Impact of Atmospheric Deposition on Carbon Export to the Deep Ocean in the Subtropical Northwest Pacific

Abstract The impact of atmospheric deposition on deep‐ocean carbon export in the subtropical Northwest Pacific remains poorly evaluated. Using sediment trap data and a newly improved biogeochemical model, we show that iron deposition in winter and spring and nitrogen deposition in summer and fall ar...

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Main Authors: Peng Xiu, Fei Chai
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-03-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL089640
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author Peng Xiu
Fei Chai
author_facet Peng Xiu
Fei Chai
author_sort Peng Xiu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The impact of atmospheric deposition on deep‐ocean carbon export in the subtropical Northwest Pacific remains poorly evaluated. Using sediment trap data and a newly improved biogeochemical model, we show that iron deposition in winter and spring and nitrogen deposition in summer and fall are important drivers for the seasonal variability of deep‐ocean particulate organic carbon (POC) export flux. Nitrogen deposition can stimulate pico‐plankton growth in summer and fall, which leads to increases of microzooplankton and mesozooplankton. The increase of mesozooplankton exerts higher grazing pressure on diatoms in winter and early spring, which then reduces deep‐ocean POC export due to the reduction of ballasting mineral of opal. Iron deposition only affects the region in winter and spring when nitrogen is not a limiting factor for phytoplankton growth; and it can increase deep‐ocean POC export by stimulating diatom growth and opal production.
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publishDate 2021-03-01
publisher Wiley
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series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-261839fd649243e2921184e40da435c32025-08-20T01:48:15ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072021-03-01486n/an/a10.1029/2020GL089640Impact of Atmospheric Deposition on Carbon Export to the Deep Ocean in the Subtropical Northwest PacificPeng Xiu0Fei Chai1State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography South China Sea Institute of Oceanology Chinese Academy of Sciences Guangzhou ChinaState Key Laboratory of Satellite Ocean Environment Dynamics Second Institute of Oceanography Ministry of Natural Resources Hangzhou ChinaAbstract The impact of atmospheric deposition on deep‐ocean carbon export in the subtropical Northwest Pacific remains poorly evaluated. Using sediment trap data and a newly improved biogeochemical model, we show that iron deposition in winter and spring and nitrogen deposition in summer and fall are important drivers for the seasonal variability of deep‐ocean particulate organic carbon (POC) export flux. Nitrogen deposition can stimulate pico‐plankton growth in summer and fall, which leads to increases of microzooplankton and mesozooplankton. The increase of mesozooplankton exerts higher grazing pressure on diatoms in winter and early spring, which then reduces deep‐ocean POC export due to the reduction of ballasting mineral of opal. Iron deposition only affects the region in winter and spring when nitrogen is not a limiting factor for phytoplankton growth; and it can increase deep‐ocean POC export by stimulating diatom growth and opal production.https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL089640carbon exportdiatomdust depositionecosystem dynamicsmodelsnorthwestern Pacific
spellingShingle Peng Xiu
Fei Chai
Impact of Atmospheric Deposition on Carbon Export to the Deep Ocean in the Subtropical Northwest Pacific
Geophysical Research Letters
carbon export
diatom
dust deposition
ecosystem dynamics
models
northwestern Pacific
title Impact of Atmospheric Deposition on Carbon Export to the Deep Ocean in the Subtropical Northwest Pacific
title_full Impact of Atmospheric Deposition on Carbon Export to the Deep Ocean in the Subtropical Northwest Pacific
title_fullStr Impact of Atmospheric Deposition on Carbon Export to the Deep Ocean in the Subtropical Northwest Pacific
title_full_unstemmed Impact of Atmospheric Deposition on Carbon Export to the Deep Ocean in the Subtropical Northwest Pacific
title_short Impact of Atmospheric Deposition on Carbon Export to the Deep Ocean in the Subtropical Northwest Pacific
title_sort impact of atmospheric deposition on carbon export to the deep ocean in the subtropical northwest pacific
topic carbon export
diatom
dust deposition
ecosystem dynamics
models
northwestern Pacific
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL089640
work_keys_str_mv AT pengxiu impactofatmosphericdepositiononcarbonexporttothedeepoceaninthesubtropicalnorthwestpacific
AT feichai impactofatmosphericdepositiononcarbonexporttothedeepoceaninthesubtropicalnorthwestpacific