Rf. Keeling et Th. Peng, TRANSPORT OF HEAT, CO2 AND O-2 BY THE ATLANTICS THERMOHALINE CIRCULATION, Philosophical transactions-Royal Society of London. Biological sciences, 348(1324), 1995, pp. 133-142
We estimate transport of heat, CO2 and O-2 by the Atlantic's thermohal
ine circulation using an approach based on differences in the chemical
and physical characteristics of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW), Ant
arctic Intermediate Water (AAIW), and the northward return flow across
the equator. The characteristics of the return-flow waters are constr
ained by imposing conservation of phosphate in the North Atlantic as a
whole. Based on a total equatorial return flow of 13 x 10(6) m(3) s(-
1), we find that the Atlantic north of the equator is a source of 7.7
+/- 1.4 x 10(14) W to the atmosphere, a sink of 0.51 +/- 0.21 x 10(14)
mol of O-2, and preindustrially was a sink of 0.33 +/- 0.15 x 10(14)
mol of CO2. Uptake of O-2 and CO2 by the North Atlantic is driven main
ly by thermal, as opposed to biological processes.