Short-term pCO(2) and O-2 dynamics in California coastal waters

We studied short-term pCO(2) and O-2 variability in surface waters 30 km of f Monterey, California from April to May 1995. Sensors for pCO(2) and O-2 w ere deployed for 19 days on the manned research platform, R/P FLIP. The sen sors were located at 5, 10 and 31 m depths. The 31 m sensors resided below or within the thermocline, and the 5 and 10 m sensors were within the surfa ce mixed layer during the field study. The area was characterized by surfac e pCO(2) undersaturation and O-2 supersaturation during the entire period. The average pCO(2) levels at 5, 10, and 31 m, were 323 +/- 18, 326 +/- 19, and 452 +/- 63 mu atm, respectively. Much of the short term variability was related to thermocline movement and advection of offshore and coastal upwe lled waters around the site. Rates of gas exchange and primary production w ere determined during periods when advection did not appear to dominate the variability. Air-sea gas exchange models predict an observed decline in O- 2 supersaturation. Rapid air-sea reequilibration of O-2 relative to pCO(2) appears to have a significant effect on the pCO(2):O-2 relationship. Primar y production estimates based on CO2 and O-2 rates of change match well with shipboard C-14 primary production. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All righ ts reserved.