The biological carbon pump, which transports particulate organic carbon (POC) from the surface to the deep ocean, plays an important role in regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO ₂) ...concentrations. We know very little about geographical variability in the remineralization depth of this sinking material and less about what controls such variability. Here we present previously unpublished profiles of mesopelagic POC flux derived from neutrally buoyant sediment traps deployed in the North Atlantic, from which we calculate the remineralization length scale for each site. Combining these results with corresponding data from the North Pacific, we show that the observed variability in attenuation of vertical POC flux can largely be explained by temperature, with shallower remineralization occurring in warmer waters. This is seemingly inconsistent with conclusions drawn from earlier analyses of deep-sea sediment trap and export flux data, which suggest lowest transfer efficiency at high latitudes. However, the two patterns can be reconciled by considering relatively intense remineralization of a labile fraction of material in warm waters, followed by efficient downward transfer of the remaining refractory fraction, while in cold environments, a larger labile fraction undergoes slower remineralization that continues over a longer length scale. Based on the observed relationship, future increases in ocean temperature will likely lead to shallower remineralization of POC and hence reduced storage of CO ₂ by the ocean.
Significance A key factor regulating the air−sea balance of carbon dioxide (CO ₂) is the sinking of particles containing organic carbon from the surface to the deep ocean. The depth at which this carbon is released back into the water (remineralization) has a strong influence on atmospheric CO ₂ concentration. Here we show a significant relationship between the remineralization depth of sinking organic carbon flux in the upper ocean and water temperature, with shallower remineralization in warmer waters. Our results contrast with data from deep-sea sediment traps, highlighting the importance of upper ocean remineralization to our understanding of the ocean’s biological carbon pump. Our results suggest that predicted future increases in ocean temperature will result in reduced CO ₂ storage by the oceans.
Photosynthesis in the surface ocean produces approximately 100 gigatonnes of organic carbon per year, of which 5 to 15 per cent is exported to the deep ocean. The rate at which the sinking carbon is ...converted into carbon dioxide by heterotrophic organisms at depth is important in controlling oceanic carbon storage. It remains uncertain, however, to what extent surface ocean carbon supply meets the demand of water-column biota; the discrepancy between known carbon sources and sinks is as much as two orders of magnitude. Here we present field measurements, respiration rate estimates and a steady-state model that allow us to balance carbon sources and sinks to within observational uncertainties at the Porcupine Abyssal Plain site in the eastern North Atlantic Ocean. We find that prokaryotes are responsible for 70 to 92 per cent of the estimated remineralization in the twilight zone (depths of 50 to 1,000 metres) despite the fact that much of the organic carbon is exported in the form of large, fast-sinking particles accessible to larger zooplankton. We suggest that this occurs because zooplankton fragment and ingest half of the fast-sinking particles, of which more than 30 per cent may be released as suspended and slowly sinking matter, stimulating the deep-ocean microbial loop. The synergy between microbes and zooplankton in the twilight zone is important to our understanding of the processes controlling the oceanic carbon sink.
Iron (Fe) is an essential micronutrient for marine microbial organisms, and low supply controls productivity in large parts of the world's ocean. The high latitude North Atlantic is seasonally Fe ...limited, but Fe distributions and source strengths are poorly constrained. Surface ocean dissolved Fe (DFe) concentrations were low in the study region (<0.1 nM) in summer 2010, with significant perturbations during spring 2010 in the Iceland Basin as a result of an eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano (up to 2.5 nM DFe near Iceland) with biogeochemical consequences. Deep water concentrations in the vicinity of the Reykjanes Ridge system were influenced by pronounced sediment resuspension, with indications for additional inputs by hydrothermal vents, with subsequent lateral transport of Fe and manganese plumes of up to 250-300 km. Particulate Fe formed the dominant pool, as evidenced by 4-17 fold higher total dissolvable Fe compared with DFe concentrations, and a dynamic exchange between the fractions appeared to buffer deep water DFe. Here we show that Fe supply associated with deep winter mixing (up to 103 nmol m
d
) was at least ca. 4-10 times higher than atmospheric deposition, diffusive fluxes at the base of the summer mixed layer, and horizontal surface ocean fluxes.
