Calcium carbonate cycling in the Southern Ocean: insights from dissolved calcium and potential alkalinity tracers

Yaojia Sun; Michael J. Ellwood

doi:10.1002/lol2.10457

Calcium carbonate cycling in the Southern Ocean: insights from dissolved calcium and potential alkalinity tracers

Yaojia Sun^*, Michael J. Ellwood

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research School of Earth Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter › peer-review

Abstract

The cycling of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) plays a significant role in deep-water carbon sequestration and affects the buffer capacity of the upper ocean for absorbing atmospheric CO₂. This study investigates the role of dissolved calcium (Ca) and potential alkalinity (PA) as tracers for CaCO₃ cycling in the Southern Ocean. The correlation between PA and Ca concentrations in subantarctic and polar waters supports their use as effective tracers of the process of CaCO₃ dissolution and precipitation. Estimates of particulate inorganic carbon export flux based on Ca concentration reveals substantial contributions in the Southern Ocean, with higher values in the subantarctic waters. These findings highlight the value of Ca and PA as tracers for understanding CaCO₃ cycling and its role in carbon sequestration and buffering atmospheric CO₂.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	254-263
Number of pages	10
Journal	Limnology And Oceanography Letters
Volume	10
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10457
Publication status	Published - 2025

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title = "Calcium carbonate cycling in the Southern Ocean: insights from dissolved calcium and potential alkalinity tracers",

abstract = "The cycling of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) plays a significant role in deep-water carbon sequestration and affects the buffer capacity of the upper ocean for absorbing atmospheric CO2. This study investigates the role of dissolved calcium (Ca) and potential alkalinity (PA) as tracers for CaCO3 cycling in the Southern Ocean. The correlation between PA and Ca concentrations in subantarctic and polar waters supports their use as effective tracers of the process of CaCO3 dissolution and precipitation. Estimates of particulate inorganic carbon export flux based on Ca concentration reveals substantial contributions in the Southern Ocean, with higher values in the subantarctic waters. These findings highlight the value of Ca and PA as tracers for understanding CaCO3 cycling and its role in carbon sequestration and buffering atmospheric CO2.",

author = "Yaojia Sun and Ellwood, {Michael J.}",

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T1 - Calcium carbonate cycling in the Southern Ocean

T2 - insights from dissolved calcium and potential alkalinity tracers

AU - Sun, Yaojia

AU - Ellwood, Michael J.

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Y1 - 2025

N2 - The cycling of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) plays a significant role in deep-water carbon sequestration and affects the buffer capacity of the upper ocean for absorbing atmospheric CO2. This study investigates the role of dissolved calcium (Ca) and potential alkalinity (PA) as tracers for CaCO3 cycling in the Southern Ocean. The correlation between PA and Ca concentrations in subantarctic and polar waters supports their use as effective tracers of the process of CaCO3 dissolution and precipitation. Estimates of particulate inorganic carbon export flux based on Ca concentration reveals substantial contributions in the Southern Ocean, with higher values in the subantarctic waters. These findings highlight the value of Ca and PA as tracers for understanding CaCO3 cycling and its role in carbon sequestration and buffering atmospheric CO2.

AB - The cycling of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) plays a significant role in deep-water carbon sequestration and affects the buffer capacity of the upper ocean for absorbing atmospheric CO2. This study investigates the role of dissolved calcium (Ca) and potential alkalinity (PA) as tracers for CaCO3 cycling in the Southern Ocean. The correlation between PA and Ca concentrations in subantarctic and polar waters supports their use as effective tracers of the process of CaCO3 dissolution and precipitation. Estimates of particulate inorganic carbon export flux based on Ca concentration reveals substantial contributions in the Southern Ocean, with higher values in the subantarctic waters. These findings highlight the value of Ca and PA as tracers for understanding CaCO3 cycling and its role in carbon sequestration and buffering atmospheric CO2.

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SP - 254

EP - 263

JO - Limnology And Oceanography Letters

JF - Limnology And Oceanography Letters

IS - 2

ER -

Calcium carbonate cycling in the Southern Ocean: insights from dissolved calcium and potential alkalinity tracers

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