Earth Sciences

Anomalous trends in global ocean carbon concentrations following the 2022 eruptions of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai

B. A. Franz, I. Cetinić, et al.

This groundbreaking study by Bryan A. Franz, Ivona Cetinić, Amir Ibrahim, and Andrew M. Sayer reveals anomalies in ocean biogeochemical properties following the 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruptions, spotlighting a significant decline in phytoplankton carbon concentrations detected via satellite but not in situ. The findings underscore the impact of aerosols on ocean color retrieval algorithms, emphasizing potential future threats to ocean ecosystem monitoring.

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Abstract

We report trend anomalies in global ocean biogeochemical properties derived from satellite ocean color that show a substantial decline in phytoplankton carbon following the January 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruptions. The anomalies appear across multiple satellite missions but are not seen in in situ measurements, indicating that the trends arise from ocean color retrieval errors rather than real shifts in phytoplankton carbon. Elevated stratospheric aerosols after the eruptions violated key assumptions in atmospheric correction algorithms for satellite radiometry. Radiative transfer simulations demonstrate that aerosol-ozone mixing in the stratosphere likely caused the anomalous trends. Future stratospheric aerosol disturbances, natural or geoengineered, may introduce similar artifacts in ocean color and other marine remote-sensing products, complicating assessments of ecosystem responses.

Publisher

Communications Earth & Environment

Published On

May 10, 2024

Authors

Bryan A. Franz, Ivona Cetinić, Amir Ibrahim, Andrew M. Sayer

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