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Asian dust initiated early spring bloom in the northern East/Japan Sea
Author(s) -
Jo Chun Ok,
Lee JaeYoung,
Park KyungAe,
Kim Young Ho,
Kim KyungRyul
Publication year - 2007
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 - 10.1029/2006gl027395
Subject(s) - bloom , spring bloom , sverdrup , spring (device) , seawifs , asian dust , oceanography , environmental science , precipitation , algal bloom , east asia , climatology , geology , nutrient , aerosol , phytoplankton , china , meteorology , geography , ecology , mechanical engineering , archaeology , engineering , arctic , biology
Data for the TOMS aerosol index and SeaWiFS chlorophyll a clearly indicate that an early spring bloom in the northern East/Japan Sea can be initiated during the Asian dust event in association with precipitation. Spring bloom is normally initiated in this area as the surface mixed layer becomes shallower than critical depth, in accordance with Sverdrup's critical depth hypothesis. However, after the passage of Asian dust accompanied by precipitation, spring bloom was initiated about one month earlier than the bloom during non‐dust event years. We found that deepening of critical depth coincided with the early spring bloom observed during wet‐dust events. This early initiation of spring bloom indicates that the supply of bio‐available nutrients such as iron through wet deposition induces deepening of the critical depth, which results in such an early initiation of the bloom in the area.