Hotspots of CO2 fluxes in the Southern Ocean

The Southern Ocean plays a pivotal role in the climate system by taking up and redistributing heat and carbon globally. This leading order role is attributed to the Southern Ocean’s unique circulation whereby deep waters are brought to the surface by a vigorous wind-driven upwelling. Since these deep waters are rich in dissolved inorganic carbon, natural air-sea carbon dioxide (CO2) is released to the atmosphere where these waters outcrop. Until recently, in situ observations have been very scarce so that large uncertainties remain on the sign and strength of contemporary air-sea CO2 fluxes but also on the patterns of these fluxes. Since 2014, autonomous floats have identified “hotspots” of CO2 outgassing at the Southern Ocean surface. These hotspots could significantly contribute to a reduction in the current estimate of the CO2 sink. In this project, we propose to investigate the spatial distribution and intensity of these hotspots of CO2 fluxes in the Southern Ocean using a suite of climate and ocean models.

Faculty Supervisor:

Carolina Dufour

Student:

Partner:

École Polytechnique;Sorbonne Université

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Education

University:

McGill University

Program: