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Science 16 July 2004:
Vol. 305. no. 5682, pp. 362 - 366
DOI: 10.1126/science.1097329
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Research Articles

Impact of Anthropogenic CO2 on the CaCO3 System in the Oceans

Richard A. Feely,1* Christopher L. Sabine,1 Kitack Lee,2 Will Berelson,3 Joanie Kleypas,4 Victoria J. Fabry,5 Frank J. Millero6

Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations over the past two centuries have led to greater CO2 uptake by the oceans. This acidification process has changed the saturation state ofthe oceans with respect to calcium carbonate (CaCO3) particles. Here we estimate the in situ CaCO3 dissolution rates for the global oceans from total alkalinity and chlorofluorocarbon data, and we also discuss the future impacts of anthropogenic CO2 on CaCO3 shell–forming species. CaCO3 dissolution rates, ranging from 0.003 to 1.2 micromoles per kilogram per year, are observed beginning near the aragonite saturation horizon. The total water column CaCO3 dissolution rate for the global oceans is approximately 0.5 ± 0.2 petagrams of CaCO3-C per year, which is approximately 45 to 65% of the export production of CaCO3.

1 Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA 98115–6349, USA.
2 School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, San 31, Nam-gu, Hyoja-dong, Pohang, 790–784, Republic of Korea.
3 Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90089–0740, USA.
4 Environmental and Societal Impacts Group, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO 80307–3000, USA.
5 Department of Biological Sciences, California State University San Marcos, San Marcos, CA 92096–0001, USA.
6 University of Miami/Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Miami, FL, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: richard.a.feely{at}noaa.gov

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)