Robotic Observations of Enhanced Carbon Biomass and Export at 55°S During SOFeX
Autonomous floats profiling in high-nitrate low-silicate waters of the Southern Ocean observed carbon biomass variability and carbon exported to depths of 100 m during the 2002 Southern Ocean Iron Experiment (SOFeX) to detect the effects of iron fertilization of surface water there. Control and “in-...
Published in: | Science |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
2004
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1087717 https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.1087717 |
Summary: | Autonomous floats profiling in high-nitrate low-silicate waters of the Southern Ocean observed carbon biomass variability and carbon exported to depths of 100 m during the 2002 Southern Ocean Iron Experiment (SOFeX) to detect the effects of iron fertilization of surface water there. Control and “in-patch” measurements documented a greater than fourfold enhancement of carbon biomass in the iron-amended waters. Carbon export through 100 m increased two- to sixfold as the patch subducted below a front. The molar ratio of iron added to carbon exported ranged between 10 4 and 10 5 . The biomass buildup and export were much higher than expected for iron-amended low-silicate waters. |
---|