Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: The oceans play a pivotal role in mitigating climate change by sequestering approximately 25% of annually emitted carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). High‐latitude oceans, especially the Arctic continental shelves, emerge as crucial CO 2 sinks due to their cold, low saline, and highly productive ecosystems. However, these heterogeneous regions remain inadequately understood, hindering accurate assessments of their carbon dynamics. This study investigates variation in p CO 2 levels during peak ice sheet melt, in the Greenland coastal ocean and estimates rates of air‐sea exchange across 6° of latitude. The East and West coast of Greenland displayed distinct regions with unique controlling factors. Though, both coasts represent CO 2 sinks in summer. Geographical variation in p CO 2 and air‐sea exchange was linked intricately to freshwater export from the Greenland ice sheet and levels of primary production in these ecosystems. Air‐sea exchange of CO 2 ranged from 0.23 to −64 mmol m −2 day −1 . However, we found that flux estimation faces substantial uncertainties (up to 672%) due to wind product averaging and gas exchange formula selection. Upscaling only heightens this uncertainty leading to wide ranging estimates of Greenland coastal CO 2 uptake between −16 and −26 Tg C year −1 (This study, Dai et al., 2022, https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev‐earth‐032320‐090746 ; Laruelle et al., 2014, https://doi.org/10.1002/2014gb004832 ). Obtaining a reliable assessment of air‐sea CO 2 exchange necessitates data collection across seasons, and, even more so, refinement of the gas transfer velocity estimations in the Arctic coastal zone.
DOI: 10.1029/2024jg008246
Language: English
Subfield: Oceanography
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,880
Awards: G3090424688, G3338027184, The melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet and its impact on coastal ecosystems, G434337789, G498561145, G5388258303, The future of Arctic coastal ecosystems - Identifying transitions in fjord systems and adjacent coastal areas, G7010378412, GREENHOUSE GAS FLUXES AND EARTH SYSTEM FEEDBACKS, G8067869817, Polar Ocean Mitigation Potential
OpenAlex ID: W4404765598