Alaskan Glacial Dust Is an Important Iron Source to Surface Waters of the Gulf of Alaska
Abstract This work evaluates glacial dust as a source of sediment, and associated iron (Fe), to the Fe‐limited Gulf of Alaska (GoA). A reanalysis of GoA sediment data, using rare earth elements and thorium as provenance tracers, suggests a flux to the ocean surface of Copper River (AK) glacial dust,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2024-06-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL106778 |
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| author | John Crusius Carsten A. Lao Thomas M. Holmes James W. Murray |
| author_facet | John Crusius Carsten A. Lao Thomas M. Holmes James W. Murray |
| author_sort | John Crusius |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract This work evaluates glacial dust as a source of sediment, and associated iron (Fe), to the Fe‐limited Gulf of Alaska (GoA). A reanalysis of GoA sediment data, using rare earth elements and thorium as provenance tracers, suggests a flux to the ocean surface of Copper River (AK) glacial dust, and associated Fe, that is comparable to the flux of dust from Asia, at least 1,000 km from the narrow mountain valley glacial dust source area. This work suggests dust from Asia may not be the largest source of Fe to the GoA. Dust models fail to accurately simulate this glacial dust transport because their coarse resolution underestimates wind speeds, and the dust flux. This work suggests that glacial dust fluxes may have been important in the geologic past (e.g., the last glacial maximum) from locations where there was more extensive coverage by glaciers than at present. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9ff41966989e45a3a70b8d688949a42c |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-06-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-9ff41966989e45a3a70b8d688949a42c2025-08-20T03:10:21ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072024-06-015112n/an/a10.1029/2023GL106778Alaskan Glacial Dust Is an Important Iron Source to Surface Waters of the Gulf of AlaskaJohn Crusius0Carsten A. Lao1Thomas M. Holmes2James W. Murray3U.S. Geological Survey University of Washington School of Oceanography Seattle WA USADepartment of Chemistry University of Washington Seattle WA USAAustralian Antarctic Program Partnership University of Tasmania Hobart TAS AustraliaSchool of Oceanography University of Washington Seattle WA USAAbstract This work evaluates glacial dust as a source of sediment, and associated iron (Fe), to the Fe‐limited Gulf of Alaska (GoA). A reanalysis of GoA sediment data, using rare earth elements and thorium as provenance tracers, suggests a flux to the ocean surface of Copper River (AK) glacial dust, and associated Fe, that is comparable to the flux of dust from Asia, at least 1,000 km from the narrow mountain valley glacial dust source area. This work suggests dust from Asia may not be the largest source of Fe to the GoA. Dust models fail to accurately simulate this glacial dust transport because their coarse resolution underestimates wind speeds, and the dust flux. This work suggests that glacial dust fluxes may have been important in the geologic past (e.g., the last glacial maximum) from locations where there was more extensive coverage by glaciers than at present.https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL106778dustAlaskaglacierglacial particleCopper Riveriron |
| spellingShingle | John Crusius Carsten A. Lao Thomas M. Holmes James W. Murray Alaskan Glacial Dust Is an Important Iron Source to Surface Waters of the Gulf of Alaska Geophysical Research Letters dust Alaska glacier glacial particle Copper River iron |
| title | Alaskan Glacial Dust Is an Important Iron Source to Surface Waters of the Gulf of Alaska |
| title_full | Alaskan Glacial Dust Is an Important Iron Source to Surface Waters of the Gulf of Alaska |
| title_fullStr | Alaskan Glacial Dust Is an Important Iron Source to Surface Waters of the Gulf of Alaska |
| title_full_unstemmed | Alaskan Glacial Dust Is an Important Iron Source to Surface Waters of the Gulf of Alaska |
| title_short | Alaskan Glacial Dust Is an Important Iron Source to Surface Waters of the Gulf of Alaska |
| title_sort | alaskan glacial dust is an important iron source to surface waters of the gulf of alaska |
| topic | dust Alaska glacier glacial particle Copper River iron |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL106778 |
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