration of dissolved inorganic carbon and total alkalinity in the ocean, impacting air-sea gas exchange, atmospheric CO2 concentration, and ultimately the climate. This retroaction between atmospheric conditions and coral biogeochemistry can only be accounted for with a coupled coral-carbon-climate model. Here we present the implementation of a coral reef calcification module into an Earth System model. Simulated coral reef production of the calcium carbonate mineral aragonite depends on photosynthetically active radiation, nutrient concentrations, salinity, temperature and the aragonite saturation state. An ensemble of 210 parameter perturbation simulations was performed to identify carbonate production parameter values that optimise the simulated distribution of coral reefs and associated carbonate production. The tuned model simulates the presence of coral reefs and regional-to-global carbonate production values in good agreement with data-based estimates. The model enables assessment of past and future coral-climate coupling on seasonal to millennial timescales, highlighting how climatic trends and variability may affect reef development and the resulting climate-carbon feedback.
Continue reading ‘Implementing a coral reef CaCO3 production module in the iLOVECLIM climate model’Carbonate pump feedbacks on alkalinity and the carbon cycle in the 21st century and beyond
Published 19 July 2023 Science ClosedTags: biogeochemistry, chemistry, globalmodeling, modeling
Ocean acidification is likely to impact all stages of the ocean carbonate pump, i.e. the production, export, dissolution and burial of biogenic CaCO3. However, the associated feedbacks on anthropogenic carbon uptake and ocean acidification have received little attention. It has previously been shown that Earth system model (ESM) carbonate pump parameterizations can affect and drive biases in the representation of ocean alkalinity, which is critical to the uptake of atmospheric carbon and provides buffering capacity towards associated acidification. In the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6), we show divergent responses of CaCO3 export at 100 m this century, with anomalies by 2100 ranging from -74 % to +23 % under a high-emissions scenario. The greatest export declines are projected by ESMs that consider pelagic CaCO3 production to depend on the local calcite/aragonite saturation state. Despite the potential effects of other processes on alkalinity, there is a robust negative correlation between anomalies in CaCO3 export and salinity-normalized surface alkalinity across the CMIP6 ensemble. Motivated by this relationship and the uncertainty in CaCO3 export projections across ESMs, we perform idealized simulations with an ocean biogeochemical model and confirm a limited impact of carbonate pump anomalies on twenty-first century ocean carbon uptake and acidification. However between 2100 and 2300, we highlight a potentially abrupt shift in the dissolution of CaCO3 from deep to subsurface waters when the global scale mean calcite saturation state reaches about 1.23 at 500 m (likely when atmospheric CO2 reaches 900 to 1100 ppm). During this shift, upper ocean acidification due to anthropogenic carbon uptake induces deep ocean acidification driven by a substantial reduction in CaCO3 deep dissolution following its decreased export at depth. Although the effect of a diminished carbonate pump on global ocean carbon uptake and surface ocean acidification remains limited until 2300, it can have a large impact on regional air-sea carbon fluxes, particularly in the Southern Ocean.
Continue reading ‘Carbonate pump feedbacks on alkalinity and the carbon cycle in the 21st century and beyond’Forecasting seasonal changes in ocean acidification using a novel Grey Seasonal Model with Grey Wolf Optimization
Published 11 July 2023 Science ClosedTags: chemistry, globalmodeling, methods, modeling
Ocean acidification forecasting has important implications for studying global carbon dioxide emissions reductions. However, due to seasonal and cyclical features, ocean acidification forecasting remains an extremely challenging task. Therefore, this paper proposes a grey wolf optimized fractional-order-accumulation discrete grey seasonal model (GFSM(1,1)). The GFSM(1,1) model improves the prediction of ocean acidification in two ways: The new information priority of seasonal data is improved by the fractional accumulation operator, and the adaptability of the grey model to seasonal data is increased by seasonal item parameters. The above two works have significantly improved the prediction accuracy of the grey prediction model for ocean acidification. The prediction results in practical cases prove that the prediction effect of the GFSM(1,1) model is not only better than the existing grey models (FMGM(1,N). NSGM(1,N), and GM(1,1)) but also better than statistical models (Nonlinear regression and ARIMA), traditional neural network model (LSTM) and deep learning model (SVM). Finally, the GFSM(1,1) model is applied to the prediction of seawater acidification. The forecast results show that the ocean will be acidified at a rate of 0.001863 per year, and the pH of the ocean will decrease by about 0.03% per year compared to the same period in previous years.
