Biological Production of Distinct Carbon Pools Drives Particle Export Efficiency in the Southern Ocean

Abstract We use observations from the Southern Ocean (SO) biogeochemical profiling float array to quantify the meridional pattern of particle export efficiency (PEeff) during the austral productive season. Float estimates reveal a pronounced latitudinal gradient of PEeff, which is quantitatively sup...

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Main Authors: Yibin Huang, Andrea J. Fassbender
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-06-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL107511
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author Yibin Huang
Andrea J. Fassbender
author_facet Yibin Huang
Andrea J. Fassbender
author_sort Yibin Huang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract We use observations from the Southern Ocean (SO) biogeochemical profiling float array to quantify the meridional pattern of particle export efficiency (PEeff) during the austral productive season. Float estimates reveal a pronounced latitudinal gradient of PEeff, which is quantitatively supported by a compilation of existing ship‐based measurements. Relying on complementary float‐based estimates of distinct carbon pools produced through biological activity, we find that PEeff peaks near the region of maximum particulate inorganic carbon sinking flux in the polar antarctic zone, where net primary production (NPP) is the lowest. Regions characterized by intermediate NPP and low PEeff, primarily in the subtropical and seasonal ice zones, are generally associated with a higher fraction of dissolved organic carbon production. Our study reveals the critical role of distinct biogenic carbon pool production in driving the latitudinal pattern of PEeff in the SO.
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spelling doaj-art-e140001e315c4d6dbe694afff2ba088f2025-08-20T01:52:06ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072024-06-015112n/an/a10.1029/2023GL107511Biological Production of Distinct Carbon Pools Drives Particle Export Efficiency in the Southern OceanYibin Huang0Andrea J. Fassbender1State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University Xiamen ChinaNOAA/OAR Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory Seattle WA USAAbstract We use observations from the Southern Ocean (SO) biogeochemical profiling float array to quantify the meridional pattern of particle export efficiency (PEeff) during the austral productive season. Float estimates reveal a pronounced latitudinal gradient of PEeff, which is quantitatively supported by a compilation of existing ship‐based measurements. Relying on complementary float‐based estimates of distinct carbon pools produced through biological activity, we find that PEeff peaks near the region of maximum particulate inorganic carbon sinking flux in the polar antarctic zone, where net primary production (NPP) is the lowest. Regions characterized by intermediate NPP and low PEeff, primarily in the subtropical and seasonal ice zones, are generally associated with a higher fraction of dissolved organic carbon production. Our study reveals the critical role of distinct biogenic carbon pool production in driving the latitudinal pattern of PEeff in the SO.https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL107511carbon exportsinking particlesBGC‐ArgoSouthern Oceanexport efficiencydissolved organic carbon
spellingShingle Yibin Huang
Andrea J. Fassbender
Biological Production of Distinct Carbon Pools Drives Particle Export Efficiency in the Southern Ocean
Geophysical Research Letters
carbon export
sinking particles
BGC‐Argo
Southern Ocean
export efficiency
dissolved organic carbon
title Biological Production of Distinct Carbon Pools Drives Particle Export Efficiency in the Southern Ocean
title_full Biological Production of Distinct Carbon Pools Drives Particle Export Efficiency in the Southern Ocean
title_fullStr Biological Production of Distinct Carbon Pools Drives Particle Export Efficiency in the Southern Ocean
title_full_unstemmed Biological Production of Distinct Carbon Pools Drives Particle Export Efficiency in the Southern Ocean
title_short Biological Production of Distinct Carbon Pools Drives Particle Export Efficiency in the Southern Ocean
title_sort biological production of distinct carbon pools drives particle export efficiency in the southern ocean
topic carbon export
sinking particles
BGC‐Argo
Southern Ocean
export efficiency
dissolved organic carbon
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL107511
work_keys_str_mv AT yibinhuang biologicalproductionofdistinctcarbonpoolsdrivesparticleexportefficiencyinthesouthernocean
AT andreajfassbender biologicalproductionofdistinctcarbonpoolsdrivesparticleexportefficiencyinthesouthernocean