The Oceanic Sink for Anthropogenic CO 2
Abstract
Using inorganic carbon measurements from an international survey effort in the 1990s and a tracer-based separation technique, we estimate a global oceanic anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) sink for the period from 1800 to 1994 of 118 ± 19 petagrams of carbon. The oceanic sink accounts for ∼48% of the total fossil-fuel and cement-manufacturing emissions, implying that the terrestrial biosphere was a net source of CO 2 to the atmosphere of about 39 ± 28 petagrams of carbon for this period. The current fraction of total anthropogenic CO 2 emissions stored in the ocean appears to be about one-third of the long-term potential.
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Increased dissolution of atmospheric CO2 in oceans and lakes leads to their further acidification, with many undesirable consequences.
“but increased dissolution of atmospheric CO 2 in oceans (and lakes) leads to their further acidification, with many undesirable consequences (Sabine et al., 2004;Orr et al., 2005;Riebesell et al., 2007;Hall-Spencer et al., 2008;McNeil and Matear, 2008;Reid et al., 2009;Doney, 2010;Shi et al., 2010;Turley et al., 2010).”
From Breeding crop plants with deep roots: their role in sustainable carbon, nutrient and water sequestration (2011) · cites this paper as Sabine et al., 2004
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- Authors
- Sabine, C. L., Feely, R. A., Gruber, N., Key, R. M., Lee, K., Bullister, J. L., Wanninkhof, R., Wong, C. S., Wallace, D. W. R., Tilbrook, B., Millero, F. J., Peng, T.-H., Kozyr, A., Ono, T., & Rios, A. F.
- Affiliations
- Pohang University of Science and Technology (KR)
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115, USA.
- Corresponding author
- Sabine, Christopher L.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 2004-07-16
- Volume
- 305
- Issue
- 5682
- Pages
- 367-371
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- OpenAlex
- W2168062665
- Cited by
- 4,035
- References
- 17
- Citations by year
- 2026: 114 · 2025: 175 · 2024: 186 · 2023: 211 · 2022: 280 · 2021: 219 · 2020: 203 · 2019: 220 · 2018: 210 · 2017: 210 · 2016: 193 · 2015: 211 · 2014: 226 · 2013: 240 · 2012: 208
- FWCI
- 66.75
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR) (acceptedVersion)
- DIGITAL.CSIC (Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)) (submittedVersion)
- Open Access System for Information Sharing (Pohang University of Science and Technology) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Marine and coastal ecosystems
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Climate variability and models
- Keywords
- ocean carbon sink, anthropogenic CO2, inorganic carbon, fossil fuel emissions, carbon storage, global carbon budget
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Atmosphere, Calcification, Physiologic, Calcium Carbonate, Carbon, Carbon Dioxide, Fossil Fuels, Hydrogen-Ion Concentration, Industry, Oceans and Seas, Seawater, Temperature
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