Large Surface Carbon Dioxide Anomalies in the North Pacific Ocean

Abstract

DURING the trans-Pacific Lusiad expedition of R.V. Argo, May 18–June 9, 1962, Waterman observed a large inequality of the partial pressure of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and in the surface water in the centre of the North Pacific Ocean¹. His traverse (Fig. 1) showed that the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO₂) in the water was generally less than that in the atmosphere (320 p.p.m.), with a maximum anomaly of about 20 per cent. This difference in PCO₂ is too large to be accounted for solely by changes in temperature, salinity, or solution of calcium carbonate². Our recent work shows that the carbon dioxide anomaly is of biological origin. It is similar to, but of greater dimensions than, the biologically induced carbon dioxide anomalies found by Teal and Kanwisher³.