Underway pCO2 surveys unravel CO2 invasion of Lake Superior from
seasonal variability
Abstract
This study observed seasonal trends and inferred drivers of CO2
biogeochemistry at the air-water interface of Lake Superior. Underway
carbon dioxide partial pressure pCO2 was measured in surface water
during 69 transects spanning ice free seasons of 2019-2022. These data
comprise the first multiannual pCO2 time series in the Laurentian Great
Lakes. Surface water pCO2 was closely tied to increasing atmospheric
pCO2 by a 100 day CO2 equilibration timescale, while seasonal
variability was controlled equally by thermal and biophysical drivers
during the ice-free season. Comparison to previous modeling efforts
indicates that Lake Superior surface pCO2 increased at a similar rate as
the atmosphere over the preceding two decades. Spatial heterogeneity in
CO2 dynamics was highlighted by a salinity-based delineation of
“riverine” and “pelagic” regimes, each of which displayed a net CO2
influx over Julian days 100-300 on the order of 30 Gmol C. These
findings refine previous estimates of Lake Superior C fluxes, support
predictions of anthropogenic CO2 invasion, point to new observation
strategies for large lakes, and highlight an urgent need for studies of
changes to lacustrine C cycling.