Work

Anomalous chlorofluorocarbon uptake by mesoscale eddies in the D rake P assage region

Year: 2015

Type: article

Abstract: The role of mesoscale eddies in the uptake of anthropogenic chlorofluorocarbon‐11 (CFC‐11) gas is investigated with a 1/20° eddy‐resolving numerical ocean model of a region of the Southern Ocean. With a relatively fast air‐sea equilibrium time scale (about a month), the air‐sea CFC‐11 flux quickly responds to the changes in the mixed layer CFC‐11 partial pressure ( p CFC‐11). At the mesoscale, significant correlations are observed between p CFC‐11 anomaly, anomalies in sea surface temperature (SST), net heat flux, and mixed layer depth. An eddy‐centric analysis of the simulated CFC‐11 field suggests that anticyclonic warm‐core eddies generate negative p CFC‐11 anomalies and cyclonic cold‐core eddies generate positive anomalies of p CFC‐11. Surface p CFC‐11 is modulated by mixed layer dynamics in addition to CFC‐11 air‐sea fluxes. A negative cross correlation between mixed layer depth and surface p CFC‐11 anomalies is linked to higher CFC‐11 uptake in anticyclones and lower CFC‐11 uptake in cyclones, especially in winter. An almost exact asymmetry in the air‐sea CFC‐11 flux between cyclones and anticyclones is found.

Source: Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans

DOI: 10.1002/2014jc010292

Authors: Hajoon Song, John Marshall, Peter Gaube, Dennis J. McGillicuddy

Institutions: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Language: English

Topic: Oceanographic and Atmospheric Processes

Subfield: Oceanography

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Climate action, Life below water

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution