Ocean Acidification in Deep Time Ocean
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or collective redistirbution of any portion of this article by photocopy machine, reposting, or other means is permitted only with the approval of The approval portionthe ofwith any articlepermitted only photocopy by is of machine, reposting, this means or collective or other redistirbution This article has This been published in SPECIAL IssUE FEATURE Oceanography , Volume 22, Number 4, a quarterly journal of The 22, Number 4, a quarterly , Volume BY LEE R. KUMP, TIMOTHY J. BRALOWER, AND AnDY RIDGWELL O OCEAN Society. ceanography © ACIDIFICATION The 2009 by O IN DEEP TIME Society. ceanography O ceanography Society. Send all correspondence to: [email protected] or Th e [email protected] Send Society. ceanography to: correspondence all Reconstruction of Alexander Island fossil forests, Antarctica, mid-Cretaceous (~ 100 million years ago). The reconstruction based on the work of J. Howe and J. Francis, University of Leeds, and work of the A British Antarctic Survey. Artwork by R. Nicholls, http://www.paleocreations.com. The original painting is ll rights reserved. housed at the British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK. P ermission is granted to copy this article for use in teaching and research. article for use research. and this copy in teaching to granted is ermission ABSTRACT. Is there precedence in Earth history for the rapid release of carbon InTRODUCTION dioxide (CO2) by fossil fuel burning and its environmental consequences? Proxy As Roger Revelle and Hans Seuss evidence indicates that atmospheric CO2 concentrations were higher during long pointed out over 50 years ago, humanity warm intervals in the geologic past, and that these conditions did not prevent is performing “the great geophysical the precipitation and accumulation of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) as limestone; experiment” by pumping vast quantities accumulation of alkalinity brought to the ocean by rivers kept surface waters of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere O supersaturated. But these were steady states, not perturbations. More rapid (Revelle and Seuss, 1957). One result of Society, ceanography additions of carbon dioxide during extreme events in Earth history, including the this experiment is an atmosphere that end-Permian mass extinction (251 million years ago) and the Paleocene-Eocene already contains more carbon dioxide Thermal Maximum (PETM, 56 million years ago) may have driven surface waters than at any time in last 800,000 years PO to undersaturation, although the evidence supporting this assertion is weak. of Earth history (as indicated from the B ox 1931, ox R Nevertheless, observations and modeling clearly show that during the PETM the analysis of bubbles trapped in Antarctic reproduction, systemmatic epublication, R deep ocean, at least, became highly corrosive to CaCO3. These same models applied ice; Lüthi et al., 2008) and probably more ockville, to modern fossil fuel release project a substantial decline in surface water saturation than has occurred in several tens of state in the next century. So, there may be no precedent in Earth history for the type millions of years (from various marine MD 20849-1931, of disruption we might expect from the phenomenally rapid rate of carbon addition and terrestrial proxies; Royer, 2006). associated with fossil fuel burning. As summarized in detail by Feely et al. U S A . 94 Oceanography Vol.22, No.4 (2009), the dissolution of excess CO2 the future impacts of ocean acidification (Figure 1)—times that exhibit little to no built up in the atmosphere in the ocean’s on marine organisms and ecosystems. evidence for polar ice sheets and when surface waters is also lowering ambient The geologic record of ocean acidi- atmospheric CO2 was probably much pH in a phenomenon known as “ocean fication can provide guidance as to the higher. Moreover, because of continental acidification” (Caldeira and Wickett, response of the global carbon cycle to drift and plate tectonics, the position of 2003). By 1994, the ocean had taken an abrupt massive CO2 release to the the continents; the elevation, orienta- up approximately 50% of the CO2 from atmosphere, and how and at what rate tion, and location of mountain belts; fossil fuel burning and cement manu- pre-perturbation conditions are eventu- and thus the patterns of atmospheric facture (Sabine et al., 2004), suppressing ally restored. Studies of the geologic and oceanic circulation were likely the pH of surface waters globally by an record may also provide valuable insights quite different from today. Add to that estimated ~ 0.1 pH units and equivalent into potential biotic impacts and time profound changes in global ocean chem- to a ~ 30% increase in hydrogen ion (H+) scales of recovery. Such knowledge may istry and biota, and it becomes difficult concentration (Kleypas et al., 2006). prove particularly valuable in light of the to compare directly Earth’s observed Reconstructions suggest that ocean often apparently conflicting predictions response to elevated CO2 in the distant surface pH has not been this low for at of