Article

Abstract

• We demonstrate that the global cooling resulting from a range of nuclear conflict scenarios would temporarily increase the pH in the surface ocean by up to 0.06 units over a 5-year period, briefly alleviating the decline in pH associated with ocean acidification. Conversely, the global cooling dissolves atmospheric carbon into the upper ocean, driving a 0.1 to 0.3 unit decrease in the aragonite saturation state ( ) that persists for 10 years. The peak anomaly in pH occurs 2 years post conflict, while the anomaly peaks 4- to 5-years post conflict. The decrease in would exacerbate a primary threat of ocean acidification: the inability of marine calcifying organisms to maintain their shells/skeletons in a corrosive environment. Our results are based on sensitivity simulations conducted with a state-of-the-art Earth system model integrated under various black carbon (soot) external forcings. Our findings suggest that regional nuclear conflict may have ramifications for global ocean acidification.

Creator

• Toon, Owen Brian
• Coupe, Joshua
• Lovenduski, Nicole Suzanne
• Robock, Alan
• Stevenson, Samantha
• Olivarez, Holly
• Harrison, Cheryl S
• Rohr, Tyler
• Bardeen, Charles G

Academic Affiliation

• Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (ATOC)
• Environmental Studies
• Institute of Arctic & Alpine Research
• Laboratory for Atmospheric & Space Physics

Journal Title

• Geophysical Research Letters

Journal Issue/Number

• 3

Journal Volume

• 47

Last Modified

• 2022-02-04

Resource Type

• Postprint

Rights Statement

• In Copyright

DOI

•  https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL086246

ISSN

• 1944-8007

Language

• English [eng]

Relationships

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