Atmospheric deposition of aerosols transported from the continents is an important source of nutrient and pollutant trace elements (TEs) to the surface ocean. During the U.S. GEOTRACES GP15 Pacific ...Meridional Transect between Alaska and Tahiti (September–November 2018), aerosol samples were collected over the North Pacific and equatorial Pacific and analyzed for a suite of TEs, including Al, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb. Sampling coincided with the annual minimum in dust transport from Asia, providing an opportunity to quantify aerosol TE concentrations and deposition during the low dust season. Nevertheless, peak concentrations of “crustal” TEs measured at ∼40–50°N (∼145 pmol/m3 Fe) were associated with transport from northern Asia, with lower concentrations (36 ± 14 pmol/m3 Fe) over the equatorial Pacific. Relative to crustal abundances, equatorial Pacific aerosols typically had higher TE enrichment factors than North Pacific aerosols. In contrast, aerosol V was more enriched over the North Pacific, presumably due to greater supply to this region from oil combustion products. Bulk deposition velocity (Vbulk) was calculated along the transect using the surface ocean decay inventory of the naturally occurring radionuclide, 7Be, and aerosol 7Be activity. Deposition velocities were significantly higher (4,570 ± 1,146 m/d) within the Intertropical Convergence Zone than elsewhere (1,764 ± 261 m/d) due to aerosol scavenging by intense rainfall. Daily deposition fluxes to the central Pacific during the low dust season were calculated using Vbulk and aerosol TE concentration data, with Fe fluxes ranging from 19 to 258 nmol/m2/d.
Plain Language Summary
Both natural material such as soil dust and industrial emissions such as soot can be transported thousands of miles in the atmosphere as small particles before gradually settling out of the atmosphere or being stripped out by rain. This process can be an important mechanism for delivering material from the continents to surface waters of the open ocean and also introduces elements that are essential for algal growth, but present in the ocean in very low concentrations (known as trace elements). In this study, we measured the concentrations of several TEs on airborne particles during fieldwork in the Pacific Ocean, between Alaska and Tahiti. The observed amounts of TEs were low because the timing of the work coincided with the annual minimum in atmospheric transport of dust from Asia. The deposition rate of TEs on these particles to the ocean was calculated from the activity of a naturally occurring radionuclide, 7Be, that was also measured in atmospheric samples and in the surface ocean.
Key Points
Aerosol trace element (TE) concentrations are reported along a meridional Pacific Ocean transect during the North Pacific "low dust" season
Mineral aerosol loading and varied anthropogenic aerosol sources influenced observed distributions of the different TEs
Regional dust and Fe deposition fluxes derived from beryllium‐7 were at the low end of previous estimates, due to low dust concentrations
Glacial meltwater has been suggested as a significant source of potentially bioavailable iron to the oceans. However, the supply of dissolved iron (dFe) in glacial meltwaters is poorly constrained as ...few sites have been studied, and because the chemical processing of Fe during transport from glaciers to the adjacent coastal ocean is not well understood. In order to better constrain glacial fluxes of dFe to the ocean, iron concentrations, iron stable isotopes (δ56Fe), and other supporting chemical and physical measurements were made along a ∼4 km long glacial meltwater river on Svalbard and in estuarine waters that it flows into. Dissolved iron concentrations in the Bayelva River decreased from a maximum of 734 nM near the glacier to an average value of 116 nM near the mouth of the river. Measurements in the Kongsfjorden estuary suggest that 3 to 10 nM of dFe from the Bayelva River is stabilized in glacial waters by the time it mixes into the ocean. Incubation of Bayelva River waters over two weeks in both the light and dark show similar results, with the majority of dFe being quickly precipitated and 4 to 7 nM Fe stabilized in the dissolved phase. Evidence suggests that Fe is most likely lost from the dissolved phase by aggregation and adsorption of nanoparticulate and colloidal Fe to particles. Dissolved δ56Fe was between −0.11‰ and +0.09‰ for all river samples and did not vary systematically with dFe concentrations. We infer that the Fe is lost from the dissolved phase by a process that fractionates Fe isotopes by less than 0.05‰, indicating that the Fe bonding environment does not change during precipitation. This is consistent with DOC loss that is much faster than predicted photo-oxidation rates, suggesting that DOC is also lost through adsorption and precipitation. Dissolved Fe concentrations in the Bayelva River (15–734 nM), and Fe concentrations which are stabilized in the dissolved phase (4–7 nM) are much lower than some previous estimates of Fe in glacial meltwaters, with roughly 80% of dFe lost during transit in the Bayelva River and roughly 90% of the remaining dFe lost in the estuary. This may mean that glaciers are a less significant source of dissolved Fe to the global oceans than has been previously hypothesized, that cold base glaciers of the type studied here do not contribute significantly to the dissolved Fe flux, or that the flux of reactive particulate Fe to the oceans is more important than the dissolved flux. In Arctic regions with similar proglacial environments, bedrock composition, weathering intensity, and as precipitation of colloidal and nanoparticulate Fe may all play an important role in regulating the glacial meltwater iron flux to the ocean.
