# Dominance of the Southern Ocean in anthropogenic carbon and heat uptake in CMIP5 models

Author(s) Frölicher, Thomas L., Sarmiento, Jorge L, Paynter, David J., Dunne, John P., Krasting, John P., Winton, Michael
Publication Type Journal Items, Publication Status: Published
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Title Dominance of the Southern Ocean in anthropogenic carbon and heat uptake in CMIP5 models
Author(s) Frölicher, Thomas L.
Sarmiento, Jorge L
Paynter, David J.
Dunne, John P.
Krasting, John P.
Winton, Michael
Journal or Series Title Journal of Climate
Volume Number 28
Issue Number 2
Start Page 862
End Page 886
ISSN 0894-8755
1520-0442
Publisher American Meteorological Society
Publication Place Boston, MA
Publication Date 2015-01
Abstract The authors assess the uptake, transport, and storage of oceanic anthropogenic carbon and heat over the period 1861–2005 in a new set of coupled carbon–climate Earth system models conducted for the fifth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5), with a particular focus on the Southern Ocean. Simulations show that the Southern Ocean south of 30°S, occupying 30% of global surface ocean area, accounts for 43% ± 3% (42 ± 5 Pg C) of anthropogenic CO2 and 75% ± 22% (23 ± 9 × 1022 J) of heat uptake by the ocean over the historical period. Northward transport out of the Southern Ocean is vigorous, reducing the storage to 33 ± 6 Pg anthropogenic carbon and 12 ± 7 × 1022 J heat in the region. The CMIP5 models, as a class, tend to underestimate the observation-based global anthropogenic carbon storage but simulate trends in global ocean heat storage over the last 50 years within uncertainties of observation-based estimates. CMIP5 models suggest global and Southern Ocean CO2 uptake have been largely unaffected by recent climate variability and change. Anthropogenic carbon and heat storage show a common broad-scale pattern of change, but ocean heat storage is more structured than ocean carbon storage. The results highlight the significance of the Southern Ocean for the global climate and as the region where models differ the most in representation of anthropogenic CO2 and, in particular, heat uptake.
DOI 10.1175/JCLI-D-14-00117.1
Additional Notes Manuscript received 7 February 2014, In final form 30 September 2014
Document Type Article
Publication Status Published
Language English
Assigned Organisational Unit(s) 03731
Organisational Unit(s)
NEBIS System Number 000490902
Source Database ID SCOPUS-84921632615
WOS-000348220100027
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@article{Frlchr2015,
author = "Fr{\"{o}}licher, Thomas L. and Sarmiento, Jorge L and Paynter, David J. and Dunne, John P. and Krasting, John P. and Winton, Michael",
title = "{D}ominance of the {S}outhern {O}cean in anthropogenic carbon and heat uptake in {C}{M}{I}{P}5 models",
journal = "Journal of Climate",
year = 2015,
volume = "28",
number = "2",
pages = "862--886",
month = jan,
}


E-Citations record created: Tue, 17 Feb 2015, 10:42:01 CET