OXYGEN CYCLE

Observations
Processes
Climate change impacts
Future projections
Measuring oxygen in the seawater
• Oxygen is the third most frequently measured
ocean tracer following T and S
• Winkler titration method (1888)
- Wet chemistry, performed on site
- Most accurate
• Electronic and optical sensors
- Calibration is crucial
- Possible to deploy on floats, gliders, etc
Observed oxygen distribution
Observed variability of oceanic O2
• Global ocean deoxygenation?
Gruber et al. (2007)

NPIW

Stramma et al
2008
Oxygen and marine ecosystem

Image from an ROV off the Oregon coast

Figure 1. Keeling et al., (2010) after a low oxygen event

Low O2 can reduce the respiratory capacity of marine heterotrophs,

leading to reduced physiological performance or death.
Oxygen and marine ecosystem
Deadzones or Coastal Hypoxia
 Glacial-interglacial changes?

• The intensity of the North Pacific

Oxygen Minimum Zone has varied
over the past 100ky.

• This has implications for the

ocean’s redox chemistry and the
overall fertility of the ocean.

• Reasons for the O2 changes are

unclear.

Van Geen et al. [2003]

Global oxygen cycle: processes

Vertical profile of
observed O2
Controls on atmospheric oxygen
• More than 90% of oxygen molecule is in the atmosphere
• 20% of atmospheric gas
(78.09% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.04% carbon dioxide)

• Opposite tendency relative to CO2

• Source: photosynthesis
• Sink: respiration
• Geologic timescale
• Burial of organic matter leads
to atmospheric O2 increase
Observations of oceanic oxygen
Oceanic oxygen
• Near saturation at the surface
- O2 is within a few percent of saturation with
atmosphere (high concentrations)
- O2 ≈ O2sat(T,S)
• Consumed by respiration
• Depleted at depth
- Hypoxic: below 60 mmolO2/kg
- Suboxic: below 5 mmolO2/kg
Oxygen Minimum Zone
Figure 3a
Ocean vertical motions

H L H
Distribution of oxygen-depleted waters

• Indo-Pacific is more depleted in oxygen relative to

the Atlantic
• Oxygen gets depleted in some coastal regions
Downwelling supplies O2 to the ocean
Upwelling and biological productivity
Oxygen utilization
Apparent Oxygen Utilization
O2 = O2 sat (T, S) - AOU
Biological
Solubility effect effect

Temperature
Heat content of the ocean

Integrated effect of respiration

Biological productivity
Aging of water masses
Declining oxygen in warming climate
Warming and circulation change
O2 = O2 sat (T, S) - AOU
Biological
Solubility effect effect

Temperature increase

Slower vertical exchange of

waters
Future projection
• Model simulations for the 21st century
future climate

• What are the uncertainties?

Expanding OMZ?!
Tropical Pacific Region California Current Region

Stramma et al. (2008) Deutsch et al. (2011)

Decadal-scale fluctuations or climate trend?

 Ocean biogeochemistry model
• Divide up the oceans into grid cells
• Input: solar heating, rain rate, surface wind, …
• Given the state at time=t, predicts for t+1

Initial cond
(time=t) Computer time = t+1
T, S, nutrient, code T, S, nutrient,
carbon, alkalinity carbon, alkalinity,
biological
Boundary cond: productivity, …
Heating, wind,
dust, atmos
pCO2, dust…
 A hindcast simulation
O2 on sq = 26.8 Climatology
• Expansion of OMZ during late 20th
century
• Minimum extent of OMZ around mid
1970s Eastern tropical Pacific
O2

Model climatology
 ENSO cycle and O2 Compensations

+O2 inventory
OMZ
contraction

- AOU O2

-O2
inventory
O2sat
OMZ
expansion
Major El-Nino events
The Mechanism: Upwelling and AOU
Deutsch et al. (2011)

La-Nina El-Nino

• Colder and increased O2sat • Warmer and decreased O2sat

• Stronger lateral O2 supply • Weaker lateral O2 supply
• Increased biological O2 • Decreased biological O2
consumption consumption
 OMZ expansion  OMZ contraction
Deadzones or Coastal Hypoxia
Deutsch et al. (2011)

La-Nina El-Nino

• Increased nutrient supply

• Increased biological O2
consumption
 Hypoxia
Land vs ocean CO2 uptake
 Land vs ocean CO2 uptake

O2
outgassing

Slope = a
Decline of
oceanic O2

Slope = b

Accounting for ocean O2

outgassing implies that CO2
uptake by land must have been
smaller, and ocean CO2 uptake + Ocean
larger than previously thought.
outgassing
Oxygen, ocean biogeochemistry
and climate
Atmospheric O2 changes
Climate indicate:
Greenhouse Changes in ocean
effect Light,
Heat, water, SST, circulation and
momentum dust biological productivity
exchange

Ocean Biological
circulation Nutrient Productivity Changes in the carbon
Supply
cycle and ocean CO2
Transport uptake.
+ mixing Photosynthesis
+ respiration

Oceanic
carbon, O2
cycle