•Much dissolved Fe in glacial meltwaters is lost in the proglacial environment.•Fe loss may be due to precipitation of colloidal/nanoparticulate Fe or organically-complexed Fe.•Glacial δ56Fe in the Bayelva river is generally −0.1‰ to +0.1‰.
Sulfidic sediments are a source of dissolved organic sulfur (DOS) to the ocean but the fate of sedimentary DOS in the oxic, sunlit water column is unknown. We hypothesized that photodegradation after ...discharge from the dark sedimentary environment results in DOS molecular transformation and decomposition. To test this hypothesis, sulfidic porewater from a saltmarsh was exposed to potential abiotic transformations of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the water column. We quantitatively investigated DOM transformations via elemental analysis and molecularly via ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry. Our study indicated that photoreactivity is dependent on DOM elemental composition as DOS molecular formulas were more photolabile than those without sulfur. Prior to solar irradiation, of the 6451 identified molecular formulas in sulfidic porewater, 39% contained sulfur. After 29 days of irradiation, the DOS concentration was depleted from 13 to 1 μM, together with a 9% decrease in the number of DOS molecular formulas. Comparing porewater and oceanic DOS molecular formulas, solar irradiation increased the similarity due to the removal of photolabile DOS formulas not present in the ocean. In conclusion, DOS from sulfidic sediments is preferentially photolabile and solar irradiation can be a potential mechanism controlling the stability and fate of porewater DOS.
Aerosol deposition from the 2010 eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull resulted in significant dissolved iron (DFe) inputs to the Iceland Basin of the North Atlantic. Unique ship‐board ...measurements indicated strongly enhanced DFe concentrations (up to 10 nM) immediately under the ash plume. Bioassay experiments performed with ash collected at sea under the plume also demonstrated the potential for associated Fe release to stimulate phytoplankton growth and nutrient drawdown. Combining Fe dissolution measurements with modeled ash deposition suggested that the eruption had the potential to increase DFe by >0.2 nM over an area of up to 570,000 km2. Although satellite ocean color data only indicated minor increases in phytoplankton abundance over a relatively constrained area, comparison of in situ nitrate concentrations with historical records suggested that ash deposition may have resulted in enhanced major nutrient drawdown. Our observations thus suggest that the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption resulted in a significant perturbation to the biogeochemistry of the Iceland Basin.
Key Points
Volcanic ash deposition results in enhanced iron and aluminium in Iceland Basin
Ash derived iron supply causes nitrate drawdown in seasonal HNLC region
Ash stimulates phytoplankton growth in bioassay experiment
The Arctic region is undergoing significant changes in climate, with a notable decrease in summertime sea ice coverage over the past three decades. This trend means an increasing proportion of Arctic ...Ocean surface waters can receive direct deposition of material from the atmosphere, potentially influencing marine biogeochemical cycles and delivery of pollutants to the Arctic ecosystem. Here, we present aerosol concentrations of selected trace elements (Al, Ti, V, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) measured during the US GEOTRACES Western Arctic cruise (GN01, also known as HLY1502) in August–October 2015. Concentrations of “lithogenic” elements (Al, Ti, V, Mn, Fe, and Co) were similar to those measured in remote and predominantly marine-influenced air masses in previous studies, reflecting the remoteness of the Arctic Ocean from major dust sources. Concentrations of Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd showed significant enrichments over crustal values, and were often of similar magnitude to concentrations measured over the North Atlantic in air masses of North American or European provenance. We use 7Be inventory and flux data from GN01 to estimate a bulk atmospheric deposition velocity during the study period, and combine it with our aerosol concentrations to calculate atmospheric deposition fluxes of the trace elements in the Arctic region during late summer. The resulting estimates for mineral dust and Fe deposition fall at the low end of global estimates and confirm the Arctic Ocean as a low-dust environment during the summer months.