Continue reading ‘Forecasting seasonal changes in ocean acidification using a novel Grey Seasonal Model with Grey Wolf Optimization’Methane-derived authigenic carbonates – a case for a globally relevant marine carbonate factory
Published 6 July 2023 Science ClosedTags: biogeochemistry, chemistry, globalmodeling, methods, modeling, paleo, review
Precipitation of methane-derived authigenic carbonates (MDAC) is an integral part of marine methane production and consumption, but MDAC’s relative significance to the global marine carbon cycle is not well understood. Here we provide a synthesis and perspective to highlight MDAC from a global marine carbon biogeochemistry viewpoint. MDAC formation is a result and archive of carbon‑sulfur (C – S) coupling in the shallow sulfatic zone and carbon‑silicon (C – Si) coupling in deeper methanic sediments. MDAC constitute a carbon sequestration of 3.93 Tmol C yr−1 (range 2.34–5.8 Tmol C yr−1) in the modern ocean and are the third-largest carbon burial mechanism in marine sediments. This burial compares to 29% (11–57%) organic carbon and 10% (6–23%) skeletal carbonate carbon burial along continental margins. MDAC formation is also an important sink for benthic alkalinity and, thereby, a potential contributor to bottom water acidification. Our understanding of the impact of MDAC on global biogeochemical cycles has evolved over the past five decades from what was traditionally considered a passive carbon sequestration mechanism in a seep-oasis setting to what is now considered a dynamic carbonate factory expanding from deep sediments to bottom waters—a factory that has been operational since the Precambrian. We present a strong case for the need to improve regional scale quantification of MDAC accumulation rates and associated carbonate biogeochemical parameters, leading to their incorporation in present and paleo‑carbon budgets in the next phase of MDAC exploration.
Continue reading ‘Methane-derived authigenic carbonates – a case for a globally relevant marine carbonate factory’Interaction matters: bottom-up driver interdependencies alter the projected response of phytoplankton communities to climate change
Published 9 June 2023 Science ClosedTags: abundance, biological response, community composition, communitymodeling, globalmodeling, light, modeling, multiple factors, otherprocess, phytoplankton, regionalmodeling, temperature
Phytoplankton growth is controlled by multiple environmental drivers, which are all modified by climate change. While numerous experimental studies identify interactive effects between drivers, large-scale ocean biogeochemistry models mostly account for growth responses to each driver separately and leave the results of these experimental multiple-driver studies largely unused. Here, we amend phytoplankton growth functions in a biogeochemical model by dual-driver interactions (CO2 and temperature, CO2 and light), based on data of a published meta-analysis on multiple-driver laboratory experiments. The effect of this parametrization on phytoplankton biomass and community composition is tested using present-day and future high-emission (SSP5-8.5) climate forcing. While the projected decrease in future total global phytoplankton biomass in simulations with driver interactions is similar to that in control simulations without driver interactions (5%–6%), interactive driver effects are group-specific. Globally, diatom biomass decreases more with interactive effects compared with the control simulation (−8.1% with interactions vs. no change without interactions). Small-phytoplankton biomass, by contrast, decreases less with on-going climate change when the model accounts for driver interactions (−5.0% vs. −9.0%). The response of global coccolithophore biomass to future climate conditions is even reversed when interactions are considered (+33.2% instead of −10.8%). Regionally, the largest difference in the future phytoplankton community composition between the simulations with and without driver interactions is detected in the Southern Ocean, where diatom biomass decreases (−7.5%) instead of increases (+14.5%), raising the share of small phytoplankton and coccolithophores of total phytoplankton biomass. Hence, interactive effects impact the phytoplankton community structure and related biogeochemical fluxes in a future ocean. Our approach is a first step to integrate the mechanistic understanding of interacting driver effects on phytoplankton growth gained by numerous laboratory experiments into a global ocean biogeochemistry model, aiming toward more realistic future projections of phytoplankton biomass and community composition.