the impact of acidification in previous past with our projections of its response least the last two million years (Hönisch laboratory manipulation experiments in the future (Goodwin et al., 2009; et al., 2009). With continuing CO2 emis- (summarized in Ridgwell et al., 2009). recent work of author Ridgwell and sions, ocean pH will decline further, Furthermore, the large range of spatial Daniela Schmidt, University of Bristol). potentially by another 0.7 pH units and seasonal variability in environ- Furthermore, in past warming events, by the time fossil fuels are exhausted mental conditions for plankton in the inferred to have been driven by sharp (Caldeira and Wickett, 2003; recent work ocean, in conjunction with the genetic increases in atmospheric CO2 such as of author Ridgwell and Daniela Schmidt, diversity even with an assumed single during the Cretaceous (146–66 million University of Bristol). Thus, there are no “species,” may impart an ability for years ago) and Paleogene (66–23 million precedents in recent Earth history for species to adapt in the face of continuing years ago), ocean acidification is only what will be the immediate and direct ocean acidification, something that one of a host of potential environmental consequences of the release of CO2 into monocultures maintained in the labora- causes that must be considered in the atmosphere and its concurrent disso- tory and subjected to near instantaneous explaining the observed changes in the lution in the ocean’s surface waters. decreases in pH are unable to reflect. composition and diversity of the marine Both expanded observations and Evidence for the ability (or otherwise) biota at the time. Finally, in interrogating computer modeling, rooted in the of marine organisms to adapt to ocean the geologic record, temporal resolution improved process understanding of acidification events may be extractable is often compromised by intervals of previous laboratory results and field from the geologic record. nondeposition, physical mixing, biotur- studies, are essential for predicting the However, no interval of Earth’s past bation (the vertical mixing of sediments outcome of this great experiment and is a perfect analog for today. We live by the activity of benthic organisms), are the subject of other papers in this in a glacial “ice house” era (Figure 1) dissolution, and erosion, while accurate issue. But, laboratory experiments are that began 34 million years ago with ages may be difficult to assign with abso- necessarily limited in their spatial and the growth of ice sheets on Antarctica, lute (radiometric) dates being few and temporal scales, while computer models and heightened with the spread of such far between. These variables create addi- must in effect be “told” the poten- conditions to the Northern Hemisphere tional difficulties in drawing conclusions tial behaviors of the Earth system in during the Pliocene (since 2.7 million regarding cause and effect. response to massive CO2 release before years ago). In contrast, most of the best- We proceed with these caveats in they can be used to predict anything studied potential analogs for the future mind. First, we summarize the funda- meaningful. Currently, we have insuf- are events initiated during “hot house” mental theoretical constraints imposed ficient knowledge to predict confidently (greenhouse) intervals of Earth history on the oceanic response to rapid CO2 Oceanography December 2009 95 Lee R. Kump ([email protected]) is additions by the carbonate chemistry of forcings and more abrupt perturbations Professor of Geosciences, Pennsylvania the ocean, the adjustment of the alka- with potential implications for calcifica- State University, University Park, linity balance of the marine carbon cycle, tion. Finally, we critically discuss the PA, USA. Timothy J. Bralower is and the response of the global carbon relevance of the geological record to the Professor of Geosciences, Pennsylvania cycle to climate changes attendant upon future and to what extent parallels can State University, University Park, PA, variations in atmospheric CO2 levels. We safely be drawn, especially if we continue USA. Andy Ridgwell is Royal Society then march through Earth history, high- to follow the massive total CO2 release University Research Fellow, University lighting aspects of the record of global associated with “business as usual” fossil of Bristol, Bristol, UK. carbon cycle response to long-term fuel burning trajectories. Figure 1. The geological context for ocean acidification. (A) Candidate ocean acidification events. (B) Model reconstruction of long-term changes in Phanerozoic mean ocean surface pH calculated at 20 million year intervals (Ridgwell, 2005). The solid black line represents the response of the global carbonate cycle to the mean paleo pCO2 reconstruction, while the grey-filled envelope reflects the response to the uncertainty (one standard deviation) in paleo-pCO2. The general trends are consistent with other modeling efforts and proxy data, as summarized in Arvidson et al. (2006). (C) Major changes in plankton assemblages (Martin, 1995). Calcifying taxa are highlighted in pink with noncalcifying taxa shown in grey.