Influence of Large-Scale Circulation on Carbon Dioxide

CO₂ has been shown to have adverse effects on a global scale, causing changes to the temperature, environments and habitats of all life on Earth. OCO-2 and GOSAT offer new insight to CO₂ column measurements with emphasis at the lower troposphere. We explore the OCO-2 and GOSAT CO₂ data over the South-Atlantic region and investigate the effects of the South Atlantic Walker Circulation on the distribution of OCO-2 and GOSAT CO₂ in the region. It is found that there is more CO₂ over South America than South Atlantic Ocean, which is consistent with rising air over South America and sinking air over South Atlantic Ocean. We also explore the distribution of OCO-2 and GOSAT CO₂ in the Pacific Ocean during normal years and El Niño years. There are positive CO₂ anomalies over the central Pacific Ocean and negative CO₂ anomalies over the western Pacific Ocean during El Niño years, which is consistent with changes in the walker circulation during El Niño years. These analyses will lead to a better understanding of how large-scale atmospheric processes affect atmospheric CO₂ concentrations, therefore, lead to a better understanding of the global carbon cycle.