Continue reading ‘Interaction matters: bottom-up driver interdependencies alter the projected response of phytoplankton communities to climate change’Ocean alkalinity enhancement through restoration of blue carbon ecosystems
Published 1 June 2023 Science ClosedTags: biogeochemistry, chemistry, globalmodeling, mitigation, modeling
Blue carbon ecosystems provide a wide range of ecosystem services, are critical for maintaining marine biodiversity and may potentially serve as sites of economically viable carbon dioxide removal through enhanced organic carbon storage. Here we use biogeochemical simulations to show that restoration of these marine ecosystems can also lead to permanent carbon dioxide removal by driving ocean alkalinity enhancement and atmosphere-to-ocean CO2 fluxes. Most notably, our findings suggest that restoring mangroves, which are common in tropical shallow marine settings, will lead to notable local ocean alkalinity enhancement across a wide range of scenarios. Enhanced alkalinity production is linked to increased rates of anaerobic respiration and to increased dissolution of calcium carbonate within sediments. This work provides further motivation to pursue feasible blue carbon restoration projects and a basis for incorporating inorganic carbon removal in regulatory and economic incentivization of blue carbon ecosystem restoration.
Continue reading ‘Ocean alkalinity enhancement through restoration of blue carbon ecosystems’Increasing atmospheric CO2 enhances the carbon uptake of the coastal ocean
Published 30 May 2023 Science ClosedTags: biogeochemistry, globalmodeling, modeling
Observational reconstructions indicate a contemporary increase in coastal ocean CO2 uptake. However, the mechanisms and their relative importance in driving this globally intensifying absorption remain unclear. Here we integrate coastal carbon dynamics in a global model via regional grid refinement and enhanced process representation. We find that the increasing coastal ocean CO2 uptake is primarily driven by the upper ocean-atmosphere equilibration lag (41%), followed by climate-induced changes in the circulation (36%) and increasing riverine nutrient loads (23%). The comparatively weak riverine impact is mediated by enhanced advective export of organic carbon across the shelf break, thereby further adding to the carbon enrichment of the open ocean. The contribution of biological carbon fixation increases as the coastal ocean capacity to hold CO2 decreases under continuous climate change and ocean acidification. Our seamless coastal ocean integration advances carbon cycle model realism, which is relevant for addressing impacts of climate change mitigation efforts.
Continue reading ‘Increasing atmospheric CO2 enhances the carbon uptake of the coastal ocean’Calcium isotopes reveal shelf acidification on southern Neotethyan margin during the Smithian-Spathian boundary cooling event
Published 15 May 2023 Science ClosedTags: biogeochemistry, chemistry, globalmodeling, modeling, paleo
The Smithian-Spathian transition of the late Early Triassic was a critical period of environmental and biological upheavals, following the end-Permian mass extinction. Changes in carbonate deposition during this period have been attributed to intensified upwelling along shelf margins, but relevant studies are scarce. Here, we present calcium isotopes of bulk marine carbonate (δ44/40Cacarb) from a Smithian–Spathian boundary (SSB) succession (Guryul Ravine section, Kashmir) on the southern margin of the Neo-Tethys. Our smoothed δ44/40Cacarb curve reveals a ~ 0.2‰ negative shift (from ~ − 1.1‰ to ~ − 1.3‰) across the SSB, concurrent with a ~ +10‰ shift in δ13Ccarb. While increased Ca isotopic fractionation could play a role, we specifically examine potential impacts due to changes in marine Ca fluxes. Using a Ca-cycle mass balance model, we explore scenarios of decreased carbonate burial flux (Fcarb), decreased riverine flux (Friv), and a combination of these processes. The modeling suggest that a pulse decrease in Fcarb by 40% over ~0.06 Myr match the negative shift in δ44/40Cacarb at Guryul Ravine. We infer that this decrease was likely related to intensified upwelling of acidic deep seawater due to invigorated global-oceanic circulation during the SSB cooling event. We suggest that the regionally diverse excursions in δ44/40Cacarb in the Tethyan region could be attributed to spatially varied upwellings in the shelf margin. The upwelling of acidic and anoxic deep seawater may have driven the second-order extinction of ammonoids and conodonts at the beginning of the SSB cooling event.
