The effect of excess CO2 on the calculated calcite and aragonite saturation horizons in the northeast Pacific

Abstract

Using the ΔTCO2° results of Chen (1982a) obtained during a cruise in the northeast Pacific Ocean (June‐July 1981), we have calculated preindustrial and 1981 calcite and aragonite saturation horizons for a transect along 150°W between Alaska and Hawaii. Uptake of excess CO2 by the oceans over the past 130 years has resulted in a significant change in the carbonate chemistry of the northeast Pacific Ocean. The results indicate an apparent reduction in the thickness of the supersaturated lenses and an upward translation of the 100% saturation level by as much as 150 meters for calcite and 70 meters for aragonite in the coldwater region north of the Subarctic Front. Copyright 1982 by the American Geophysical Union.