Abstract
Changes of atmospheric CO2 concentration since 1958 are shown to be related to sea surface temperature changes. The largest contribution to changes arises from the Pacific equatorial upwelling region, with the Indian Ocean and Atlantic contributing only small fractions to the variance. It is hypothesized that the observed relationship is related to the nutrients that are brought up by upwelling cold water, with photosynthesis contributing to a lowering of the partial pressure of CO2 in the sea and thus to a greater tendency for a flux from the air to the sea.
Possible longer term variations of sea temperature and CO2 are discussed.
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Newell, R.E., Navato, A.R. & Hsiung, J. Long-term global sea surface temperature fluctuations and their possible influence on atmospheric CO2 concentrations. PAGEOPH 116, 351–371 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01636891
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01636891