Is the Southern Ocean a Major Sink for Anthropogenic Carbon?

数值模型预测，南大洋在海洋吸收人为二氧化碳方面的重要性不成比例。为此，普林斯顿大学的科学家提议评估南大洋在吸收人为碳方面的作用。研究人员认为，导致该区域大量吸收碳而没有留下大量原位清单的主要机制是与亚南极模式水(SAMW)和南极中间水(AAIW)的形成有关的向北的横向输送。为了实现这一目标，这组研究人员计划确定在SAMW和AAIW中发现了多少人为二氧化碳，确定人为二氧化碳进入海洋的途径，并评估这些模型如何模拟这些途径。科学家们假设，沿南极带和南极带露出水面的水平流是最重要的途径，并提出模型之间的差异很大程度上是因为南大洋风应力场对这种平流的强迫不同。为了验证这一假设，将进行以下工作：(1)评估和减少人为二氧化碳估算中的偏差，并应用新的水团分析技术将其分配给特定的水团；(2)通过进行一系列模式敏感性研究，检验决定水团分布和人为二氧化碳负荷的机制，其中，在水平坐标和新的等距环流模式中，南大洋的风都是变化的；(3)通过基于观测的清单和模式环流场的反计算，定量地评估模式数据的一致性；以及(4)确定哪种类型的现场测量最适合于监测未来的吸收和提高我们对基本过程的理解。这项研究的结果将提高我们对决定南大洋人为碳吸收的过程的理解

ABSTRACTOCE-0327189Numerical models predict that the Southern Ocean is disproportionately important in the oceanic uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide. For this reason, scientists from Princeton University propose to evaluate the role of Southern Ocean in the uptake of anthropogenic carbon. The investigators believe that the primary mechanisms responsible for the large uptake of carbon in this region without leaving a large in-situ inventory is lateral transport towards the north associated with the formation of Sub-Antarctic Mode Water (SAMW) and Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW). To attain this goal, this team of investigators plans to determine how much anthropogenic carbon dioxide is found in the SAMW and AAIW, identify the pathways by which anthropogenic carbon dioxide enters the ocean and assess how the models simulate these pathways. The scientists hypothesize that advection of waters along isopycnal surfaces that outcrop in the Subantartic and Antarctic Zone is the most important pathway and suggests that differences between the models arise largely from differences in the forcing of this advection by the wind stress field in the Southern Ocean. To test the hypothesis, the following tasks will be carried out: (1) evaluate and reduce biases in the estimation of anthropogenic carbon dioxide and apply a new water mass analysis technique to assign this to specific water masses; (2) examine the mechanisms that determine the water mass distribution and anthropogenic carbon dioxide burden by performing a set of model sensitivity studies in which winds are varied in the Southern Ocean in both a level-coordinate and new isopycnal circulation model; (3) quantitatively evaluate model-data consistency by performing inverse calculations based on observed inventories and model circulation fields; and (4) determine what types of field measurements would be most appropriate for monitory future uptake and improving our understanding of basic processes. Results from this study will improve our understanding of the processes that determine the uptake of anthropogenic carbon in the Southern Ocean