Abstract
A coherent representation of carbonate dissociation constants and measured inorganic carbon species is essential for a wide range of environmentally important issues such as oceanic uptake of anthropogenic CO 2 and carbon cycle depictions in ocean circulation models. Previous studies have shown varying degrees of discordance between calculated and measured CO 2 -system parameters. It is unclear if this is due to errors in thermodynamic models or in measurements. In this work, we address this issue using a large field dataset (15,300 water samples) covering all ocean basins. Our field data, obtained using laboratory-calibrated measurement protocols, are most consistent with calculated parameters using the dissociation constants of Mehrbach et al. [1973] as refit by Dickson and Millero [1987]. Thus, these constants are recommended for use in the synthesis of the inorganic carbon data collected during the global CO 2 survey during the 1990s and for characterization of the carbonate system in seawater.
Original language | American English |
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Journal | Geophysical Research Letters |
Volume | 27 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1 2000 |
Disciplines
- Life Sciences