Is the southern Benguela a significant regional sink of CO2?

Authors

  • Luke Gregor Department of Oceanography, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
  • Pedro M.S. Monteiro 1. Department of Oceanography, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa 2. Ocean Systems and Climate Group, CSIR, Stellenbosch, South Africa

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/sajs.2013/20120094

Keywords:

southern Benguela, eastern boundary, carbon dioxide, CO2, remineralisation

Abstract

This study was undertaken to characterise the seasonal cycle of air–sea fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the southern Benguela upwelling system off the South African west coast. Samples were collected from six monthly cross-shelf cruises in the St. Helena Bay region during 2010. CO2 fluxes were calculated from pCO2 derived from total alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon and scatterometer-based winds. Notwithstanding that it is one of the most biologically productive eastern boundary upwelling systems in the global ocean, the southern Benguela was found to be a very small net annual CO2 sink of -1.4 ± 0.6 mol C/m2 per year (1.7 Mt C/year). Regional primary productivity was offset by nearly equal rates of sediment and sub-thermocline remineralisation flux of CO2, which is recirculated to surface waters by upwelling. The juxtaposition of the strong, narrow near-shore out-gassing region and the larger, weaker offshore sink resulted in the shelf area being a weak CO2 sink in all seasons but autumn (-5.8, 1.4 and -3.4 mmol C/m2 per day for summer, autumn and winter, respectively).

Published

2013-05-13

Issue

Section

Research Letter

How to Cite

Gregor, L., & Monteiro, P. M. (2013). Is the southern Benguela a significant regional sink of CO2?. South African Journal of Science, 109(5/6), 5. https://doi.org/10.1590/sajs.2013/20120094
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