Continue reading ‘Calcium isotopes reveal shelf acidification on southern Neotethyan margin during the Smithian-Spathian boundary cooling event’CMEMS-LSCE: a global 0.25-degree, monthly reconstruction of the surface ocean carbonate system
Published 12 May 2023 Science ClosedTags: chemistry, globalmodeling, methods, modeling
Observation-based data reconstructions of global surface ocean carbonate system variables play an essential role in monitoring the recent status of ocean carbon uptake and ocean acidification as well as their impacts on marine organisms and ecosystems. So far ongoing efforts are directed towards exploring new approaches to describe the complete marine carbonate system and to better recover its fine-scale features. In this respect, our research activities within the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS) aim at developing a sustainable production chain of observation-derived global ocean carbonate system datasets at high space-time resolution. As the start of the long-term objective, this study introduces a new global 0.25° monthly reconstruction, namely CMEMS-LSCE, for the period 1985–2021. The CMEMS-LSCE reconstruction derives datasets of six carbonate system variables including surface ocean partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2), total alkalinity (AT), total dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), surface ocean pH, and saturation states with respect to aragonite (Ωar) and calcite (Ωca). Reconstructing pCO2 relies on an ensemble of neural network models mapping gridded observation-based data provided by the Surface Ocean CO2 ATlas (SOCAT). Surface ocean AT is estimated with a multiple linear regression approach, and the remaining carbonate variables are resolved by CO2 system speciation given the reconstructed pCO2 and AT. 1σ-uncertainty associated with these estimates is also provided. Here, σ stands for either ensemble standard deviation of pCO2 estimates or total uncertainty for each of the five other variables propagated through the processing chain with input data uncertainty. We demonstrate that the 0.25°-resolution pCO2 product outperforms a coarser spatial resolution (1°) thanks to a higher data coverage nearshore and a better description of horizontal and temporal variations in pCO2 across diverse ocean basins, particularly in the coastal-open-ocean continuum. Product qualification with observation-based data confirms reliable reconstructions with root-of-mean–square–deviation from observations less than 8 %, 4 %, and 1 % relative to the global mean of pCO2, AT (DIC), and pH. The global average 1σ-uncertainty is below 5 % and 8 % for pCO2 and Ωar (Ωca), 2 % for AT and DIC, and 0.4 % for pH relative to their global mean values. Both model-observation misfit and model uncertainty indicate that coastal data reproduction still needs further improvement, wherein high temporal and horizontal gradients of carbonate variables and representative uncertainty from data sampling would be taken into account in priority. This study also presents a potential use case of the CMEMS-LSCE carbonate data product in tracking the recent state of ocean acidification.
Continue reading ‘CMEMS-LSCE: a global 0.25-degree, monthly reconstruction of the surface ocean carbonate system’Response of ocean acidification to atmospheric carbon dioxide removal
Published 9 May 2023 Science ClosedTags: chemistry, globalmodeling, mitigation, modeling
Artificial CO2 removal from the atmosphere (also referred to as negative CO2 emissions) has been proposed as a potential means to counteract anthropogenic climate change. Here we use an Earth system model to examine the response of ocean acidification to idealized atmospheric CO2 removal scenarios. In our simulations, atmospheric CO2 is assumed to increase at a rate of 1% per year to four times its pre-industrial value and then decreases to the pre-industrial level at a rate of 0.5%, 1%, 2% per year, respectively. Our results show that the annual mean state of surface ocean carbonate chemistry fields including hydrogen ion concentration ([H+]), pH and aragonite saturation state respond quickly to removal of atmospheric CO2. However, the change of seasonal cycle in carbonate chemistry lags behind the decline in atmospheric CO2. When CO2 returns to the pre-industrial level, over some parts of the ocean, relative to the pre-industrial state, the seasonal amplitude of carbonate chemistry fields is substantially larger. Simulation results also show that changes in deep ocean carbonate chemistry substantially lag behind atmospheric CO2 change. When CO2 returns to its pre-industrial value, the whole-ocean acidity measured by [H+] is 15%-18% larger than the pre-industrial level, depending on the rate of CO2 decrease. Our study demonstrates that even if atmospheric CO2 can be lowered in the future as a result of net negative CO2 emissions, the recovery of some aspects of ocean acidification would take decades to centuries, which would have important implications for the resilience of marine ecosystems.
