Extent of the oxygen minimum zone in the eastern tropical North Pacific

Abstract

[Author's Abstract] The Eastern Tropical North Pacific contains a vast layer of water with very low oxygen content, or oxygen minimum zone (OMZ.) To determine if the OMZ has increased in size, the author measured oxygen concentrations in a transect from San Diego to Manzanillo, Mexico. Data analysis indicates that the OMZ has increased in size and intensity when compared with data from the past 40 years. The finding has significance for understanding climatic change effects on carbon sequestration and denitrification.