Abstract:

The oxygen content of the ocean interior largely results from a balance between respiration and advective ventilation, with only a small contribution from mixing processes. However, oxygen minimum zones (OMZ), which are O2-deficient layers that occupy large volumes of the intermediate-depth tropical oceans, depend to first order on the strength of ocean mixing. I will illustrate how mixing intensity controls the volume of all major OMZs. I will also illustrate how uncertainties in the balancing physical and biological processes in OMZs hinder our ability to project their future evolution, despite robust projection of global deoxygenation.