Offset between profiling float and shipboard oxygen observations at
depth imparts bias on float pH and derived pCO2
Abstract
Profiles of oxygen measurements from Argo profiling floats now vastly
outnumber shipboard profiles. Air calibration of a float’s oxygen optode
upon surfacing enables accurate measurements in the upper ocean but does
not necessarily provide similar accuracy at depth. In this study we use
a quality controlled shipboard dataset to show that, on average, the
entire Argo oxygen dataset is offset relative to shipboard measurements
(float minus ship) at pressures of 1450 to 2000 db by -1.9 ± 4.7 µmol
kg-1 (95% confidence interval around the mean of {-2.3, -1.5}) and
air calibrated floats are offset by -3.1 ± 5.3 µmol kg-1 (95% CI:
{-3.7, -2.4}). The difference between float and shipboard oxygen is
most likely due to offsets in the float oxygen data and not due to
oxygen changes at these depths or biases in the shipboard dataset. In
addition to posing problems for the calculation of long-term ocean
oxygen changes, these float oxygen offsets impact the adjustment of
float nitrate and pH measurements and therefore bias important derived
quantities such as the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) and dissolved
inorganic carbon. Correcting floats with air-calibrated oxygen for the
float-ship oxygen offsets changes float pH by 3.2 ± 3.8 mpH and
float-derived surface pCO2 by -3.3 ± 4.1 µatm. This adjustment to float
pCO2 represents half, or more, of the bias in float-derived pCO2
reported in studies comparing float pCO2 to shipboard pCO2 measurements.