Continue reading ‘Response of ocean acidification to atmospheric carbon dioxide removal’Robust estimates of the total alkalinity from satellite oceanographic data in the global ocean
Published 8 May 2023 Science ClosedTags: chemistry, field, globalmodeling, methods, modeling
Total alkalinity (TA) is a key parameter to understand the dynamics of biogeochemical properties in the global ocean and the effects of climate change on ocean acidification, ocean carbon cycle, and carbonate chemistry. To date, global surface ocean distributions of TA were investigated using multiple regional regression approaches which require smoothening techniques due to severe boundary effects in different oceanic regions/basins across latitudes/longitudes. To reduce the uncertainties and produce spatially and temporally consistent TA products, a novel single linear regression (SLR) approach was developed in this study to estimate TA fields in the global surface ocean waters. The SLR formulation was derived using the continuous in-situ measurements of sea surface salinity (SSS) collected from the different oceans. The performance of the SLR was assessed using independent in-situ/satellite derived TA data and the results from three existing algorithms. In general, the SLR-based global surface ocean TA fields from both in-situ and satellite data agreed well with in-situ measured TA data with a mean relative error less than 1%, which is much lower compared to the error with the existing algorithms. Studies were also conducted to examine the spatiotemporal variability and trends in the global surface ocean climatology of SSS and TA fields in the context of current climate change impacts.
Continue reading ‘Robust estimates of the total alkalinity from satellite oceanographic data in the global ocean’The representation of alkalinity and the carbonate pump from CMIP5 to CMIP6 Earth system models and implications for the carbon cycle (update)
Published 3 May 2023 Science ClosedTags: chemistry, globalmodeling, methods, modeling
Ocean alkalinity is critical to the uptake of atmospheric carbon in surface waters and provides buffering capacity towards the associated acidification. However, unlike dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), alkalinity is not directly impacted by anthropogenic carbon emissions. Within the context of projections of future ocean carbon uptake and potential ecosystem impacts, especially through Coupled Model Intercomparison Projects (CMIPs), the representation of alkalinity and the main driver of its distribution in the ocean interior, the calcium carbonate cycle, have often been overlooked. Here we track the changes from CMIP5 to CMIP6 with respect to the Earth system model (ESM) representation of alkalinity and the carbonate pump which depletes the surface ocean in alkalinity through biological production of calcium carbonate and releases it at depth through export and dissolution. We report an improvement in the representation of alkalinity in CMIP6 ESMs relative to those in CMIP5, with CMIP6 ESMs simulating lower surface alkalinity concentrations, an increased meridional surface gradient and an enhanced global vertical gradient. This improvement can be explained in part by an increase in calcium carbonate (CaCO3) production for some ESMs, which redistributes alkalinity at the surface and strengthens its vertical gradient in the water column. We were able to constrain a particulate inorganic carbon (PIC) export estimate of 44–55 Tmol yr−1 at 100 m for the ESMs to match the observed vertical gradient of alkalinity. Reviewing the representation of the CaCO3 cycle across CMIP5/6, we find a substantial range of parameterizations. While all biogeochemical models currently represent pelagic calcification, they do so implicitly, and they do not represent benthic calcification. In addition, most models simulate marine calcite but not aragonite. In CMIP6, certain model groups have increased the complexity of simulated CaCO3 production, sinking, dissolution and sedimentation. However, this is insufficient to explain the overall improvement in the alkalinity representation, which is therefore likely a result of marine biogeochemistry model tuning or ad hoc parameterizations. Although modellers aim to balance the global alkalinity budget in ESMs in order to limit drift in ocean carbon uptake under pre-industrial conditions, varying assumptions related to the closure of the budget and/or the alkalinity initialization procedure have the potential to influence projections of future carbon uptake. For instance, in many models, carbonate production, dissolution and burial are independent of the seawater saturation state, and when considered, the range of sensitivities is substantial. As such, the future impact of ocean acidification on the carbonate pump, and in turn ocean carbon uptake, is potentially underestimated in current ESMs and is insufficiently constrained.
