Ocean Deoxygenation Conference | Kiel 2018

Most global IPCC climate-biogeochemical models underestimate global deoxygenation by a factor of ~2, but have not yet included anthropogenic impacts of atmospheric nutrient deposition. Here we use the UVic Earth System Climate Model of intermediate complexity to assess the importance of anthropogenic nutrient deposition on ocean deoxygenation. Future climate scenario simulations with and without anthropogenic nutrient deposition are tested in the model. Preliminary results suggest that anthropogenic nutrient deposition may be responsible for a significant amount of current ocean deoxygenation. Sensitivity simulations show the large uncertainty associated with assumptions for atmospheric iron solubility and feedbacks with sedimentary iron fluxes.