Isopycnal Shoaling Causes Interannual Variability in Oxygen on Isopycnals in the Subarctic Northeast Pacific

Abstract

Over 60 years of oceanographic observations from Ocean Station Papa (OSP) in the northeast Pacific indicate faster dissolved oxygen loss than the global average. The greatest negative trends in oxygen concentration occur on isopycnals in the upper water column (σ_θ = 26.1–26.8 kg m⁻³, ∼110–200 m) but have considerable uncertainty due to natural variability. In this paper, we use eight Argo profiling floats equipped with optode oxygen sensors to assess the 2008–2016 interannual variability of subsurface dissolved oxygen near OSP. We developed a method using high frequency Conductivity-Temperature-Depth data to correct optode profiles for slow response times and used reference profiles from the OSP time series to calibrate the optodes. Response time correction markedly improves subsurface bias caused by slow optode equilibration. Our analysis indicates that episodic shoaling of isopycnals can cause rapid reduction in dissolved oxygen concentration. Changes in ventilation, horizontal mixing, and water mass age are unlikely drivers for the rapid O₂ loss events examined. We link dissolved oxygen loss during shoaling events to organic matter export, due to higher concentrations of organic matter and greater respiration rates at shallower depths. Reduced net community production during the “Blob” marine heatwave may have reduced the impact of the second shoaling event examined. Natural variations in dissolved oxygen in these layers provide context for uncertainty estimates of long-term trends and insight toward the potential for future extreme oxygen minima from the combined impact of the long-term decline and episodic shoaling.