Decadal predictions of the North Atlantic CO(2) uptake

As a major CO(2) sink, the North Atlantic, especially its subpolar gyre region, is essential for the global carbon cycle. Decadal fluctuations of CO(2) uptake in the North Atlantic subpolar gyre region are associated with the evolution of the North Atlantic Oscillation, the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, ocean mixing and sea surface temperature anomalies. While variations in the physical state of the ocean can be predicted several years in advance by initialization of Earth system models, predictability of CO(2) uptake has remained unexplored. Here we investigate the predictability of CO(2) uptake variations by initialization of the MPI-ESM decadal prediction system. We find large multi-year variability in oceanic CO(2) uptake and demonstrate that its potential predictive skill in the western subpolar gyre region is up to 4–7 years. The predictive skill is mainly maintained in winter and is attributed to the improved physical state of the ocean.