Response of ocean carbon sink to 2023 ocean heat extremes

New Publication

In this paper, we discuss the impact of the unprecedented ocean warming of 2023 on the ocean carbon sink in the non-polar oceans (i.e. outside of the Arctic and Southern Ocean). Solubility reduces the sink very strongly, but physical / biogeochemical mechanisms act to increase the sink, with the net effect being a 10% reduction from what would be expected accounting for growing atmospheric pCO2 and an El Nino year. You can find a more extensive summary in this press release from Columbia’s Climate School.