Oceans

Atmospheric carbon dioxide in a less dusty world

  1. P. Parekh1,3,
  2. S. Dutkiewicz1,
  3. M. J. Follows1,
  4. T. Ito2

Article first published online: 14 FEB 2006

DOI: 10.1029/2005GL025098

Issue

Geophysical Research Letters

Geophysical Research Letters

Additional Information

How to Cite

Parekh, P., S. Dutkiewicz, M. J. Follows, and T. Ito (2006), Atmospheric carbon dioxide in a less dusty world, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L03610, doi:10.1029/2005GL025098.

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

  2. 2

    Joint Institute for the Study of Atmosphere and Ocean, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA

  3. 3

    Now at Climate and Environmental Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 14 FEB 2006
  2. Article first published online: 14 FEB 2006
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 29 DEC 2005
  4. Manuscript Revised: 22 DEC 2005
  5. Manuscript Received: 31 OCT 2005

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[1] The availability of iron exerts a significant control on primary production and the export of organic matter over large areas of the ocean, especially those far from land sources. We explore the regulation of the global soft tissue pump of carbon and atmospheric CO2 by the atmospheric delivery of iron in a three-dimensional ocean circulation and biogeochemistry model. There is only a small change in atmospheric CO2 when the aeolian iron source is increased several fold but a significant increase in response to a reduction in the aeolian iron source. This strong asymmetry suggests a positive feedback, amplifying an increase in atmospheric CO2 if a warmer world is also less dusty.

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