Ocean dissolved inorganic carbon

Fig. 10-20 Observed depth profiles of (a) phosphate, (b) dissolved inorganic carbon (TC), (c) alkalinity (TA), and (d) oxygen for the Atlantic, the Indian, and the Pacific Oceans as indicated. Data are from GEOSECS stations within 5° of the Equator in each ocean. (Modified from Baes et al. (1985).)...

Fig. 11-9 (a) The vertical distributions of alkalinity (Aik) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the world oceans. Ocean regions shown are the North Atlantic (NA), South Atlantic (SA), Antarctic (AA), South Indian (SI), North Indian (NI), South Pacific (SP), and North Pacific (NP) oceans. (Modified with permission from T. Takahashi et ah, The alkalinity and total carbon dioxide concentration in the world oceans, in B. Bolin (1981). Carbon Cycle Modelling," pp. 276-277, John Wiley, Chichester.)... 

Ogura and Hanya [62-65] investigated the components of the ultraviolet absorption in an attempt to devise a useful method for oceanic dissolved organic carbon measurements. They concluded that while the method might have limited application in coastal waters, most of the absorption in oceanic waters was due to the inorganic components, principally nitrate and bromide ions. 

Previous studies addressed oceans and terrestrial vegetation as C02 sinks. Here, we describe an important C02 sink in carbonate dissolution, the global water cycle (GWC), and uptake of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) by aquatic. The sink is larger than previous estimates (Meybeck 1993 Gombert 2002). 

Redfield (1934), who analyzed the major elemental content of many samples of mixed plankton (phytoplankton and zooplankton) caught in nets towed through the surface ocean. They compared the carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus composition of these collections to concentration profiles of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), NOs, and P04 throughout the water column. This pioneering research demonstrated that these three elements are continually redistributed in the ocean by selective removal into plankton cells and their remains (i.e., fecal pellets), which are then efficiently respired as they sink through the marine water column. 

Quay, P.D., R. Sonnerup, T. Westby, J. Stutsman, and A.P. McNichol. In press. Anthropogenic changes of the 33C/32C of dissolved inorganic carbon in the ocean as a tracer of C02 uptake. Global Biogeochemical Cycles. 

Ocean C02 RMs Natural Seawater Total Dissolved Inorganic carbon, Total Alkalinty Dr. A. G. Dickson, U.C. San Diego 1 ... 

Vertical distributions of total dissolved inorganic carbon (TDIC) in the subtropical South Atlantic (19°S 16°W) and equatorial North Pacific (9°N 135°W) oceans. These are WOCE data obtained from Java Ocean Atlas. 

There may, however, be some cancellation of errors. For example, the concentration of atmospheric C02 ([ref], in Eq. (T)) depends in a nonlinear fashion on the amount of total dissolved inorganic carbon in the ocean surface layer because of the equilibria with water (see Chapter 8.B) so that relatively less atmospheric C02 can be taken up by the oceans as its atmospheric concentrations increase. This would leave relatively more C02 in the atmosphere, increasing its greenhouse effect. On the other hand, since the strongest infrared absorption bands of C02 are already saturated (vide supra), the radiative forcing (at-(), in Eq. (T)) decreases as its concentrations increase. 

Miller, W. L., and R. G. Zepp. 1995. Photochemical production of dissolved inorganic carbon from terrestrial organic matter Significance to the oceanic organic carbon cycle. Geophysical Research Letters 22 417-420. 

Cai, W.J., Wang, Y., Krest, 1, and Moore, W.S. (2003) The geochemistry of dissolved inorganic carbon in a surficial groundwater aquifer in North Inlet, South Carolina, and the carbon fluxes to the coastal ocean. Geochem. Cosmochim. Acta 67, 631-637. 

Carbon is transported into the Amazon River/ocean mixing zone in numerous forms including dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and particulate organic carbon (POC). The average DIC, DOC, and POC concentrations in Amazon River water are 460, 275, and 180 pmol L-1 (Richey et al. 1991), which indicates that DOC supply exceeds POC supply and that DIC is the most abundant form of carbon in the river. Sholkovitz et al. (1978) noted that most riverine dissolved... 

Fig. 9. Dissolved inorganic carbon, salinity, phosphate, nitrate, and temperature in surface ocean waters, during the 1982-83 El Nino, at the same longitude as in Fig. 7. Note that the high values for CO2 and nutrients south from the equator have disappeared while the water temperature has become warmer as warm waters from the Western Pacific flooded over the region. Measurements by C. D. Keeling, R. F. Weiss and others.

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