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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 30, NO. 6, 1292, doi:10.1029/2002GL016615, 2003

Coastal upwelling air-sea fluxes revealed in atmospheric observations of O2/N2, CO2 and N2O

Timothy J. Lueker

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA


Stephen J. Walker

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA


Martin K. Vollmer

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA


Ralph F. Keeling

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA


Cynthia D. Nevison

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA


Ray F. Weiss

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA


Hernan E. Garcia

Ocean Climate Laboratory, National Oceanic Data Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA


Abstract

We capture water column ventilation resulting from coastal upwelling in continuous records of O2/N2, CO2, and N2O at Trinidad, California. Our records reveal the gas exchange response time of the ocean to the upwelling and ensuing biological production. Satellite and buoy wind data allow extrapolation of our records to assess coastal upwelling air-sea fluxes of O2 and N2O. We improve on previous regional estimates of N2O flux in coastal and continental shelf region of the western U.S. We characterize the source of N2O as being predominately from nitrification based on the O2/N2O emissions ratio observed in our atmospheric records.

Published 21 March 2003.

Index Terms: 0312 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Air/sea constituent fluxes (3339, 4504); 4279 Oceanography: General: Upwelling and convergences; 4806 Oceanography: Biological and Chemical: Carbon cycling; 4576 Oceanography: Physical: Western boundary currents; 4820 Oceanography: Biological and Chemical: Gases.

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Citation: Lueker, T. J., S. J. Walker, M. K. Vollmer, R. F. Keeling, C. D. Nevison, R. F. Weiss, and H. E. Garcia (2003), Coastal upwelling air-sea fluxes revealed in atmospheric observations of O2/N2, CO2 and N2O, Geophys. Res. Lett., 30(6), 1292, doi:10.1029/2002GL016615.