Macro-Nutrient Transport Pathways and Interactions with the Iron Cycle. Export and remineralization of sinking, organic particles moves nutrients to denser isopyncals: Mick Follows, Stephanie Dutkiewicz, Payal Parekh: MIT Taka Ito: University of Washington Ric Williams: University of Liverpool
Return of macro-nutrients to euphotic zone requires diapycnal transfer Atlantic basin
Return of macro-nutrients to euphotic zone requires diapycnal transfer Pacific basin
Atlantic basin Upwelling in Southern Ocean major return pathway...
Mode and intermediate waters formed equatorwards of ACC - pathway for macro-nutrients to northern basins (Sarmiento et al., 2003) surface nitrate surface silica
Mode waters Hanawa and Talley (2001)
Residual mean flow transports nutrients northwards to sites of mode and intermediate water formation Marshall (1997) Ψ res = Ψ Ekman + Ψ eddy
Residual mean flow transports nutrients northwards to sites of mode and intermediate water formation Marshall (1997) Ψ res = Ψ Ekman + Ψ eddy
NO3 (uM) upwelling +NO 3 -Fe dust iron limited macro-nutrient limited subduction ● balance between northward residual mean advection and export sets subducted nutrient concentration ● export sensitive to iron availability
Macro-nutrient supply to the subtropical gyres. WOCE A20 North Atlantic
Convergence of horizontal Ekman nitrate flux in N. Atlantic (10 -3 mol N m -2 yr -1 ) Lateral Ekman transfer into N. Atlantic subtropical gyres Williams and Follows (1998) Role of eddies? Residual mean flow
North Atlantic subtropical gyre: schematic nutrient budget Ekman transfer significant source to subtropical bowl (~ mol N m -2 yr -1 ) organic export (Jenkins, 1988)
Connecting southern and northern hemispheres: “nutrient stream” centred at σ θ = 27.0 supplies nutrients to northern gyres (Pelegri and Csanady, 1991) σ θ = 27.0 PO 4 * (“conservative”) (μM) NO 3 (μM)
Nutrient stream outcrops close to intergyre boundary in winter March NO 3 and σ θ (10m) World Ocean Atlas
Illustration in a global biogeochemical model: regulation of macro-nutrient pathways by aeolian iron source (Dutkiewicz et al., 2005) Modeled Surface Chl (mg m -3 ) ● Explicit, coupled phosphorus, silica and iron cycles ● Two phytoplankton classes: Diatoms and "other" phytoplankton ● Single grazer ● Prescribed aeolian iron source
Aeolian Iron Source (mmol Fe m -2 yr -1 ) Luo et al (2003) Sensitivity studies with uniform “high” and “low” aeolian iron flux...
difference in primary producitivity (high – low) aeolian iron supply (g C m -2 y -1 ) Sensitivity of primary production to aeolian iron source More dust, higher productivity More dust, lower productivity
Pacific basin reflects regulation of intergyre exchange
Atlantic productivity reflects southern ocean surface macro- nutrient utilization Atlantic
Summary ● Lateral transfer in surface ocean is significant route for diapycnal return of macro-nutrients to light isopycnals. (Southern Ocean, inter-gyre boundaries) ● Advection by residual mean flow (Ekman + eddy) is key physical process ● Balance between residual mean advection and iron stress regulates the lateral fluxes of macro-nutrients.
Two regimes: - iron limited upwelling regions - macro-nutrient limited subtropical gyres + Atlantic
Export and remineralization of sinking, organic particles moves nutrients to denser isopyncals Atlantic basin
Pelegri and Csanady (1991): “nutrient stream” core of stream at σ θ ~ 27.0 v NO3 at 36N
Numerical model Eulerian mean (Ekman) upwelling (200m) Residual mean upwelling (200m)