RISING SURFACE OCEAN DISSOLVED INORGANIC CARBON AT THE HAWAII OCEAN TIME-SERIES SITE

Surface ocean dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and titration alkalinit y have been measured for 7 years as a part of the Hawaii Ocean Time-se ries (HOT) program. The time-series data set displays an interannual i ncrease in the inventory of surface ocean DIC which we interpret as a response to increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. The rate of increase in surface ocean DIC at the open ocean HOT site is ap proximately 1 mu mol kg(-1) yr(-1) with a 95% confidence interval of 0 .72 to 1.37 mu mol kg(-1) yr(-1). This accumulation rate is consistent with the rate of increase predicted from the rise in boundary layer p (CO2). (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.