European land CO2 sink influenced by NAO and East-Atlantic Pattern coupling

Ana Bastos; Ivan A. Janssens; Célia M. Gouveia; Ricardo M. Trigo; Philippe Ciais; Frédéric Chevallier; Josep Peñuelas; Christian Rödenbeck; Shilong Piao; Pierre Friedlingstein; Steven W. Running

doi:10.1038/ncomms10315

European land CO₂ sink influenced by NAO and East-Atlantic Pattern coupling

Ana Bastos
, Ivan A. Janssens
, Célia M. Gouveia
, Ricardo M. Trigo
, Philippe Ciais
, Frédéric Chevallier
, Josep Peñuelas
, Christian Rödenbeck
, Shilong Piao
, Pierre Friedlingstein
, Steven W. Running

W. A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

91 Scopus citations

Abstract

Large-scale climate patterns control variability in the global carbon sink. In Europe, the North-Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) influences vegetation activity, however the East-Atlantic (EA) pattern is known to modulate NAO strength and location. Using observation-driven and modelled data sets, we show that multi-annual variability patterns of European Net Biome Productivity (NBP) are linked to anomalies in heat and water transport controlled by the NAO-EA interplay. Enhanced NBP occurs when NAO and EA are both in negative phase, associated with cool summers with wet soils which enhance photosynthesis. During anti-phase periods, NBP is reduced through distinct impacts of climate anomalies in photosynthesis and respiration. The predominance of anti-phase years in the early 2000s may explain the European-wide reduction of carbon uptake during this period, reported in previous studies. Results show that improving the capability of simulating atmospheric circulation patterns may better constrain regional carbon sink variability in coupled carbon-climate models.

Original language	American English
Article number	10315
Number of pages	9
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms10315 https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms10315
State	Published - Jan 18 2016

Funding

Ana Bastos was partially funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (SFRH/BD/78068/2011). Célia M. Gouveia and Ricardo M. Trigo were supported by QSECA (PTDC/AAGGLO/4155/2012). This research was also supported by the European Research Council Synergy grant ERC-2013-SyG 610028 IMBALANCE-P.

Funder number
PTDC/AAGGLO/4155/2012
610028
SFRH/BD/78068/2011

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 13 Climate Action

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Cite this

@article{243c815d73b74577a0c9ef61e65b95ac,

title = "European land CO2 sink influenced by NAO and East-Atlantic Pattern coupling",

abstract = "Large-scale climate patterns control variability in the global carbon sink. In Europe, the North-Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) influences vegetation activity, however the East-Atlantic (EA) pattern is known to modulate NAO strength and location. Using observation-driven and modelled data sets, we show that multi-annual variability patterns of European Net Biome Productivity (NBP) are linked to anomalies in heat and water transport controlled by the NAO-EA interplay. Enhanced NBP occurs when NAO and EA are both in negative phase, associated with cool summers with wet soils which enhance photosynthesis. During anti-phase periods, NBP is reduced through distinct impacts of climate anomalies in photosynthesis and respiration. The predominance of anti-phase years in the early 2000s may explain the European-wide reduction of carbon uptake during this period, reported in previous studies. Results show that improving the capability of simulating atmospheric circulation patterns may better constrain regional carbon sink variability in coupled carbon-climate models.",

author = "Ana Bastos and Janssens, \{Ivan A.\} and Gouveia, \{C{\'e}lia M.\} and Trigo, \{Ricardo M.\} and Philippe Ciais and Fr{\'e}d{\'e}ric Chevallier and Josep Pe{\~n}uelas and Christian R{\"o}denbeck and Shilong Piao and Pierre Friedlingstein and Running, \{Steven W.\}",

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doi = "10.1038/ncomms10315",

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T1 - European land CO2 sink influenced by NAO and East-Atlantic Pattern coupling

AU - Bastos, Ana

AU - Janssens, Ivan A.

AU - Gouveia, Célia M.

AU - Trigo, Ricardo M.

AU - Ciais, Philippe

AU - Chevallier, Frédéric

AU - Peñuelas, Josep

AU - Rödenbeck, Christian

AU - Piao, Shilong

AU - Friedlingstein, Pierre

AU - Running, Steven W.

PY - 2016/1/18

Y1 - 2016/1/18

N2 - Large-scale climate patterns control variability in the global carbon sink. In Europe, the North-Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) influences vegetation activity, however the East-Atlantic (EA) pattern is known to modulate NAO strength and location. Using observation-driven and modelled data sets, we show that multi-annual variability patterns of European Net Biome Productivity (NBP) are linked to anomalies in heat and water transport controlled by the NAO-EA interplay. Enhanced NBP occurs when NAO and EA are both in negative phase, associated with cool summers with wet soils which enhance photosynthesis. During anti-phase periods, NBP is reduced through distinct impacts of climate anomalies in photosynthesis and respiration. The predominance of anti-phase years in the early 2000s may explain the European-wide reduction of carbon uptake during this period, reported in previous studies. Results show that improving the capability of simulating atmospheric circulation patterns may better constrain regional carbon sink variability in coupled carbon-climate models.

AB - Large-scale climate patterns control variability in the global carbon sink. In Europe, the North-Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) influences vegetation activity, however the East-Atlantic (EA) pattern is known to modulate NAO strength and location. Using observation-driven and modelled data sets, we show that multi-annual variability patterns of European Net Biome Productivity (NBP) are linked to anomalies in heat and water transport controlled by the NAO-EA interplay. Enhanced NBP occurs when NAO and EA are both in negative phase, associated with cool summers with wet soils which enhance photosynthesis. During anti-phase periods, NBP is reduced through distinct impacts of climate anomalies in photosynthesis and respiration. The predominance of anti-phase years in the early 2000s may explain the European-wide reduction of carbon uptake during this period, reported in previous studies. Results show that improving the capability of simulating atmospheric circulation patterns may better constrain regional carbon sink variability in coupled carbon-climate models.

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