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Contribution of hurricanes to local and global estimates of air–sea exchange of CO2

Nature volume 395, pages 58–61 (1998)Cite this article

Abstract

The effect of hurricanes on the thermal and physical structure of the upper ocean has been described1 but their influence on the ocean carbon cycle and the exchange of carbon between ocean and atmosphere is not well understood. Here we present observations from the Sargasso Sea, before and after hurricane Felix in summer 1995, that show a short-lived (2–3 weeks) surface seawater cooling of about 4 °C, and a decrease in seawater partial pressure of CO2 by about 60 µatm. Despite the localized decrease in seawater partial pressure of CO2, strong winds during the passage of hurricane Felix increased the efflux of CO2 from ocean to atmosphere. We estimate that hurricane Felix and two other hurricanes increased the summertime efflux of CO2 into the atmosphere over this part of the Sargasso Sea by nearly 55%. We estimate that hurricanes contribute to the global ocean-to-atmosphere flux of CO2 by between +0.04 to +0.51 Pg C (1015 g C) per year. Such hurricane-forced effluxes are quantitatively significant compared to regional (14° to 50° N zone)2 and global effluxes2,3. Hurricanes therefore exert an important influence on ocean–atmosphere CO2 exchange and the inferred4 year-to-year variability of CO2 fluxes over the subtropical oceans.

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Figure 1: Time-series of surface properties in the Sargasso Sea near Bermuda.

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Acknowledgements

We thank T. Takahashi and D. W. Chipman for their assistance and support in measuring p CO 2 ; the crew of RV Weatherbird II; J. Benson, F. Howse, B. Bjork, M. Church, S. Becker and R.Little for their shipboard assistance; D. Frye and T. D. Dickey for wind data from the Bermuda Testbed Mooring Program; D. Ollis and R. Parkes for wind and air temperature data from the former US Naval Station and Bermuda Harbour Radio, respectively; N. B. Nelson and R. J. Johnson for satellite and CTD data; F. Bahr for processing thermosalinograph data; and D. A. Hansell and C. A. Carlson for their reviews. This research was supported by NSF.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bermuda Biological Station For Research, Inc., Ferry Reach, GEO1, Bermuda

    Nicholas R. Bates & Anthony H. Knap

  2. Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 90089-0371, California, USA

    Anthony F. Michaels

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Correspondence to Nicholas R. Bates.

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Bates, N., Knap, A. & Michaels, A. Contribution of hurricanes to local and global estimates of air–sea exchange of CO2. Nature 395, 58–61 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/25703

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