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Atlantic Southern Ocean productivity: Fertilization from above or below?
Author(s) -
Meskhidze Nicholas,
Nenes Athanasios,
Chameides William L.,
Luo Chao,
Mahowald Natalie
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
global biogeochemical cycles
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.512
H-Index - 187
eISSN - 1944-9224
pISSN - 0886-6236
DOI - 10.1029/2006gb002711
Subject(s) - upwelling , iron fertilization , oceanography , phytoplankton , aeolian processes , environmental science , mineral dust , productivity , deposition (geology) , nutrient , biogeochemistry , continental shelf , new production , geology , sediment , aerosol , chemistry , organic chemistry , geomorphology , economics , macroeconomics , paleontology
Primary productivity and the associated uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide in the Southern Ocean (SO) is thought to be generally limited by bioavailable iron (Fe). Two sources of Fe for the surface waters of the SO have been proposed: (1) oceanic input of nutrient‐rich (i.e., Fe) waters from upwelling and lateral flows from continental margins; and (2) atmospheric input from the deposition of mineral dust emanating from the arid regions of South America and Australia. In this work, analysis of weekly remotely sensed sea surface temperature (SST), ocean chlorophyll a content [Chl a ] and model‐derived atmospheric dust‐Fe fluxes are used to identify the predominant source of Fe during phytoplankton blooms in the surface waters of the south Atlantic Ocean between 40°S and 60°S. The results of our study suggest that oceanic source through upwelling of nutrient‐rich waters due to mesoscale frontal dynamics is the major source of bioavailable Fe controlling biological activity in this region. This result is consistent with the idea that acidification of aeolian dust prior to its deposition to the ocean may be required to solubilize the large fraction of mineral‐iron and make it bioavailable.