Summary
This methodological study assesses the reliability of standard carbonate equilibrium constants under Arctic Ocean conditions of extreme cold and low salinity. Using direct measurements from a GEOTRACES research cruise, the authors evaluated six commonly used carbonate constant datasets and identified systematic inconsistencies between measured and calculated carbon parameters. The findings indicate that existing calibrations, typically developed for temperate waters, may introduce substantial uncertainty in Arctic CO₂ uptake estimates and climate monitoring applications.
UK applicability
Whilst this study focuses on Arctic waters, its findings are relevant to UK marine research institutions and monitoring programmes that use carbonate system measurements in polar regions or in climate modelling that incorporates Arctic data. UK-based oceanographic researchers utilising these constants for polar research should consider the identified inconsistencies when interpreting results.
Key measures
Internal consistency of carbonate equilibrium constants; agreement between measured and calculated carbonate system parameters; evaluation of six carbonate constant datasets (NIST, Mehrbach et al., Hansson, Goyet & Poisson, Cai & Wang, and Lueker et al.) across Arctic salinity and temperature ranges
Outcomes reported
The study evaluated the internal consistency of six commonly used carbonate constant datasets under Arctic conditions by comparing them against direct measurements of all four inorganic carbon parameters (dissolved inorganic carbon, total alkalinity, pH, and partial pressure of CO₂). The analysis identified systematic discrepancies between datasets and assessed their reliability for polar oceanographic work.
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