The ocean is an important carbon sink that absorbs 20–30% of the total anthropogenic CO2 emissions in the industrial era (1.0–3.0 Pg annually, 1 Pg = 1015 g). Tropical cyclones are among the most devastating weather systems that profoundly disturb the upper ocean. However, their role in the global carbon cycle has been controversial: do tropical cyclones lead to net carbon absorption or release by the ocean, and does it matter?

The ocean is an important carbon sink that absorbs 20–30% of the total anthropogenic CO2 emissions in the industrial era (1.0–3.0 Pg annually, 1 Pg = 1015 g). Tropical cyclones are among the most devastating weather systems that profoundly disturb the upper ocean. However, their role in the global carbon cycle has been controversial: do tropical cyclones lead to net carbon absorption or release by the ocean, and does it matter?

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