This article is part of a special issue entitled: Conway GEOTRACES - edited by Tim M. Conway, Tristan Horner, Yves Plancherel, and Aridane G. González.
•We report bulk aerosol concentrations of multiple trace elements from the western Arctic Ocean during summer 2015.•Deposition fluxes are calculated using a bulk deposition velocity calculated from aerosol and snow 7Be data.•Summertime atmospheric deposition fluxes of mineral dust and Fe to the Arctic are low relative to other oceanic regions.
Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are strongly controlled by the depth at which the organic matter that sinks out of the surface ocean is remineralized. This depth is generally estimated from ...particle flux profiles measured using sediment traps. Inherent in this analysis is a steady state assumption that export from the surface does not significantly change in the time it takes material to reach the deepest trap. However, recent observations suggest that a significant fraction of material in the mesopelagic zone sinks slowly enough to bring this into doubt. We use data from a study in the North Atlantic during July/August 2009 to challenge the steady state assumption. An increase in biogenic silica flux with depth was observed which we interpret, based on vertical profiles of diatom taxonomy, as representing the remnants of the spring diatom bloom sinking slowly (<40 m d−1). We were able to reproduce this behavior using a simple model using satellite‐derived export rates and literature‐derived remineralization rates. We further provide a simple equation to estimate “additional” (or “excess”) particulate organic carbon supply to the dark ocean during nonsteady state conditions, which is not captured by traditional sediment trap deployments. In seasonal systems, mesopelagic net organic carbon supply could be wrong by as much as 25% when assuming steady state. We conclude that the steady state assumption leads to misinterpretation of particle flux profiles when input fluxes from the upper ocean vary on the order of weeks, such as in temperate and polar regions with strong seasonal cycles in export.
Key Points
Increased biogenic silica fluxes with depth imply nonsteady state conditions in the NE Atlantic in August 2009
Taxonomic flux analysis and simple modeling support the nonsteady state hypothesis
By assuming steady state, net organic carbon supply to the dark ocean may be wrong by ≤ 25%
Despite the Pacific being the location of the earliest seawater Cd studies, the processes which control Cd distributions in this region remain incompletely understood, largely due to the sparsity of ...data. Here, we present dissolved Cd and δ114Cd data from the US GEOTRACES GP15 meridional transect along 152°W from the Alaskan margin to the equatorial Pacific. Our examination of this region's surface ocean Cd isotope systematics is consistent with previous observations, showing a stark disparity between northern Cd‐rich high‐nutrient low‐chlorophyll waters and Cd‐depleted waters of the subtropical and equatorial Pacific. Away from the margin, an open system model ably describes data in Cd‐depleted surface waters, but atmospheric inputs of isotopically light Cd likely play an important role in setting surface Cd isotope ratios (δ114Cd) at the lowest Cd concentrations. Below the surface, Southern Ocean processes and water mass mixing are the dominant control on Pacific Cd and δ114Cd distributions. Cd‐depleted Antarctic Intermediate Water has a far‐reaching effect on North Pacific intermediate waters as far as 47°N, contrasting with northern‐sourced Cd signatures in North Pacific Intermediate Water. Finally, we show that the previously identified negative Cd* signal at depth in the North Pacific is associated with the PO4 maximum and is thus a consequence of an integrated regeneration signal of Cd and PO4 at a slightly lower Cd:P ratio than the deep ocean ratio (0.35 mmol mol−1), rather than being related to in situ removal processes in low‐oxygen waters.
Key Points
Atmospheric inputs of isotopically light Cd play an important role in setting surface δ114Cd when surface Cd concentrations are low
Strong Southern Ocean control on subsurface Cd and δ114Cd distribution; Antarctic Intermediate Water influences δ114Cd of North Pacific intermediate waters
A Cd* minimum at depth in the North Pacific is associated with the PO4 maximum, a consequence of integrated regeneration
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