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Decadal Comparisons of Particulate Matter in Repeat Transects in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Ocean Basins
Author(s) -
Gardner W. D.,
Mishonov A. V.,
Richardson M. J.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2017gl076571
Subject(s) - nepheloid layer , oceanography , geology , benthic zone , water column , transect , seafloor spreading , sediment , deep sea , particulates , environmental science , paleontology , ecology , biology
Basin‐wide sections of beam c p (proxy for particle concentration) in ocean basins collected during numerous oceanographic programs over the last four decades record variable concentrations in euphotic surface waters, very low concentrations through most of the water column, and very low to very high concentrations near the seafloor. Sections resampled at decadal intervals show that intense benthic nepheloid layers (BNLs) recur in the same general locations in these repeat sections, most often where eddy kinetic energy (EKE: cm 2 s −2 ) is high in overlying waters. Areas beneath regions of low surface EKE consistently have weak to no BNLs. The decadal persistence of the close connection between surface and benthic EKE and presence or absence of BNLs is clear. Understanding the location and causes of intense versus weak BNLs helps in assessing scavenging of adsorption‐prone elements in the deep sea and quantifying the impact of deep ocean sediment dynamics on sediment redistribution.