Estimation of sea surface CO2 flux in the world oceans

The exchange of CO₂ at the air-sea interface is of great importance in the study of greenhouse gases as well as their potential influences to the human society. The present study is an attempt to estimate CO₂ flux at the ocean surface using historically collected field measurements and satellite data. The difference of CO₂ partial pressure between the sea surface and the atmosphere In the world oceans are presented on the basis of our previous investigations. The CO₂ exchange coefficients are computed using the method proposed by Tans et al (1990). The estimation of seasonal sea surface CO₂ flux in the world oceans are given at the Levitus grid-point of 1×1. The main oceanic sinks and sources for the atmospheric CO₂ are discussed