Abstract
Greater public, and research, focus on oceanic and atmospheric oxygen
budgets is needed. Oceans are “losing their breath”; there has been a
1-2% loss, 77-154 gigatons (GT) of total oceanic oxygen (O2) 7,700GT
(est.), over the last 50 years. Low O2 ocean areas occur more frequently
and more widely; O2 minimum zone (OMZ) depths are rising; and sulphidic
events are more common. Where is lost ocean oxygen ‘gO2ing’? Oxygen (O2)
is recharged by phototropic O2 producing organisms in both the oceans
and on land. Pre-human activity, O2, and CO2 (190-260ppm.) levels likely
oscillated within a relatively stable band, for 800,000 years or more.
Thus, O2 usage by volcanism, fires, and soil and sea biomes, must have
balanced ocean and land based photosynthetic O2 production, as
cyclically regulated by ‘Gaian’ feedback. Therefore, additive
anthropogenic related increases in CO2 production, must result in net
atmospheric O2 loss, including ocean outgassing. Importantly, exchange
of oxygen between the oceans and atmosphere is determined by ‘Henry’s
Law’, as influenced by oceanic temperature change (warmer waters
dissolve less oxygen), and also salinity. Undissolved oxygen
concentrations within upper ocean layers, will be higher due to the
water pressure gradient, so less oxygen being dissolved at lower
pressures. Thus, subject to usage by sea life forms; and thermoclines
and haloclines; will likely be replenished from below, tending to
surface saturation, even if the OMZs are rising so decreasing in depth?
Henry’s law dictates, as anthropogenic reduction of atmospheric O2
reduces partial pressure, dissolved ocean oxygen will equilibrate,
releasing stored oxygen to the atmosphere. Thus, over time, if
atmospheric O2 continues to fall due to anthropogenic usages,
irrespective of other factors, oceanic O2 will arguably be diminished
year on year; ultimately will oceans become sufficiently anoxic to be
unstable? Research suggests risk of species extinction type events of
varying severity strongly correlate to anoxic ocean events. Due to
Henry’s Law; will continued anthropogenic oxygen including fossil fuel
use, inevitably lead to oceanic oxygen outgassing depletion, and absent
change, ultimately an extinction event risk? Is a global Manhattan type
project needed to find viable non-carbon-based, non-oxygen using, energy
sources?