Increase in ocean acidity variability and extremes under increasing atmospheric CO2

Burger, Friedrich A.; John, Jasmin G.; Frölicher, Thomas L. (2020). Increase in ocean acidity variability and extremes under increasing atmospheric CO2. Biogeosciences, 17(18), pp. 4633-4662. Copernicus Publications 10.5194/bg-17-4633-2020

[img]
Preview
Text
burger20bg.pdf - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons: Attribution (CC-BY).

Download (13MB) | Preview

Ocean acidity extreme events are short-term periods of relatively high [H+] concentrations. The uptake of anthropogenic CO2 emissions by the ocean is expected to lead to more frequent and intense ocean acidity extreme events, not only due to changes in the long-term mean but also due to changes in short-term variability. Here, we use daily mean output from a five-member ensemble simulation of a comprehensive Earth system model under low- and high-CO2-emission scenarios to quantify historical and future changes in ocean acidity extreme events. When defining extremes relative to a fixed preindustrial baseline, the projected increase in mean [H+] causes the entire surface ocean to reach a near-permanent acidity extreme state by 2030 under both the low- and high-CO2-emission scenarios. When defining extremes relative to a shifting baseline (i.e., neglecting the changes in mean [H+]), ocean acidity extremes are also projected to increase because of the simulated increase in [H+] variability; e.g., the number of days with extremely high surface [H+] conditions is projected to increase by a factor of 14 by the end of the 21st century under the high-CO2-emission scenario relative to preindustrial levels. Furthermore, the duration of individual extreme events is projected to triple, and the maximal intensity and the volume extent in the upper 200 m are projected to quintuple. Similar changes are projected in the thermocline. Under the low-emission scenario, the increases in ocean acidity extreme-event characteristics are substantially reduced. At the surface, the increases in [H+] variability are mainly driven by increases in [H+] seasonality, whereas changes in thermocline [H+] variability are more influenced by interannual variability. Increases in [H+] variability arise predominantly from increases in the sensitivity of [H+] to variations in its drivers (i.e., carbon, alkalinity, and temperature) due to the increase in oceanic anthropogenic carbon. The projected increase in [H+] variability and extremes may enhance the risk of detrimental impacts on marine organisms, especially for those that are adapted to a more stable environment.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

08 Faculty of Science > Physics Institute > Climate and Environmental Physics
10 Strategic Research Centers > Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research (OCCR)

UniBE Contributor:

Burger, Friedrich Anton, Frölicher, Thomas

Subjects:

500 Science > 530 Physics

ISSN:

1726-4170

Publisher:

Copernicus Publications

Language:

English

Submitter:

BORIS Import 2

Date Deposited:

30 Sep 2021 14:11

Last Modified:

25 Aug 2023 05:02

Publisher DOI:

10.5194/bg-17-4633-2020

BORIS DOI:

10.48350/158642

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/158642

Actions (login required)

Edit item Edit item
Provide Feedback