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Effect of the nonlinearity of the carbonate system on partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the oceansPartial pressure of CO2 is a nonlinear function of several seawater properties. Due to the nonlinearity in this relationship, the partial pressure of a uniform ocean would be different from that of a nonuniform ocean with the same bulk seawater properties. Assuming uniformity of seawater properties at some temporal and spatial scales in carbon models leads to systematic errors in partial pressure of CO2. In this paper we evaluate the magnitude of these errors. We partition the Geochemical Ocean Sections Study and Transient Tracers in the Oceans data according to the horizontal structure of several box models from the literature. Our results suggest that assumption of uniformity at large scales leads to understanding of underestimation of global surface ocean partial pressure of CO2 by at least 3 - 12 microatm. Nonlinear effects also introduce systematic errors in the buffer factor estimated from bulk seawater properties. We find the standard deviation of partial pressure of CO2 to be an indicator of the magnitude of the nonlinear effects. We discuss the implications of these errors for some conclusions drawn from carbon models. Biogeochemical processes, such as mixing, gas exchange, or biological activity, influence the distribution of the seawater properties. A shift in spatial or temporal patterns of these processes can modify the nonuniformity of the seawater properties and thus alter the partial pressure of the surface waters, even if the mean intensities of the processes remain constant.
Document ID
19950052517
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Trela, Piotr
(Dalhousie Univ. Halifax, Canada)
Sathyendranath, Shubha
(Dalhousie Univ. Halifax, Canada)
Moore, Robert M.
(Dalhousie Univ. Halifax, Canada)
Kelley, Dan E.
(Dalhousie Univ. Halifax, Canada)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
April 15, 1995
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Geophysical Research
Volume: 100
Issue: C4
ISSN: 0148-0227
Subject Category
Oceanography
Accession Number
95A84116
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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