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- Title
Physical Mechanisms Driving Oxygen Subduction in the Global Ocean.
- Authors
Portela, Esther; Kolodziejczyk, Nicolas; Vic, Clément; Thierry, Virginie
- Abstract
Future changes in subduction are suspected to be critical for the ocean deoxygenation predicted by climate models over the 21st century. However, the drivers of global oxygen subduction have not been fully described or quantified. Here, we address the physical mechanisms responsible for the oxygen transport across the late‐winter mixed layer base and their relation with water mass formation. Up to 70% of the global oxygen uptake takes place during Mode Water subduction mostly in the Southern Ocean and the North Atlantic. Te driving mechanisms are (i) the combination of strong currents with large mixed‐layer‐depth gradients at localized hot spots and (ii) the wind‐driven vertical velocity within the subtropical gyres. Oxygen diffusion, despite being underestimated in this study, is likely to play an important role in the global ocean oxygenation. The physical mass flux dominates the total oxygen subduction while the oxygen solubility plays a minor role in its modulation. Key Points: Up to 70% of the global oxygen uptake occurs during Mode Water subduction, driven by lateral induction and vertical velocityOxygen diffusion, despite large uncertainties, is likely to play an important role in the global oxygen uptakeTotal oxygen subduction is driven by the mass flux, with little contribution of the latitudinal variability of oxygen concentration
- Subjects
OXYGEN; OCEAN; MIXING height (Atmospheric chemistry); WATER masses; ATMOSPHERIC models
- Publication
Geophysical Research Letters, 2020, Vol 47, Issue 17, p1
- ISSN
0094-8276
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1029/2020GL089040