Author ORCID Identifier
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-27-2018
Abstract
The deep-ocean carbonate ion concentration impacts the fraction of the marine calcium carbonate production that is buried in sediments. This gives rise to the carbonate compensation feedback, which is thought to restore the deep-ocean carbonate ion concentration on multimillennial timescales. We formulate an analytical framework to investigate the impact of carbonate compensation under various changes in the carbon cycle relevant for anthropogenic change and glacial cycles. Using this framework, we show that carbonate compensation amplifies by 15–20% changes in atmospheric CO2resulting from a redistribution of carbon between the atmosphere and ocean (e.g., due to changes in temperature, salinity, or nutrient utilization). A counterintuitive result emerges when the impact of organic matter burial in the ocean is examined. The organic matter burial first leads to a slight decrease in atmospheric CO2 and an increase in the deep-ocean carbonate ion concentration. Subsequently, enhanced calcium carbonate burial leads to outgassing of carbon from the ocean to the atmosphere, which is quantified by our framework. Results from simulations with a multibox model including the minor acids and bases important for the ocean-atmosphere exchange of carbon are consistent with our analytical predictions. We discuss the potential role of carbonate compensation in glacial-interglacial cycles as an example of how our theoretical framework may be applied.
Keywords
glacial-interglacial, carbon cycle, ocean temperature, carbonate compensation
Language
English
Publication Title
Global Biogeochemical Cycles
Rights
©2018. American Geophysical Union. Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
Recommended Citation
Omta, A. W., Ferrari, R., & McGee, D. (2018). An analytical framework for the steady state impact of carbonate compensation on atmospheric CO2. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 32, 720–735. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GB005809
Manuscript Version
Final Publisher Version