by Nicholas Bates
Two decades of continuous oceanic CO
2
observations in the North Atlantic Ocean near Bermuda at Hydrostation S
(32°50'N, 64°10'W; 1983-1988) and BATS (Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study;
32°10'N, 64°30'W; 1988-2003) sites are examined for long-term trends, changes
in the oceanic sink of CO
2, and the influence of atmospheric changes
and short-term hurricane wind events. Over the 1983-2003 period, surface DIC
and alkalinity increased at a rate of +1.18 + 0.19 µmoles kg
-1 year
-1
and +0.69 + 0.14 µmoles kg
-1 year
-1, respectively. The
observed rate of surface ocean salinity normalized DIC (nDIC) was +0.79 + 0.13
µmoles kg
-1 year
-1 and similar to that expected from
oceanic equilibration with increasing CO
2 in the atmosphere. The
upward trend in oceanic p CO
2 (1.53 + 0.13 µatm year-) is also
identical to the rate of atmospheric CO
2 increase (1.59 + 0.02 µatm
year
-1) over the last 20 years. The ocean near Bermuda
has also become more acidic, with a decrease in seawater pH of 0.0012 + 0.0006
pH units year-1.
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