Description:
<jats:p>The penetration of anthropogenic or “excess” CO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> into the North Atlantic Ocean was studied along WOCE‐WHP section A2 from 49°N/11°W to 43°N/49°W using hydrographic data obtained during the <jats:italic>METEOR</jats:italic> cruise 30–2 in October/November 1994. A backcalculation technique based on measurements of temperature, salinity, oxygen, alkalinity, and total dissolved inorganic carbon was applied to identify the excess CO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>. Everywhere along the transect surface water contained almost its full component of anthropogenic CO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> ( ∼62 μmol kg<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup>). Furthermore, anthropogenic CO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> has penetrated through the entire water column in the western basin of the North Atlantic Ocean. Even in the deepest waters (5000 m) of the western basin a mean value of 10.4 μmol kg<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> excess CO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> was calculated. The maximum penetration depth of excess CO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> in the eastern basin of the North Atlantic Ocean was ∼3500 m with values falling below 5 μmol kg<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> in greater depths. These results compare well with distributions of carbontetrachloride. They are also in agreement with the current understanding of the role of the “global ocean conveyor belt” for the uptake of anthropogenic CO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> into the deep ocean.</jats:p>