Ocean

To add temporal and spatial variability to our investigation of the interaction of the wind and carbon cycle, we use general circulation models of the ocean and the coupled ocean/atmosphere system. One focus of our current efforts is the Southern Ocean which acts as the lungs of the ocean, “inhaling” oxygen and “exhaling” carbon dioxide – determining the partition of carbon between atmosphere and ocean. In pursuit of this research, we use in situ and satellite measurements of the atmosphere, the ocean, and ocean bottom sediments, as well as coupled climate models of the atmosphere-ocean-ice-land system.

We are currently in the process of using all of the publicly available oceanic surface pCO2 data to design “An Optimal Global Sampling Network” to capture the variability of of the surface carbon concentration on seasonal, annual, and interannual time scales. Our main purpose is to determine the spatial and temporal scales necessary to determine the net annual air-sea flux of carbon within ± 0.1 Pg C in every major region of the global ocean.

Relevant Papers:

  • Russell, J.L., K.W. Dixon, A. Gnanadesikan, R.J. Stouffer, & J.R. Toggweiler (2006), The Southern Hemisphere Westerlies in a Warming World: Propping Open the Door to the Deep Ocean, J. Climate, 19(24), 6382-6390. (pdf)
  • Russell, J.L., R.J. Souffer, & K.W. Dixon (2006), Intercomparison of the Southern Ocean Circulations in the IPCC Coupled Model Control Simulations. J. Climate, 19(18), 4560-4575. (pdf)
  • Stouffer, R.J., J.L. Russell, & M.J. Spelman (2006), Importance of Oceanic Heat Uptake in Transient Climate Change. Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L17704, doi:10.1029/2006GL027242. (pdf)
  • Gnanadesikan, A., J.L. Russell, & F. Zeng (2007), How does ocean ventilation change under global warming? Ocean Science, 3, 43-53. (pdf)
  • Goodman, P.J., W. Hazeleger, P. de Vries, and M.A. Cane (2005), Pathways into the Pacific Equatorial Undercurrent: A Trajectory Analysis, J. Physical Oceanography, 35, 2134-2151. (pdf)
  • Huang, R.X., M.A. Cane, N. Naik, and P.J. Goodman (2000), Global adjustment of the thermocline in response to deep water formation, Geophysical Research Letters, 27, 756-762. (pdf)

“I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by “

—John Masefield



Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Gould-Simpson Building – Rm 317, 1040 E 4th St., Tucson, AZ 85721
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