Observing the Arctic Ocean carbon cycle in a changing environment

Abstract

Climate warming is especially pronounced in the Arctic, which has led to decreased sea-ice coverage and substantial permafrost thawing. These changes have a profound impact on the carbon cycle that directly affects the air–sea exchange of carbon dioxide (CO₂), possibly leading to substantial feedback on atmospheric CO₂ concentration. Several recent studies have indicated such feedback but the future quantitative impact is very uncertain. To minimize these uncertainties, there is a need for extensive field studies in order to achieve both a better process understanding as well as to detect probable trends in these processes. In this contribution, we describe a number of processes that have been reported to be impacted by climate change and suggest a coordinated international observational programme for their study.

Keywords:  Ocean time series; international coordination; climate change.

(Published: 10 December 2015)

Citation: Polar Research 2015, 34, 26891,http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/polar.v34.26891