Continue reading ‘The representation of alkalinity and the carbonate pump from CMIP5 to CMIP6 Earth system models and implications for the carbon cycle (update)’Climate change and the sea: a major disruption in steady state and the master variables
Published 26 April 2023 Science ClosedTags: Antarctic, Arctic, chemistry, field, globalmodeling, modeling
Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, humans have burned enormous quantities of coal, oil, and natural gas, rivaling nature’s elemental cycles of C, N, and S. The result has been a disruption in a steady state of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, a warming of the planet, and changes in master variables (temperature, pH, and pε) of the sea affecting critical physical, chemical, and biological reactions. Humans have also produced copious quantities of N and P fertilizers producing widespread coastal hypoxia and low dissolved oxygen conditions, which now threaten even the open ocean. Consequently, our massive alteration of state variables diminishes coral reefs, fisheries, and marine ecosystems, which are the foundation of life on Earth. We point to a myriad of actions and alternatives which will help to stem the tide of climate change and its effects on the sea while, at the same time, creating a more sustainable future for humans and ecosystems alike.
Continue reading ‘Climate change and the sea: a major disruption in steady state and the master variables’Long-term slowdown of ocean carbon uptake by alkalinity dynamics
Published 17 April 2023 Science ClosedTags: Antarctic, biogeochemistry, chemistry, globalmodeling, modeling, North Atlantic, North Pacific, South Pacific
Oceanic absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is expected to slow down under increasing anthropogenic emissions; however, the driving mechanisms and rates of change remain uncertain, limiting our ability to project long-term changes in climate. Using an Earth system simulation, we show that the uptake of anthropogenic carbon will slow in the next three centuries via reductions in surface alkalinity. Warming and associated changes in precipitation and evaporation intensify density stratification of the upper ocean, inhibiting the transport of alkaline water from the deep. The effect of these changes is amplified threefold by reduced carbonate buffering, making alkalinity a dominant control on CO2 uptake on multi-century timescales. Our simulation reveals a previously unknown alkalinity-climate feedback loop, amplifying multi-century warming under high emission trajectories.
Continue reading ‘Long-term slowdown of ocean carbon uptake by alkalinity dynamics’A biogeochemical model of mineral-based ocean alkalinity enhancement: impacts on the biological pump and ocean carbon uptake
Published 14 April 2023 Science ClosedTags: biogeochemistry, chemistry, globalmodeling, methods, mitigation, modeling
Minimizing anthropogenic climate disruption in the coming century will likely require carbon dioxide removal (CDR) from Earth’s atmosphere in addition to deep and rapid cuts to greenhouse gas emissions. Ocean alkalinity enhancement — the modification of surface ocean chemistry to drive marine uptake of atmospheric CO2 — is seen as a potentially significant component of ocean-based CDR portfolios. However, there has been limited mechanistic exploration of the large-scale CDR potential of mineral-based ocean alkalinity enhancement, potential bottlenecks in alkalinity release, and the biophysical impacts of alkaline mineral feedstocks on marine ecology and the marine biological carbon pump. Here we a series of biogeochemical models to evaluate the gross CDR potential and environmental impacts of ocean alkalinity enhancement using solid mineral feedstocks. We find that natural alkalinity sources — basalt and olivine — lead to very low CDR efficiency while strongly perturbing marine food quality and fecal pellet production by marine zooplankton. Artificial alkalinity sources — the synthetic metal oxides MgO and CaO — are potentially capable of significant CDR with reduced environmental impact, but their deployment at scale faces major challenges associated with substrate limitation and process CO2 emissions during feedstock production. Taken together, our results highlight distinct challenges for ocean alkalinity enhancement as a CDR strategy and indicate that mineral-based ocean alkalinity enhancement should be pursued with caution.
