Global and Brazilian Carbon Response to El Niño Modoki 2011-2010
Abstract
The El Niño Modoki in 2010 led to historic droughts in Brazil. In order to understand its impact on carbon cycle variability, we derive the 2011-2010 annual carbon flux change (δF↑) globally and specifically to Brazil using the NASA Carbon Monitoring System Flux (CMS-Flux) framework. Satellite observations of CO2, CO, and solar-induced fluorescence (SIF) are ingested into a 4D-variational assimilation system driven by carbon cycle models to infer spatially resolved carbon fluxes including net ecosystem production, biomass burning, and gross primary productivity (GPP). The global 2011-2010 net carbon flux change was estimated to be δF↑=-1.60 PgC, while the Brazilian carbon flux change was -0.24 ± 0.11 PgC. This estimate is broadly within the uncertainty of previous aircraft-based estimates restricted to the Amazon basin. The 2011-2010 biomass burning change in Brazil was -0.24 ± 0.036 PgC, which implies a near-zero 2011-2010 change of the net ecosystem production (NEP): The near-zero NEP change is the result of quantitatively comparable increases GPP (0.31 ± 0.20 PgC) and respiration in 2011. Comparisons between Brazilian and global component carbon flux changes reveal complex interactions between the processes controlling annual land-atmosphere CO2 exchanges. These results show the potential of multiple satellite observations to help quantify and spatially resolve the response of productivity and respiration fluxes to climate variability.
- Publication:
-
Earth and Space Science
- Pub Date:
- October 2017
- DOI:
- 10.1002/2016EA000204
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1703.03778
- Bibcode:
- 2017E&SS....4..637B
- Keywords:
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- carbon cycle;
- assimilation;
- satellite;
- Physics - Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics
- E-Print:
- 21 pages, 9 figures