Award: OCE-1155240

The Southern Ocean (the ocean south of roughly 35 degrees South latitude) plays a critical role in the global carbon cycle: the high latitudes are characterized by ventilation of carbon-rich waters from the deep ocean, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.  In the mid-latitudes, mode and intermediate water formation provides a pathway for the ocean to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.  Nearly 40% of fossil fuel carbon enters the ocean via this pathway, so it is critical to understand carbon fluxes in this region of the ocean.  This project provided new insight into the changing rate of Southern Ocean air-sea carbon fluxes and the associated ocean acidification by quantifying past variability in the inorganic carbonate chemistry of the Southern Ocean and characterizing the relevant ecological processes.  This was accomplished by analyzing output from several simulations of a climate model that included a representation of ocean biogeochemistry and ecology and by analyzing freely-available carbonate chemistry and satellite data from the Southern Ocean region.  The project supported graduate studies for 4 students and undergraduate research experiences for 7 students, 3 of whom are from underrepresented groups.  The project produced 17 peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals, 6 of which are graduate student first-authored papers.

Last Modified: 06/27/2017
Modified by: Nicole S Lovenduski