The changing ocean carbon cycle : a midterm synthesis of the Joint global ocean flux study

The world's oceans act as a reservoir, with the capacity to absorb and retain carbon dioxide. The air-sea exchange of carbon is driven by physico-chemical forces, photosynthesis and respiration, and has an important influence on atmospheric composition. Variability in the ocean carbon cycle could therefore exert significant feedback effects during conditions of climate change. The Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) is the first multidisciplinary programme to directly address the interactions between the biology, chemistry and physics of marine systems, with emphasis on the transport and transformations of carbon within the ocean and across its boundaries. This unique volume, written by an international panel of scientists, provides a synthesis of JGOFS science and its achievements to date. It will therefore appeal to all those seeking a recent overview of the role of ocean processes in Earth system science and their wider implications on climate change.