Continue reading ‘A biogeochemical model of mineral-based ocean alkalinity enhancement: impacts on the biological pump and ocean carbon uptake’Optimal parameters for the ocean’s nutrient, carbon, and oxygen cycles compensate for circulation biases but replumb the biological pump
Published 13 April 2023 Science ClosedTags: biogeochemistry, chemistry, globalmodeling, modeling
Accurate predictive modelling of the ocean’s global carbon and oxygen cycles is challenging because of uncertainties in both biogeochemistry and ocean circulation. Advances over the last decade have made parameter optimization feasible, allowing models to better match observed biogeochemical fields. However, does fitting a biogeochemical model to observed tracers using a circulation with known biases robustly capture the inner workings of the biological pump? Here we embed a mechanistic model of the ocean’s coupled nutrient, carbon, and oxygen cycles into two circulations for the current climate. To assess the effects of biases, one circulation (ACCESS-M) is derived from a climate model and the other from data assimilation of observations (OCIM2). We find that parameter optimization compensates for circulation biases at the expense of altering how the biological pump operates. Tracer observations constrain pump strength and regenerated inventories for both circulations, but ACCESS-M export production optimizes to twice that of OCIM2 to compensate for ACCESS-M having lower sequestration efficiencies driven by less efficient particle transfer and shorter residence times. Idealized simulations forcing complete Southern Ocean nutrient utilization show that the response of the optimized system is sensitive to the embedding circulation. In ACCESS-M, Southern Ocean nutrient and DIC trapping is partially short-circuited by unrealistically deep mixed layers. For both circulations, intense Southern Ocean production deoxygenates Southern-Ocean-sourced deep waters, muting the imprint of circulation biases on oxygen. Our findings highlight that the biological pump’s plumbing needs careful assessment to predict the biogeochemical response to environmental changes, even when optimally matching observations.
Continue reading ‘Optimal parameters for the ocean’s nutrient, carbon, and oxygen cycles compensate for circulation biases but replumb the biological pump’Simulated carbon cycle and Earth system response to atmospheric CO2 removal
Published 12 April 2023 Science ClosedTags: chemistry, globalmodeling, mitigation, modeling
To project possible future climate change, it is important to understand Earth system response to CO2 removal, a potential key method to limit global warming. Previous studies examined some aspects of Earth system response to different scenarios of CO2 removal, but lacked a systematic analysis of the carbon cycle and climate system response in a consistent modeling framework. We expanded previous studies by using an Earth system model to examine the response of land and ocean carbon cycle, as well as a set of climate variables to idealized scenarios of atmospheric CO2 removal with different removal rates. In the scenarios considered, atmospheric CO2 increases at a rate of 1% per year to four times of its preindustrial level, and then decreases at a rate of 0.5%, 1%, and 2% per year to the preindustrial level. Simulation results show that a reduction of atmospheric CO2 induces CO2 release from both the ocean and terrestrial biosphere, and to keep atmospheric CO2 at a lower level requires the removal of anthropogenic CO2 not only from the atmosphere, but from the ocean and land carbon reservoirs as well. The response of many variables of the Earth system, including temperature, ocean heat content, sea level, deep ocean acidity, and permafrost area and carbon, lags the decrease in atmospheric CO2 ranging from a few years to many centuries. A few centuries after atmospheric CO2 returns to the preindustrial level, sea level is still substantially higher than the preindustrial level, and permafrost continues losing CO2 to the atmosphere. Our study demonstrates that to offset previous positive CO2 emissions by atmospheric CO2 removal does not mean to offset climate consequence of positive CO2 emissions. Rapid and deep reduction in CO2 emissions is key to prevent and limit increasing risks from further warming. Our study provides new insights into the carbon cycle and climate system response to CO2 removal, which would help to assess future climate change and the associated impacts.
Continue reading ‘Simulated carbon cycle and Earth system response to atmospheric CO2 removal’
