Latitudinal Distribution of CO2 Fugacity along 175°E in the North Pacific in 1992-1996

In order to examine latitudinal distribution and seasonal change of the surface oceanic fCO^sub 2^, we analyzed the data obtained in the North Pacific along 175°E during the NOPACCS cruises in spring and summer of 1992-1996. Except for around the equator where the fCO^sub 2^ was significantly affect...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of oceanography 1999-12, Vol.55 (6), p.655
Main Authors: Watai, Tomonori, Harada, Koh, Gotoh, Kouichi, Murayama, Shohei, Nakazawa, Takakiyo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ocean circulation
Oceanography
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Summary:In order to examine latitudinal distribution and seasonal change of the surface oceanic fCO^sub 2^, we analyzed the data obtained in the North Pacific along 175°E during the NOPACCS cruises in spring and summer of 1992-1996. Except for around the equator where the fCO^sub 2^ was significantly affected by the upwelling of deep water, the latitudinal distribution of fCO^sub 2^ showed distinctive seasonal variation. In the spring, the fCO^sub 2^ decreased and then increased going southward with the minimum value of about 300 µatm around 35°N, while in the summer, the fCO^sub 2^ displayed high variability, showing minimum and maximum values at latitudes of around 44° and 35°N, respectively. It was also found that the fCO^sub 2^ was well correlated with the SST, but the relationship between the two was different for different hydrographic regions. In the subpolar gyre, the frontal regions between the Water-Mass Front and the Kuroshio bifurcation front, and between the Kuroshio bifurcation front and the Kuroshio Extension current, SST, DIC and TA influenced the seasonal fCO^sub 2^ change through seasonally-dependent biological activities and vertical mixing and stratification of seawater. In the central subtropical gyre and the North Equatorial current, the seasonal fCO^sub 2^ change was found to be produced basically by changes in SST and DIC. The summertime oceanic fCO^sub 2^ generally increased with time over the period covered by this study, but the increased rate was clearly higher than those expected from other measurements in the western North Pacific.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:0916-8370
1573-868X
DOI:10.1023/A:1007855810956