Open AccessAutonomous data describe North Atlantic spring bloom
Author(s) -
Fennel K.,
Cetinić I.,
D'Asaro E.,
Lee C.,
Perry M. J.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/2011eo500002
Subject(s) - bloom , spring bloom , oceanography , sink (geography) , phytoplankton , environmental science , algal bloom , spring (device) , carbon cycle , carbon sink , climate change , climatology , geology , geography , ecology , biology , ecosystem , nutrient , mechanical engineering , cartography , engineering
Each spring, increasing sunlight and associated changes in the ocean structure trigger rapid growth of phytoplankton across most of the North Atlantic Ocean north of 30°N. The bloom, one of the largest in the world, is a major sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide and a prototype for similar blooms around the world. Models of the ocean carbon cycle, a necessary component of climate models, need to accurately reproduce the biological, chemical, and physical processes occurring during these blooms. However, a paucity of detailed observations severely limits efforts to evaluate such models.